MS Enters Data Backup Market with DPM

Microsoft announced that it had officially launched its solution for disk-based backup called Data Protection Manager (DPM) on Tuesday.

The company claims that it would cost a user about $5,000 per terabyte of data versus ten times that in competing services. DPM also offers a speed advantage, working much faster than tape-based solutions.

DPM had been in beta since September, and the company opened up the beta to the public in April. Microsoft received positive feedback on the service, with some reporting significantly shorter backup times as a result of the product.

Microsoft says that it has made it a goal to have Windows manage storage space more cost-effectively than other platforms.

To prove its speed, Microsoft commissioned a study by VeriTest. In it, DPM recovered data over eleven times faster than a tape-based backup, and backed up data nearly 4 times as fast. Both tests used Veritas Backup Exec 10 software.

An impressive line-up of technology companies have also either pledged support for DPM, or will build solutions using the software. Partners include AMD, Computer Associates, Dell, Fujitsu, and Intel among others.

The DPM service will retail for $950, which will include licenses for one server and the protection of three file servers.

Also announced today was the beta version of Windows Storage Server 2003 R2. Microsoft says it plans to have the release in manufacturer's hands by the end of the year.