Introduction:
In the ever-evolving landscape of data protection, Commvault Systems has unveiled its latest stride forward: Commvault Cloud, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform powered by Metallic AI. This transformative move is not just a response to the current needs but a result of a carefully orchestrated progression in alignment with the dynamic shifts in the data protection industry. In this blog post, we will take a customer-centric journey through the evolution of Metallic, the rationale behind SaaS-based data protection, and how Commvault Cloud addresses the challenges of the modern IT environment.
The Birth and Evolution of Metallic:
Commvault Systems introduced Metallic at the Commvault GO event in October 2019 as a SaaS platform for data protection. Initially focusing on Core, Office 365, and Endpoint data categories, Metallic quickly became the focal point of Commvault’s strategic vision. Recognizing the evolving data protection landscape driven by cybersecurity threats, Commvault expanded and enhanced Metallic with regular updates, detailed in the Metallic Release Notes.
The Rationale for SaaS-Based Data Protection:
The enterprise IT landscape has undergone a profound diversification, delivering computing services across on-premises, public cloud, edge, and various SaaS platforms (estimated between 17,000 to 30,000). This shift prompted a realization that traditional data protection tools were no longer sufficient. The rise of ransomware added urgency, transforming data protection from a solution for hardware failures to a constant need to secure critical business assets.
The complexity of modern IT, coupled with the increasing threat of ransomware, necessitated a dynamic Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) approach. Traditional data protection solutions struggled to address the dispersed model of computing, especially when businesses operated solely on SaaS applications, requiring data protection to be offered as SaaS.
Commvault Cloud: Addressing Modern Challenges:
Commvault Cloud, the new SaaS platform, amalgamates three critical features: Data Security, Advanced Intelligence, and Rapid & Reliable Recovery. Starting with Data Security, it delivers unified management and risk governance through a single portal, acknowledging the modern deployment models, including on-premises, public cloud, edge, and SaaS.
Advanced Intelligence builds on AI-driven threat detection capabilities with features like Risk Analysis, Threat Scan, Auto Recovery, and the newly introduced ThreatWise Advisor. Commvault Cloud introduces Arlie, a generative AI “co-pilot” capable of real-time analysis and code generation to enhance data protection levels.
Rapid & Reliable Recovery features, including Cleanroom Recovery and Cloudburst Recovery, emphasize Commvault’s commitment to providing robust recovery solutions. Cleanroom Recovery allows customers to test and validate the recovery process, instilling confidence in the validity of backups, while Cloudburst Recovery facilitates automatic data restoration into the public cloud for swift recovery in a “green field” cloud environment.
Metallic as the Core Component:
Underlying the Commvault Cloud platform is a strategic integration of Metallic as a core component. Over the past four years, Metallic has served as Commvault’s SaaS foundation, enabling the company to learn and evolve in delivering SaaS. The recent announcement underscores Metallic as the engine driving future Commvault data protection innovations.
The Pivotal Moment in Data Protection:
The data protection industry is at a pivotal moment, transcending the traditional post-incident recovery focus. Commvault, with its ability to deliver data protection across diverse platforms and deployment models, stands uniquely positioned to lead during this transformative period.
AI Assistant named Arlie:
Arlie is the new AI assistant that is designed to help you through your security journey. Arlie is driven by Azure’s Copilot OpenAI. You can ask Arlie things like to generate code for integration with another product, Search across your data sets ensuring data is being shared safely, or automate insights and reports on your data and usage, and Arlie can optimize your cyber resilience in the cloud! If you would like to dig more into more info on Arlie click here.
Challenges and Future Outlook:
Despite the availability of all components, Commvault faces the challenge of transitioning heritage customers from perpetual licensing to the SaaS model. Success for Commvault Cloud will be measured by the smooth transition of existing customers, as highlighted in a recent financial review.
Conclusion:
Commvault’s journey, marked by the introduction of Commvault Cloud and the strategic integration of Metallic, is a testament to its commitment to staying ahead in the data protection arena. The customer-centric approach, combined with the understanding of modern data protection challenges, positions Commvault as a leader in data assurance for the next decade. Commvault Cloud reflects not just a product but a holistic solution, harmonizing data protection in a dynamic and interconnected IT landscape.
If you would like learn a bit more about Commvault Cloud click here!
While the opinions in this article are my own and are not related to the company I currently work for. This blog post was sponsored.
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