A strong partnership in the service of corporate business continuity

Backup and recovery specialist Keepit and renowned enterprise service manager Serviceware successfully deliver data protection solutions to German businesses.

Behind every successful IT company is a great product. But even the best product stands and falls with the quality of its sales and customer service.

Only those who know the needs and problems of their customers can provide them with the best advice and offer the best solutions to address their individual challenges.

In the realm of sales, the customer’s needs come first. The more aligned a company’s sales strategy is with its customers’ needs, the better the sales results are likely to be.

For this reason, large IT companies and IT service specialists must maintain a balanced product and service portfolio that includes the right solution for every customer request.

There are, however, fundamental requirements, like business continuity management, that all companies have to address, since reliable backup is a key element in this area.

How Keepit and Serviceware identified their synergies

It was a mutual acquaintance - in the form of a Keepit OEM technology partner - that brought Keepit and Serviceware together in 2021. After initial discussions, it quickly became clear to both sides that a great deal of potential could be drawn from their shared strengths.

When Keepit considered Serviceware as a potential partner, it was the large customer base - over 1,400 customers in the DACH region alone - as well as the proven expertise in business continuity management that convinced Keepit. As the market leader in enterprise service management with over 500 employees at 14 international locations, Serviceware met all the criteria for an optimal partnership.

The concentrated manpower in combination with a high degree of technical understanding made the company particularly attractive to Keepit. Additionally, the Danish backup specialist pursues a partner-first channel strategy and therefore places great value on close and trusting partnerships.

Keepit: a perfect fit for Serviceware’s portfolio

Keepit’s great strength is its outstanding backup solution. Lars Linden, Sales Director of Serviceware Infrastructure, Data Management, Cybersecurity and Digital Experience explains his decision for partnering with Keepit as follows: “As an important part of our data management concepts, Keepit fits perfectly into our managed backup service. The simple implementation, usability and reliability of the solution are unparalleled in the market.”

The fact that Keepit is an EU company with its own infrastructure (and is not using any data sub processors globally) is a further selling point. Customers can therefore be sure that all their compliance requirements are fully met and that their data remains within the territory of the EU at all times. This ensures compliance with all key European data protection requirements – both those inside and outside of “the box.”

A broad coverage of all relevant cloud SaaS applications gives Keepit’s qualities the final touch. No other provider can boast such extensive compatibility with most Microsoft workloads. Thus, the Danish backup solution fits perfectly into Serviceware’s selected product portfolio.

Business continuity management and cloud migration

Many companies only realize the enormous importance of BCM when they fall victim to a cyberattack. In the worst-case scenario, they are then left without access to their critical IT systems and structures from one moment to the next.

In such a precarious situation, having a functioning plan up your sleeve for continuing or restoring business operations is worth its weight in gold – especially since the NIS2 directive has become mandatory for many companies based in the EU.

Such an emergency plan not only helps to take the right steps promptly in this - often chaotic – moment; in fact, in some cases of hardship, it even decides on the further existence of the company.

Unfortunately, customers still underestimate the risk of losing data within a SaaS application and neglect their responsibility as owners of the data.

“Many companies are not aware that the responsibility for their data in the cloud lies with themselves. Those responsible for security rely completely on the cloud provider - a fatal error,” says Michael Heuer, VP Central Europe (DACH) at Keepit, and adds: “After a migration of company data to the cloud, you often have even less control than before.”

Therefore, the essential, expert advice of the Serviceware consultants makes the decisive difference for the joint customers - and often saves them from the existential risks of a cyberattack.

The right chemistry

Since the start of the partnership, both companies have been in close contact with each other and have been developing individualized solutions for their diverse client portfolio.

The dedicated product managers are in regular contact with each other and thus ensure that the required know-how is available to all parties involved and that customers can be optimally advised. In joint webinars, relevant product innovations are communicated, and specialist personnel are trained in detail regarding the installation, use and maintenance of Keepit’s backup systems. Personal contact is guaranteed by the regular presence of Keepit employees at Serviceware’s headquarters.

Shaping the future together

The two specialists have taken the opportunity of being a part of this trusting cooperation to look to the future together. One particular project of note involves combining the ITSM product interfaces from the Serviceware portfolio with Keepit’s backup solution. This should enable customers to hand over their data recovery requirements even more easily via the user helpdesk service portal.

Joint, industry-specific campaigns and approaches are also planned to tap into new market segments. With these words, Keepit’s Michael Heuer sums up the fruitful cooperation and looks forward to a promising future with Serviceware.