SOS Online Backup
HotUser reviews
Update posted by Admin.
Ed has asked for the following to be amended to the post, but feel that for openness, the original post should stay.
"I wrote this review and would like it removed, I have since changed my mind and SOS has changed as well"
Hi Sam,
We're sorry to hear your concern, but please take another visit to our website. You'll see that our 1,200+ Partners are not in completion with SOS, but instead we aim to assist our Partners in their business in any way possible. I'd like to put you in touch with a Partner Specialist, it would be helpful to personally see an ROI analysis with someone on our team.
Thank you,
Carla
Hi Ami,
I'd like to put you in touch with your account manager to make sure all of your issues are resolved. Can you respond with the name of your company? Or email us at partnersupport(at)sosonlinebackup.com?
Thank you,
Sheilin
First things first. I'm truely disappointed in their channel program. While they claim to be at your side 100% for MSP, they really aren't. My "channel manager" was/has never been there for me. It would take 3-4 phone calls or 3-5 emails to get his attention. Maybe I was a low on the list for asking for some help for a small 50GB client. Nevertheless, 10GB or 1TB, they should be there for me when I need some help. Their "360 marketing" is nothing but pre-defined PDF files...canned stuff that you can just slap your logo on.
Let's talk about their software:
- NO native Exchange of SQL backup. They give you a license for the Storage Craft Shadow Protect software and you must do full bare metal backup. That's how you backup exchange with SOS. A full bare-metal backup.
You must configure the software manually - one by one. Their management console does not provide any such way to create backup sets and apply them across the board to computers. You have to touch each and every computer you want to backup. And installing is no joke. They don't have any GPO you can apply to install through AD. They offer no URL you can email to clients to download/install. You just get an exe or msi and you're on your own.
Their software does not run as a server, but rather just a scheduled task and you must provide user credentials if you want to backup and the user isn't logged in. I had huge problems w/this setup because half the time, the software wasn't accepting credentials and the backup would fail. My fix was to set the credentials by editing the scheduled task. Even their support didn't know this. Software is buggy too. I ran into many different issues. All well documented in my countless emails with support. The interface on the client software is very poor. It's featureless basically. It's easy to use, but it's just ugly and lack key features you'd want in a solid client application.
Their support. Very poor. They might be fast, but they are not all that knowledgeable. They love to tell you to go read some KB article instead of helping and solving problems. In less than a year with SOS, I have well over 200 emails back and forth with support. Some issues, I just gave up chasing for a solution. I've even had conversations with the CEO and after promises and promises from him - failed to deliver.
Backing your data. Imagine this: You have a 15GB PST file and another 5GB of random files you want to back up. Ok, 20GB takes a while on your first backup. That's expected. But how about your 50th or 75th backup and it's still doing full backups nightly? Whoa! Where is the delta checking? Where are my incrementals? Ohh...they don't exist! I get full backups night. No wait..I take that back. Let's say there are 5000 files I'm backing up. Well, it taking about 8-9 hours....but wait. My report says it only backed up 100 files. Wow...did we really need to check all 5000 files during backup? Can't figure out how to delta checking better? Archive bit? Who knows. My point is their backups take a long time, regardless of the # of the files. And forget about restore, unless you want to loose your sanity. Summary of restore: You must know the file name or extension. You must know the date of the backup you want to browse through. This is strange. Many other backups apps I've used give you searching along with an Windows Explore type look and feel. SOS just provides you with a search box. Makes it all the more difficult to find something you want to restore.
When I signed up with SOS, I though it would be a wonderful partnership. After about a month, I've felt nothing but the cold shoulder from them and truely let down as a partner. Their 12-month commitment is steep too. Their per GB prices are fair (lower than industry average), but hey...you get what you pay for. And I got nothing but a headache from them.
I can't wait to leave them when my contract expires.
Hi Steve,
I'd like to be able to put you in touch with our head of support and your account manager. Can you email us at partnerassistance(at)sosonlinebackup.com?
Thank you,
Sheilin
However after a short time (4 - 6 hours) trying the product I was left with the following :-
Pros
1. Your technical support and response was very timely.. Very impressed
2. Your response to my technical query about your datacentres etc was very much marketing speak.. I appreciate I should/could have pushed for more technical details but wanted to determine how much you volunteered
3. Your 360 marketing aspect was unique and is very attractive
Cons
4. It was clear to me that all products were separate and this was a concern. As each would have to be managed/updated separately. In addition each represents a weak link in a remote “hands-off” solution
5. Not running the latest version of Shadow Protect, this was a minor concern
6. Minimum 12 month contract, at my stage in business It would be difficult for me to commit to a 12 month period (this will likely be a non-issue for the majority of your client)
In the end I did not move ahead with the product.
My needs in the beginning were:
rebranded backup
exchange, sql and virtual plug-ins
high level of support, to help me learn the ropes
Pretty simple, right?
First problem: the method used for caching means that the cache store is almost as big as the backup itself! Massive problems with storage on large backups.
Second problem: noone available to help me/ not getting back to me soon enough to resolve issues.
Third problem: "Oh, you need additional software for brick level exchange backups"
Summary of many problems since then: 20GB upload limit. Big uploads can take days, interfering with work. No option for manual seeding. No option for emergency HDD recovery....
Maybe it's better if you actually LIVE in america, but this is not suitable for australia.
Hi Karl,
We do have some options for the issues you came across. We have released many software updates which can help with the speed of backups as well.
Please end us an email at partnerassistance(at)sosonlinebackup.com with your company name and we'll get in touch with you.
Best,
John