Northwestern University research group saves 45 percent on backup costs by implementing MozyPro
“The value of the Mozy system is immeasurable, and I would never consider removing it for financial purposes. The cost is minimal so I can always keep Mozy in place, despite economic conditions or budget restraints. The peace of mind it provides is essential.”
Employees at the Institute for Women’s Health Research needed an affordable way to back up their digital information. They had been asked to reduce their budget, but knew their data was too crucial to be left unprotected. After looking at several offerings, the institute chose MozyPro to safeguard its data and gained the peace of mind it was seeking—at a low price.
Northwestern University’s Institute for Women’s Health Research launched in 2007 with a mission to increase the portfolio of women-specific health research at the university. The institute created the Illinois Women’s health registry—a pool of women 18 and older who participate in research studies—and has more than 2,486 women registered. The institute has greatly increased the number of gender-specific studies conducted at the university and offers workshops for high school girls to help them learn about the medical field and gain hands-on experience.
Employees were originally working from various locations, but as the institute became heavily involved in more initiatives, operations converged at the Chicago campus. The centralized location allowed the institute to be more efficient than ever, with an array of budget information, statistics, publications, and grant proposals continuously created. Yet Business Operations Manager Barbara Sutcliffe worried that the lack of a data backup solution made the institute vulnerable.
“I continually feared losing our data, but didn’t know the best way to protect it,” Sutcliffe said. “I didn’t think we could use a backup solution when we were working remotely, and even after we came to one office I was still concerned. My only experience with a backup offering was frustrating because the solution was unreliable and not at all user-friendly.”
The institute has funded seven Pioneer Awards since 2007, each for $25,000 and will fund five more this year. A secure backup solution is important for the institute, given that each written proposal takes more than 100 hours to complete. Everything on employee computers is essential for operations, and large-scale data loss would require the institute to start entirely from scratch.
Sutcliffe worried for the safety of their work and knew she needed to implement a reliable backup solution. She approached IT for advice and they listed several options, including MozyPro online backup. Several organizations within Northwestern University use MozyPro, including the Feinberg School of Medicine. The idea of online backup was attractive and Sutcliffe was impressed by Mozy’s affordability, ease of use, and customer service.
“We were able to save 45 percent in backup costs by choosing Mozy over another solution, which required $35 per hour for installation and continual IT maintenance.” Sutcliffe said. “With Mozy, I don’t have to worry about the cost of any extra time to maintain our backups. It stood out from the rest because I knew I could handle it on my own, and if I needed extra help from a technical support team, it wouldn’t cost me.”
Like most organizations amid a challenging economy, Northwestern University asked departments to cut costs and watch spending. MozyPro’s competitive pricing and ease of use gave Sutcliffe the practicality to easily implement it despite the recession. Sutcliffe was glad the cost of MozyPro was low, though she would never consider operating without it again.
“The value of the Mozy system is immeasurable, and I would never consider removing it for financial purposes,” Sutcliffe said. “The cost is minimal so I can always keep Mozy in place, despite economic conditions or budget restraints. The peace of mind it provides is essential.”
Several employees had hard drives fail prior to MozyPro and had to take their computers to a professional for data retrieval. Avoiding this expensive and time-consuming process by choosing MozyPro is a valued benefit. Day-to-day maintenance is minimal and for Sutcliffe, the discovery and installation of MozyPro was a simple process made even easier by the help of MozyPro’s customer service.
“I really value Mozy’s customer service. When I started calling to learn more about Mozy and see if it was a good fit for us, everyone I spoke to was helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable,” Sutcliffe said. “Exceptional customer service is important to me, and I appreciate when a company truly cares.”
MozyPro was easy for the institute to implement. Even employees with limited computer skills were able to download, install, and run the backup service. This was important for a research institute trying to manage many demands. MozyPro has increased Sutcliffe’s confidence that the institute’s work is safe, which allows employees to continue furthering the institute’s mission, helping to make Northwestern University the hub for women’s health.
“The best part of Mozy is the peace of mind that our data is safe,” Sutcliffe said. “If there was some kind of catastrophe or fire, we would know our information is well taken care of, and we would still be able to function and find ways to improve the health of women.”
About Northwestern University’s Institute for Women’s Health Research
Northwestern University’s Institute for Women’s Health Research is helping to accelerate the rate of discovery in the sciences that impact women’s health and wellbeing. The Institute and its team are increasing Northwestern’s growing reputation for excellence in women’s clinical care by catalyzing the strengths and resources of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, and Northwestern Memorial’s new state-of-the art Prentice Women’s Hospital. The institute is striving to make Chicago the epicenter of women’s health research and care. For more information, visit http://www.womenshealth.northwestern.edu.