Backup Solutions
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affordable backup SME UK
Achieve Digital Sovereignty with Affordable Backup for UK SMEs
Are unpredictable cloud bills and complex EU data laws creating risk for your UK SME? A new approach to cloud storage offers a clear path to compliance and cost control. Discover how to secure your backups and future-proof your business without egress fees.
Key Takeaways
Eliminate unpredictable cloud costs with a storage model that has zero egress fees, no API call charges, and no minimum storage durations.
Achieve GDPR, NIS-2, and EU Data Act compliance with a sovereign-by-design platform using EU-only data centers and geofencing.
Protect against ransomware with immutable backups using S3 Object Lock, ensuring your data remains unchangeable and instantly restorable.
For UK SMEs, navigating the digital landscape in 2025 requires a robust and affordable backup strategy. Many businesses feel locked into cloud providers by complex pricing and face growing compliance burdens from regulations like GDPR and the NIS-2 Directive. A majority of EU decision-makers now demand European solutions for their critical data, driven by the need for true digital sovereignty and avoidance of CLOUD Act exposure. This article outlines a practical, enterprise-ready path to secure, compliant, and affordable backup for UK SMEs, focusing on predictable costs and sovereign-by-design architecture.
Eliminate Unpredictable Costs in Your Backup Strategy
Many UK SMEs find cloud costs spiralling from hidden charges. Provider pricing models often include egress fees and API call costs, making budget forecasting nearly impossible. Impossible Cloud delivers a transparent economic model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations. This predictable-by-design approach ensures you only pay for the storage you use, allowing for stable, defensible margins, especially for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offering Backup-as-a-Service. This clarity helps over 70% of businesses looking to reduce vendor lock-in. A clear exit strategy is a core component of modern cloud cost optimisation. This financial predictability forms the foundation of a resilient data protection plan.
Meet EU Data Sovereignty and Compliance Mandates
Operating in the UK requires adherence to stringent EU data laws. Our platform is sovereign by design, operating exclusively in certified European data centers to ensure full GDPR compliance. We provide country-level geofencing, guaranteeing your data stays in predefined regions under EU rules and is shielded from non-EU jurisdictional overreach like the CLOUD Act. This is critical as the EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, mandates greater data portability and user control. For businesses in regulated sectors like financial services, this EU-centric governance is a competitive advantage. With our services now available via UK distributor Northamber plc, achieving compliance has become even more accessible for every SME adopting cloud solutions. This focus on legal certainty naturally extends to robust security measures against modern threats.
Strengthen Ransomware Defences with Immutable Storage
Ransomware remains a primary threat to business continuity for 9 out of 10 organisations. An effective defence requires more than just a backup; it needs a secure, unchangeable copy of your data. We provide Immutable Storage using S3 Object Lock technology, a core feature for ransomware protection. This ensures your backup data cannot be altered or deleted for a specified period, rendering it secure from malicious encryption. Here is how our multi-layered security protects your assets:
Encryption in transit and at rest secures data at all times.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) with MFA and RBAC provides granular control over data access.
Our architecture eliminates single points of failure, ensuring high availability for restores.
Immutable backups provide an audit-ready retention policy for compliance.
These features are integral to any modern disaster recovery plan. Strong security must be paired with seamless integration to be effective.
Ensure Seamless Integration with Full S3 API Compatibility
Migrating to a new storage platform should not require rewriting your applications. Our service is built with 100% S3 API compatibility, ensuring your existing tools, scripts, and backup software work out-of-the-box. This protects your past technology investments and minimises migration risk. We support advanced S3 capabilities like versioning, lifecycle management, and event notifications. This deep compatibility is why leading backup ISVs, including our partner NovaBackup, integrate seamlessly with our platform. For MSPs, this means faster onboarding and the ability to automate multi-tenant management via familiar API/CLI tools. This commitment to open standards is a key part of providing a practical exit strategy. An enterprise-ready solution also demands consistent performance without complex tiering.
Leverage an 'Always-Hot' Architecture for Instant Access
Complex storage tiering often creates unexpected delays and costs during urgent restores. An 'Always-Hot' object storage model means all your data is immediately accessible with no tier-restore delays. This simplifies operations, keeps third-party tools stable, and avoids the API timeouts common with tiered systems. Our architecture is built for consistency and scale, delivering predictable latencies for workloads involving millions of small files or large archives. This approach avoids the fragile lifecycle policies that lead to hidden operational costs. For any UK SME, this instant access is a critical part of a reliable business continuity plan. This high-performance architecture is managed through a user-friendly console.
Simplify Management with an Enterprise-Ready Console
Powerful storage requires intuitive controls for day-to-day management. Our console provides a first-class user experience, enabling teams to manage storage without deep API expertise. You can handle all essential governance tasks from one central location. Key functions you can manage include:
Bucket creation and fine-grained permission assignment.
Role-based access control (RBAC) and security policy configuration.
Object tagging for better data classification and cost allocation.
Lifecycle rule implementation for automated data management.
Monitoring and logging to meet NIS-2 continuous security process requirements.
Integration with external Identity Providers via SAML/OIDC for unified access.
This powerful console is designed for both enterprise IT leaders and MSPs managing multiple tenants. It provides the tools needed to implement a truly cost-effective SME backup strategy. The next step is putting these capabilities into practice.
Implement a Practical and Affordable Backup Solution Today
More Links
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides essential data protection advice for small organisations, crucial for navigating GDPR compliance and data handling in the UK.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) offers insights into management practices and the adoption of technology and AI within UK firms, relevant to understanding the broader digital transformation landscape for SMEs.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) provides a comprehensive report on cybersecurity for SMEs, offering vital guidance on protecting data and systems from cyber threats like ransomware.
The UK Government outlines its digital strategy, providing a framework for the nation's digital transformation and the environment in which UK SMEs operate.
The UK Government publishes statistics from the Cyber Security Breaches Survey, detailing the prevalence and impact of cyberattacks on UK businesses, underscoring the need for strong ransomware defences.
The European Commission details the European Data Strategy, a key initiative for creating a single market for data and ensuring data sovereignty within the EU, directly impacting compliance for UK businesses.
FAQ
Is your cloud storage GDPR compliant?
Yes. Our service is sovereign by design, operating exclusively in certified European data centers with country-level geofencing. This ensures your data remains under EU jurisdiction and fully compliant with GDPR requirements.
Do I have to pay to move my data out?
No. We charge zero egress fees and have no API call costs. Our pricing is transparent and predictable, meaning you can access or move your data at any time without financial penalties, which aligns with the EU Data Act's goals.
Will my current backup software work with your storage?
Yes. We offer full S3 API compatibility, which means leading backup solutions, tools, and scripts work seamlessly without modification. We have out-of-the-box integrations with partners like NovaBackup.
How does your service protect against ransomware?
We provide Immutable Storage using S3 Object Lock. This feature allows you to make your backup data unchangeable for a defined period, preventing it from being encrypted, modified, or deleted by ransomware.
What does 'Always-Hot' storage mean?
Always-Hot' means all your data is stored in a single, high-performance tier and is always immediately accessible. This eliminates the delays and surprise fees associated with retrieving data from slower, cheaper 'cold' storage tiers, simplifying operations and ensuring fast restores.
How can I get started as a UK business?
UK businesses and MSPs can access our services through our distributor, Northamber plc. You can start with a free trial or talk to an expert to get a demo and discuss your specific backup and compliance needs.