IBM Unveils Continuous Back Up Program For PCs And Servers

Regularly backing up data to thwart computer viruses and crashes requires discipline, which, while often lacking by human users, will be provided by IBM for laptops, desktop PCs, and file servers in new software unveiled by IBM on Friday.

Called IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, the firm said the “data safety net” automatically backs up a range of data like Word documents, MP3 files, digital photos, presentations and spreadsheets.

“The software creates a copy on the local machine within milliseconds, and then sends another copy to a remote server,” IBM stated in its announcement. “People on-the-go can protect and restore files that are corrupted or accidentally deleted, back to any point in time.”

Part of IBM’s storage management software portfolio including Tivoli Storage Manager, the new software will be available September 16 for $35 per laptop or desktop and $995 per server processor.

The software was developed at IBM’s storage research laboratory in Cambridge, Mass.