Michael Chang, APAC Sales Head, Synology, explores the future of data management in the region in addition to their new ActiveProtect solution in this exclusive interview.
Can you share key data trends shaping the future of data management in the MEA region and how businesses should adapt to stay ahead?
The MEA region is experiencing rapid digital transformation, leading to significant data growth. Cyber threats, particularly AI-driven ransomware attacks, are increasing, making immutable backups, air-gap protection, and AI-driven threat detection essential for businesses. Enterprises are also shifting their focus from simple storage to comprehensive data protection, with Synology’s data showing that protection now accounts for 30-40% of IT projects.
As businesses adopt hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, solutions like ActiveProtect provide scalable, hybrid-cloud backup to enhance flexibility and security. Additionally, the exponential rise in AI-generated data requires deduplication, incremental backups, and automated data management to optimize storage and improve efficiency.
What are the core technological innovations behind ActiveProtect, and how do they enhance data security and backup efficiency?
ActiveProtect is a next-generation enterprise backup appliance that integrates hardware and software for enhanced security and efficiency. With an integrated operating system (ActiveProtect Manager), it provides a seamless and centralized backup environment.
The solution features immutable backups (WORM for off-site backup copy) ) to prevent data tampering and air-gap backup for scheduled offline protection. It also delivers industry-leading backup performance, including 7x faster cloud email backups and 2x faster file server backups, while reducing duplicate data transmission by 99%. Additionally, it supports up to 2,500 appliances and 150,000 backup resources, making it highly scalable for enterprises.
How does ActiveProtect integrate with existing IT infrastructure, and what level of customization does it offer for enterprise users?
ActiveProtect is designed for seamless integration with existing IT environments, offering plug-and-play deployment that allows businesses to start backups within 15 minutes. Its centralised management platform enables IT teams to oversee thousands of backup resources efficiently.
The solution is highly customisable, supporting hybrid cloud integration for both on-premises and cloud storage. It also meets compliance requirements through encryption, auditing, and granular recovery options while offering scalable storage that adapts to the needs of both SMBs and large enterprises.
How does ActiveProtect utilise AI or machine learning to detect abnormalities, prevent data loss, or enhance cybersecurity measures?
Synology is enhancing ActiveProtect with AI-driven threat detection, predictive analytics, and automated threat response to detect and mitigate risks before they escalate. AI-powered support and translations have already improved response times by 25x, making troubleshooting more efficient. Additionally, AI enhances deduplication and data optimisation, reducing storage requirements while improving backup performance.
How does ActiveProtect handle real-time threat detection and mitigation in backup environments?
ActiveProtect ensures real-time threat detection through immutable backups and air-gap security, preventing unauthorised modifications and isolating critical data from potential cyberattacks. Future updates will introduce AI-driven real-time monitoring for detecting anomalies. Businesses can also leverage sandbox recovery testing, allowing them to safely restore and validate backups in an isolated environment before full deployment.
What are your plans for the future?
Looking ahead, Synology is investing in enhanced AI integration, focusing on predictive analytics and automated incident response for better cybersecurity. Future updates will also strengthen multi-cloud support, enabling enterprises to seamlessly integrate ActiveProtect with various cloud storage solutions.
While the MEA region remains a primary focus, Synology plans to expand ActiveProtect globally, addressing the increasing demand for cost-effective, high-performance backup solutions worldwide. As part of its long-term vision, Synology is committed to delivering secure, efficient, and scalable data protection solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Image Credit: Synology
