Gartner predicts rise in SaaS backup prioritisation by 2028

Gartner has forecasted that by 2028, 75% of enterprises will prioritise the backup of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications as a critical requirement, a significant increase from the current 15% level in 2024. The prediction follows the aftermath of the CrowdStrike outage, highlighting the importance of regular backup and recovery of essential enterprise data.

The demand for SaaS-based applications continues to grow, with Gartner projecting worldwide end-user spending on SaaS to increase by 20% to reach USD $247.2 billion in 2024. This figure is expected to approach USD $300 billion by 2025. The data produced by these applications is anticipated to become one of the fastest-growing sets of critical enterprise data over the next five years.

"The risk of IT outages underscores the urgent need for regular backup and recovery of critical enterprise data," stated Michael Hoeck, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. "As businesses become more dependent on SaaS technologies, ensuring that SaaS data is both protected and recoverable becomes crucial. The vulnerability of SaaS data to errors, cyberattacks, and vendor mishaps makes robust backup solutions indispensable," he added.

Hoeck also emphasised the importance of integrating Backup as a Service (BaaS) to safeguard cloud workloads and maintain operational continuity. He stressed the need for enterprises to understand the shared data responsibility model of SaaS applications and assess their vendors' data protection measures. "If these measures are inadequate, implementing third-party solutions should be considered to ensure comprehensive data protection," Hoeck stated.

Gartner has also predicted that by 2028, 75% of large enterprises will adopt BaaS alongside on-premises tools to back up both cloud and on-premises workloads. Hoeck noted that the protection and recovery of SaaS applications have often been lower priorities for many enterprises due to confusion over the native SaaS vendor's responsibility for data protection and the lack of industry-level standardisation. Limited API-based data access for protection and recovery from native SaaS vendors adds to the complexity of effective data protection, slowing support for third-party backup solutions.

The SaaS application backup market is expanding rapidly. Initially led by specialised startups, it now also includes established enterprise backup and recovery software solution companies. Gartner advises organisations to focus on governance assessment, vendor capabilities, and third-party solutions to effectively safeguard SaaS-based application data.

To this end, Gartner recommends including data protection and recovery capabilities in the governance assessment of SaaS applications. Additionally, verifying the SaaS vendor's ability to safeguard data from all possible loss scenarios is crucial. Gartner also advises using third-party SaaS backup solutions to complement the native capabilities of SaaS vendors. These solutions can enhance administration, centralise and orchestrate the protection of multiple SaaS applications, simplify processes, and offer improved granular recovery capabilities.

Hoeck concluded, "As the market matures, it is essential for businesses to carry out thorough governance assessments and verify the capabilities of their SaaS vendors. Leveraging third-party backup solutions can significantly improve data protection and recovery, ensuring that enterprise data remains secure and accessible."

Gartner's findings and recommendations are further detailed in their report "Top Trends in Enterprise Backup and Recovery for 2024."