Ambulance Amsterdam guarantees acute ambulance care and ordered ambulance transport in the regions of Amsterdam-Amstelland, Zaanstreek-Waterland and Kennemerland (Haarlemmermeer). Its main focus is on quality of care. IT is run by system administrator Martin Salazar and his team, who rely on continuous access to data to support the service, a need that became more pressing than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organisation was extremely busy and preparing for a second wave.

Ambulance Amsterdam's disaster recovery infrastructure was getting old, and outdated equipment was causing technical issues. Replacing the environment like for like would have meant new cost, ongoing maintenance and a cumbersome RFP process. System administrator Martin Salazar and his team decided it was time to move their data protection needs to the cloud, and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) looked like the way to eliminate those burdens.

The organisation had a clear set of requirements for any cloud partner. It already used Veeam, so the provider had to be compatible with Veeam and allow a smooth transition. ISO and HIPAA certifications were the most important requirement, and the team wanted an in-country data centre to address security concerns with multiple recovery locations. Other criteria included cost-effective pay-as-you-go pricing, a storage-agnostic solution, 24x7 support and a provider with a strong reputation and history.

Data is critical to the service and must be accessible at all times. 2020 made that need more acute: the pandemic kept the ambulance service extremely busy, and it was preparing for a second wave while the DR project was under way.

An internet search led Salazar to 11:11 Systems, an award-winning Veeam partner, and he judged it a good fit. 11:11 Systems proposed 11:11 DRaaS for Veeam, a cloud disaster recovery service that works with the organisation's existing Veeam environment and is storage agnostic. The service met the most important requirement, ISO and HIPAA certification, and is delivered from an in-country data centre.

During the selection process the 11:11 Systems sales representative did not pressure the team; the focus was on building the relationship and answering the questions that mattered most. 11:11 Systems met every item on the requirements list: ISO and HIPAA compliance, Veeam compatibility, an in-country data centre, pay-as-you-go pricing, a storage-agnostic solution, 24x7 support and an established reputation in the DR business.

Implementation was straightforward, with no hidden fees or upcharges, and the platform leaves room for future growth. 11:11 Systems' support staff analysed what Salazar and his team were trying to accomplish and worked with them on an effective solution, providing the right amount of support and peace of mind during an incredibly difficult period.

• ISO and HIPAA certifications satisfy the organisation's compliance requirements
• In-country data centre addresses security concerns about multiple recovery locations
• Easy cloud implementation replaced ageing DR infrastructure and its technical issues
• Pay-as-you-go pricing with no hidden fees or upcharges and flexibility for future growth
• Storage-agnostic DRaaS that works with the existing Veeam environment
• 24x7 support and continuous data availability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic