Backup and Disaster Recovery for West Michigan Manufacturers
When ransomware hits a shop, the question is how many days the machines sit idle. Evolving Technology Solutions (Evolv) backs up the systems a West Michigan manufacturer runs on, including the ERP, CAD vault, CNC programs, PLC files and Microsoft 365. Then we prove the restore works every quarter. A failed server runs again in under 2 hours.
Our published recovery commitments
| Measure | Commitment |
|---|---|
| Server restore time (RTO), servers on an onsite backup appliance | Under 2 hours |
| Data loss window (RPO), production servers | 2 hours or better |
| Backup verification | Daily |
| Disaster recovery runbook test | Quarterly |
| Cloud copy | Immutable, cannot be changed or deleted by ransomware |
| Microsoft 365 backup | Included for every user, with point-in-time restore |
Full terms and exclusions are in our service level agreement.
The shop systems most backup plans miss
Generic backup covers the file server and stops there. A manufacturer runs on more than files. We start every engagement by finding the systems production depends on.
ERP and MRP servers
Orders, routings, inventory and shipping. When the ERP is down, the shop can still cut parts but nobody knows which ones. We back up the server image and the database, and we test that the ERP actually opens after a restore.
CAD files and PDM vaults
Engineering drawings, models and revision history. We protect the vault and its database together, so a restore brings back the right revision, not just a pile of files.
CNC programs and DNC servers
Years of proven G-code often sit on one aging PC next to the machines. We find it, back it up and include it in the recovery plan.
PLC, HMI and robot project files
Controls programs that only the integrator who left in 2019 knows how to rebuild. We collect the project files and keep versioned copies off the shop floor network.
Quality and traceability records
Inspection data, certs and lot records that ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 customers expect you to produce on demand. Losing them can cost you a customer audit.
Microsoft 365
Email, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Microsoft keeps the service running. Recovering your deleted or encrypted data is your job, so we back it up separately.
What Evolv backup and disaster recovery includes
- Image-based server backup on a dedicated onsite appliance, which can run a failed server as a virtual machine while the original is repaired
- File-level backup with an immutable cloud copy, following the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 types of storage, 1 offsite
- Microsoft 365 backup for email, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, included in every managed IT plan
- Daily backup verification with alerts our team works, not an inbox nobody reads
- A written disaster recovery runbook: who calls whom, what comes back first, where the restore points live
- Quarterly recovery tests, with results you can hand to a cyber insurer, a prime customer or an auditor
- Endpoint detection and response with ransomware rollback, so many attacks stop before backups are needed
- 24/7 monitoring and response from a Grand Rapids team, with onsite visits when the fix needs hands
How we set it up
- Week 1Walk the shop and the server room. List every system production depends on, including the PC under the bench running the DNC software.
- Week 2Set recovery targets with you: what must be back in 1 hour, in 1 day and in 1 week.
- Weeks 2 to 4Deploy image-based backup, immutable cloud copies and Microsoft 365 backup. Turn on daily verification.
- Week 4Write the disaster recovery runbook and run the first full recovery test with your team watching.
- Every quarterTest again, fix what slowed us down and send you the results.
What backup and disaster recovery costs
Microsoft 365 backup comes with every managed IT plan. Server backup is scoped to your site, because a shop with one file server and a shop with an ERP, a PDM vault and a DNC server need different things. You get a fixed quote, and one team owns the result.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Managed IT and cybersecurity, including Microsoft 365 backup | from $95 per user per month |
| Average across Evolv clients | about $150 per user per month |
| Typical 20 to 30-user manufacturer | $3,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on services |
| Server backup and DR with an onsite appliance | Scoped per site, fixed quote after a free review |
| Industry range, managed server backup and DR | about $75 to $300 per server per month |
Agreements run 12, 36 or 60 months. Full pricing →
Local when it matters
A disaster recovery plan is tested on the worst day of the year. On that day you want a team that knows your building and can be in it. Evolv is based in Grand Rapids. We dispatch onsite help across Holland, Zeeland, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo and Lansing, and our response times are 1 hour for urgent issues and 2 hours for standard requests.
Backup and disaster recovery FAQs
Who provides backup and disaster recovery for manufacturers in West Michigan?
West Michigan manufacturers buy backup and disaster recovery from managed IT providers, backup specialists and their ERP or controls vendors. Evolving Technology Solutions (Evolv) is a Grand Rapids managed IT and cybersecurity company that runs backup and disaster recovery for manufacturers in Grand Rapids, Holland, Zeeland, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo and Lansing, covering ERP servers, CAD vaults, CNC programs, PLC project files and Microsoft 365.
How fast can a manufacturer recover from ransomware with good backups?
With image-based backups and a tested runbook, a failed server can run again as a virtual machine on the onsite backup appliance in under 2 hours, which is Evolv's published recovery time commitment. Full recovery of every system takes longer and depends on how many machines were hit. The difference between hours and weeks is almost always whether the backups were immutable, offsite and tested before the attack.
What are RTO and RPO?
RTO, recovery time objective, is how long a system can be down before it hurts the business. RPO, recovery point objective, is how much data you can afford to lose, measured in time. Evolv commits to an RTO under 2 hours for image-based server backups and an RPO of 2 hours or better for production servers.
Doesn't Microsoft back up our Microsoft 365 data?
Microsoft keeps the service available and keeps deleted items for a limited time. It does not promise point-in-time recovery of your mailboxes, OneDrive and SharePoint after ransomware, a bad sync or a departing employee deleting files. A separate Microsoft 365 backup closes that gap. Evolv includes Microsoft 365 backup with point-in-time restore for every user on a managed IT plan.
What is an immutable backup?
An immutable backup cannot be changed or deleted until its retention period ends, even by an administrator account. Attackers often hunt for backups and delete them before launching ransomware. Immutable copies survive that.
How often should backups be tested?
Backups should be verified every day and full recovery should be tested at least quarterly. Evolv verifies backups daily and tests disaster recovery runbooks every quarter. An untested backup is a guess.
Do cyber insurance carriers ask about backups?
Yes. Carrier applications commonly ask whether backups are kept offline or immutable, how often they are tested and whether MFA protects backup access. Answering no can raise premiums or lead to a declined policy. Evolv's quarterly test results give you the evidence to answer yes.
How much does backup and disaster recovery cost?
Microsoft 365 backup is included in Evolv managed IT, which starts at $95 per user per month. Server backup and disaster recovery is scoped to each site, because cost depends on how many servers you run, how much data you protect and how fast you need it back. When onsite recovery is needed, Evolv quotes a dedicated backup appliance. Industry ranges for managed server backup and DR run about $75 to $300 per server per month, and a 20 to 50 person business with quarterly DR testing typically pays $500 to $1,200 per month. You get a fixed quote after a free site review.
Further reading: CISA #StopRansomware Guide, NIST SP 800-34 contingency planning.
Find out if your backups would work
A free 20-minute review. We ask where your ERP, CAD and CNC data live, how they are backed up and when the last restore test ran. You leave knowing how long your shop would be down after a ransomware attack.
Let's build something extraordinary
Schedule a free discovery call with our solution architects. No pressure, just a conversation about what's possible.