Secure Cloud Data Protection & Infrastructure Solutions by ThinkOn

ThinkOn is a leading wholesale provider of cloud infrastructure and data management services, specifically engineered for the channel. Unlike global hyperscalers, ThinkOn focuses on delivering 'sovereign cloud' solutions—ensuring that data remains within specific geographic borders to meet stringent regulatory and compliance mandates. This guide provides an in-depth look at ThinkOn’s capabilities, ranging from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Disaster Recovery (DRaaS) to specialized Object Storage.

IT leaders and procurement professionals will learn how ThinkOn differentiates itself through a 'human-centric' support model, predictable pricing, and a robust partner ecosystem. Whether you are looking to secure backups against ransomware or migrate complex VMware workloads to a secure cloud environment, this guide outlines the technical, financial, and operational considerations necessary for an informed decision.

• Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure: ThinkOn operates dedicated data centers in multiple global regions, ensuring data never leaves the host country. This is critical for public sector, healthcare, and legal entities.
• ThinkOn Object Storage: An S3-compatible, highly scalable storage tier designed for long-term retention and big data analytics. It offers high durability at a fraction of the cost of hyperscaler 'hot' storage.
• Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS): Provides automated failover and failback capabilities. ThinkOn’s DRaaS is designed to meet aggressive Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) for mission-critical applications.
• Data Protection & Immutability: Features specialized repositories that prevent data from being deleted or altered, providing a 'last line of defense' against ransomware attacks.
• ThinkOn Compass: A specialized data migration service that uses physical appliances to move massive datasets into the cloud securely, bypassing internet bandwidth limitations.
• Managed Backup Services: Fully managed offsite backup solutions that reduce the operational burden on internal IT teams while ensuring 24/7 monitoring.

1. Public Sector Data Residency: A municipal government uses ThinkOn to host sensitive citizen data, ensuring it remains within national borders to comply with local privacy laws while benefiting from cloud scalability.
2. Ransomware Protection for Finance: A mid-sized bank utilizes ThinkOn’s immutable object storage to store 'gold copies' of their financial records, ensuring that even if their primary site is encrypted by malware, they can restore from an unalterable backup.
3. Legacy App Migration: A manufacturing firm with aging on-premises servers moves their VMware-based ERP system to ThinkOn IaaS to avoid a costly hardware refresh while maintaining the exact same networking and management configurations.
4. Global DR for Legal Firms: A global law firm uses ThinkOn DRaaS to replicate virtual machines across different geographic regions, ensuring business continuity in the event of a regional data center failure.

ThinkOn utilizes a transparent, consumption-based pricing model typically billed monthly. Key cost drivers include:

• Storage Capacity: Charged per GB or TB per month. Unlike some competitors, ThinkOn often eliminates or minimizes 'egress' fees, making costs more predictable.
• Compute Resources: Priced based on allocated vCPU and RAM for IaaS and DRaaS workloads.
• Licensing: Includes costs for bundled software like VMware, Veeam, or Commvault.
• Connectivity: Fixed costs for dedicated cross-connects or variable costs for high-bandwidth internet usage.
• Service Tiers: Premium tiers are available for organizations requiring faster RTOs or higher-frequency backup snapshots.
• Note: As a wholesale provider, final pricing is often negotiated through a certified ThinkOn partner/MSP.

• Hypervisor Compatibility: Primarily optimized for VMware environments; however, it supports various data formats through backup integrations.
• Network Bandwidth: Minimum 10Mbps dedicated uplink for basic backups; 100Mbps+ recommended for DRaaS or high-volume IaaS.
• Browser Support: Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) for accessing the ThinkOn management portal.
• Hardware: For hybrid deployments, local storage or gateways must support S3 API or Veeam/Commvault protocols.
• OS Support: Supports all major Windows Server and Linux distributions within the IaaS environment.

To successfully adopt ThinkOn services, organizations should meet the following prerequisites:

• Technical Staffing: While ThinkOn is a managed infrastructure provider, internal teams should have a working knowledge of virtualization (VMware) and backup orchestration concepts.
• Data Governance Policy: Organizations must have a clear understanding of their data classification and residency requirements to properly select the appropriate ThinkOn data center location.
• Change Management: Migration to ThinkOn often involves shifting from CapEx to OpEx models; finance and procurement teams must be aligned on consumption-based billing.
• Network Strategy: Stakeholders must define their connectivity strategy (VPN vs. Dedicated Fiber) to ensure low-latency access to hosted workloads.

A typical ThinkOn implementation follows these phases:

• Discovery & Design (2-3 Weeks): Assessment of current infrastructure, data volumes, and RTO/RPO requirements.
• Environment Provisioning (1-2 Weeks): Setup of virtual data centers, storage buckets, or backup repositories within the ThinkOn cloud.
• Data Migration/Seeding (Varies): Initial data transfer can take 1 to 4 weeks depending on volume and bandwidth. For large datasets, physical 'ThinkOn Compass' shipping may be used.
• Testing & Validation (1-2 Weeks): Failover testing for DRaaS or verification of backup integrity and recovery speeds.
• Go-Live: Formal transition to production status.
• Total Estimated Time: 4 to 10 weeks depending on complexity.

ThinkOn distinguishes itself with a 'white-glove' support approach:

• 24/7 Technical Support: Access to North American-based engineers (or regional equivalents) who understand the full stack, not just the hardware.
• Professional Services: Available for complex migrations, architectural design, and disaster recovery planning.
• Partner Support: Since ThinkOn is channel-focused, users often receive dual-layered support from both their MSP and ThinkOn’s internal specialists.
• Documentation: Comprehensive technical library and 'Runbooks' for disaster recovery scenarios.
• Onboarding: Dedicated project managers are assigned to ensure a smooth transition during the initial implementation phase.

ThinkOn is built on industry-standard technologies, ensuring high compatibility:

• Backup Software: Native, deep integration with Veeam (Cloud Connect), Commvault (Metallic), and Veritas.
• Virtualization: Full compatibility with VMware vSphere environments, allowing for seamless VM migrations and hybrid cloud extensions.
• Storage Protocols: Support for S3-compatible object storage, enabling integration with any application that supports the S3 API.
• Connectivity: Support for Megaport, Equinix Fabric, and traditional VPN/Direct Connect options for low-latency hybrid cloud links.
• APIs: RESTful APIs are available for automated provisioning and monitoring within the ThinkOn architecture.

ThinkOn maintains a robust security posture tailored for enterprise and government needs:

• Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance for healthcare data.
• Sovereignty: Guaranteed data residency in Canada, USA, UK, and Australia.
• Physical Security: Data centers feature biometric access, 24/7 surveillance, and redundant power/cooling.
• Encryption: Data is encrypted both at rest and in transit using AES-256 standards.
• Identity Management: Integration with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to ensure only authorized personnel can manage infrastructure.
• Ransomware Protection: Support for S3 Object Lock and immutable backups.