In the interview with Marc Fischer, Director Sales and Andreas Schröder, Team Lead Backup & Storage at EBERTLANG

German companies’ IT infrastructures are increasingly exposed to massive attacks. It’s good to know that there are solutions available that allow the protection of a wide range of system platforms, databases (including Oracle, MSSQL, and DB2), software-as-a-service applications (including Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics), as well as the entire SAP Solution Stack, through backup and recovery solutions. EBERTLANG, based in Wetzlar, has stood for value-added distribution in German-speaking Europe since 1995, offering intelligent software for infrastructure, as well as technical and sales support beyond industry standards. The two CEOs, Philip Weber and Marcus Zeidler, are highly committed to building the company, which has earned EBERTLANG multiple awards from leading industry media as Germany’s best VAD: in 2017 and 2018 by Computer Reseller News (CRN) and from 2019 to 2022 at the Channel Excellence Awards by ChannelPartner. Additional accolades include being named an Excellent Distributor seven times between 2014 and 2020, the Distri-Award from 2015 to 2021 by IT-BUSINESS, and the Preferred Distributor Award in 2018 by ChannelPartner.

This is more than enough reason for us to discuss the topic of vulnerable IT infrastructures, software-as-a-service applications, and various backup and recovery solutions with Marc Fischer, Director Sales, and Andreas Schröder, Team Lead Backup & Storage at EBERTLANG.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Collaboration with partner companies seems to play a major role and holds high importance for you. We took a look at your blog and found that Marc Fischer has been named “Channel Manager of the Year” six times in a row. What do you think is the reason for this success?

Marc Fischer: EBERTLANG has always stood for genuine and fair partnerships. This is what the channel appreciates, as evidenced by the company’s repeated awards. We serve as a reasonable and knowledgeable contact for our partners, offering far more than just portfolio knowledge. When it comes to the topic of “transitioning to an MSP,” we can provide just as much expertise as we do in day-to-day technical support. For example, we can remotely configure systems for end customers or prepare and carry out migrations. This pragmatic approach and the immediate, practical added value it generates for the channel is what sets us apart.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You offer a very broad and diverse portfolio. Why is the topic of backup and recovery solutions so important right now?

Marc Fischer: Backup and recovery is not only important at this moment. It has always been and will continue to be a critical topic. The idea of keeping copies in case of data loss is nothing new; even ancient high cultures like the Egyptians did this. Of course, it is important that backup and recovery strategies are modern and appropriate. A backup according to the 3-2-1 rule, for example, is considered standard today. We help our partners to consider the important details for each end-customer project and recommend suitable technologies for implementation.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: The term IT infrastructure covers a lot. This includes facilities, data centers, servers, network hardware, desktop computers, and software solutions for business applications. Which areas do you cover specifically, and where exactly do your backup and recovery solutions come into play?

Andreas Schröder: Our portfolio covers the diverse needs of end customers and thus also resellers. With the solutions from our partners Carbonite, Cortex I.T., N-able, and SEP, we offer optimal solutions for strategically important areas. And with our partner Wasabi, we have an additional option to use a secure platform for cloud backups if this is not already provided by the backup manufacturers.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: To restore the backed-up data in an emergency, high-quality interfaces are required. How are these created, and how do you ensure they work in an emergency?

Andreas Schröder: The question cannot be answered in general terms. From the perspective of resellers and end customers, it is important to use systems that rely on non-proprietary interfaces and adhere to standards. We support this approach with the solutions in our portfolio, such as Wasabi and the S3 interface.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You mentioned the Wasabi infrastructure here. What exactly is it, and what are the advantages of this technology or provider?

Andreas Schröder: Wasabi offers an extremely durable storage infrastructure that protects the integrity and reliability of business-critical and mission-critical data. The Wasabi service was designed to ensure object security of 99.999999999% and system availability of 99.99%.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Many German SMEs, for example, use services such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Can these data also be stored in your backup solutions, and how does this align with your commitment to fully comply with the GDPR?

Marc Fischer: Why should there be a contradiction here? Of course, data from M365 can be backed up in compliance with the GDPR. This is standard practice nowadays – at least in the portfolio of EBERTLANG.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What support do you offer potential customers to ensure professional, secure, and seamless onboarding?

Marc Fischer: Onboarding is our favorite discipline. This is where the consistent expansion of our sales and support teams over the years proves its worth, enabling us to provide competent and timely assistance for all solutions.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Let’s take a look into the future. 90% of all German companies have already outsourced large parts of their IT infrastructure to the cloud. Where do you see further growth potential for yourself, and which services are you planning to focus on over the next five years?

Marc Fischer: Even though the rush towards cloud-based IT infrastructure has increased in recent years – triggered by the pandemic – I doubt that 90% of all German companies have outsourced large parts of their IT infrastructure to the cloud. This also does not match the picture we receive through the channel. There is still a lot of potential, especially in the SME sector. Think, for example, of companies that have not yet had the opportunity to migrate their infrastructure to the cloud due to insufficient bandwidth and are now gradually gaining this option – for instance, through the expansion of the fiber-optic network.

We see growth potential, for example, in the area of “partner support.” A platform that consolidates various services for partners so they can offer them to their end customers in a user-friendly way is a step in the right direction. With the EL-Control Panel as well as the solutions EL mailarchive powered by MailStore and EL storage powered by Wasabi, we have already developed such a solution and will now expand it rapidly.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: That certainly sounds promising. Thank you very much for the insight into your work and your strategy.