Info-Tech’s recent series on backup and recovery software has looked at a number of full solutions from vendors such as CommVault, EMC, and CA. Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) is not a full solution; however, an assessment of the market place would be incomplete without a look at Microsoft’s product offering.

Ideally, enterprises look for an all-in-one backup and recovery solution. But the reality is that most enterprises use multiple backup solutions to cover heterogeneous IT assets. Info-Tech sees enterprises using an average of 2-3 backup solutions.

Data Protection Manager was introduced in the last half of 2004 in private beta as Data Protection Server. The name was updated to DPM after release of the public beta in 2005. It has since been folded into the Microsoft System Center suite of management products.