With software as a service and "cloud computing" gaining increased focus by companies seeking more cost-effective ways to ease demands on IT, PC and notebook backup is an area of opportunity with established providers and new entrants delivering increased functionality at declining prices.

During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s and early 2000, online PC backup companies proliferated. Companies, such as Drivespace, @backup and dozens of others, convinced investors that online PC backup was about to emerge as a category killer application. Two years later, instead of a category killer, online PC backup turned out to be a company killer for many of these startups. In fact, inquiry load on PC backup services dropped to the point at which Gartner discontinued research in this area — until now.

Today, because of the increase in mobile workers and the increase in the number of laptop versus desktop PCs, managed PC and notebook services are making a comeback. Seagate, Symantec, IBM, Barracuda Networks and EMC have all acquired managed PC backup providers. Moreover, the advent of cloud computing and cloud storage means that new service providers can enter the market without the expense of building a massive storage infrastructure. In this report, Gartner examines why PC and notebook backup services are making a comeback and compares offerings from four service providers targeting midsize and enterprise customers.