From Hours to Minutes: ZS Associates Gains Speed and Confidence with Druva and DruAI

Founded in 1983, ZS Associates is a global consulting and professional services firm specializing in consulting, software, and technology solutions. Headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, ZS operates globally with thousands of endpoints across its workforce.

ZS Associates previously relied on Connected Backup for endpoint data protection, but as the company scaled, the limitations of their legacy system became increasingly problematic. Restores were time-consuming, unreliable, and opaque, creating operational risks and uncertainty for the IT team. Priya Choudhary, Senior Endpoint Management Lead, explained, “We weren’t even sure if Connected Backup was working. Restoring large datasets could take all day or longer, disrupting productivity and impacting business continuity.”

As ZS Associates expanded globally, the need for robust, transparent, and efficient endpoint backup became critical. Complex legal hold requirements, frequent audits, and increasing data volumes added urgency to finding a modern replacement for Connected Backup.

After carefully evaluating alternatives, ZS Associates chose Druva for its ease of implementation, reliability, and visibility into data management. Druva's intuitive interface made policy management a breeze, enabling quick adoption with minimal operational disruption. "The ease of use stood out immediately," noted Choudhary, emphasizing how swiftly Druva met their needs. Deployment was seamless, with the solution rolled out across more than 15,200 endpoints. Druva integrated effortlessly into ZS Associates' multi-cloud strategy, particularly their AWS environment, offering scalable and future-proof data protection that could grow alongside their data volumes.

One of the most significant impacts of adopting Druva was the dramatic reduction in data restoration times. Previously, restoring data could take a full day or longer with their old solution, Connected Backup. "Restoring 80 GB now takes just 2–3 hours," shared Samiksha Hedau, Senior Endpoint Management Administrator. "The difference has been transformative." This efficiency not only saved time but also ensured critical operations could resume faster when data recovery was needed.

Druva's advanced AI capabilities through DruAI have significantly streamlined the team’s operations. By simplifying support interactions and providing instant access to relevant documentation, DruAI’s eliminated much of the hassle tied to traditional support processes. "DruAI makes opening support cases and finding the right documentation effortless," said Hedau. "It saves our team countless hours."

Beyond just saving time, DruAI’s has been instrumental in helping the ZS Associates team maintain compliance and set up custom backup policies with ease. Its AI-powered instant answers allow the team to quickly resolve issues and receive real-time guidance on complex setups and configurations. This ensures their backup strategies align with both business goals and compliance requirements. The tool’s intuitive in-product troubleshooting offers contextual help and recommendations, guiding the team through the platform and reducing the learning curve. 

Additionally, DruAI’s personalized learning paths, including in-app tutorials and video guides, empower the team to continuously enhance their understanding of data protection best practices. This holistic support system allows ZS Associates to focus on strategic priorities instead of troubleshooting, ensuring their energy and resources are directed toward driving growth and innovation, all while maintaining robust data protection standards.

Adding to the robust support ecosystem was Druva's personalized attention through their Technical Account Manager (TAM). The TAM played a vital role in ensuring ZS Associates had exceptional customer experience, providing global telemetry monitoring, proactive support, and regular check-ins. This dedicated partnership gave ZS Associates confidence and peace of mind. "Our TAM is invaluable," added Choudhary. "We rely on him greatly, and when he’s out, his absence is definitely felt." 

The combination of strategic guidance, advanced tools, and reliable support cemented Druva as a critical partner in ZS Associates’ data management strategy.

ZS Associates experienced immediate and significant benefits following their transition to Druva:

Comprehensive Endpoint Protection: With automated, air-gapped backups for laptops and desktops, Druva protects endpoint data against loss, malware, and cyber threats. It simplifies device migration by enabling seamless restoration of data onto new devices, and ensures business continuity with quick, effortless data recovery. By providing secure, cloud-based backups and real-time access to endpoint data, Druva empowers mobile workforces, improves productivity, and ensures organizations are prepared for compliance and audit needs.

Accelerated Restoration: Druva reduced data restoration times from nearly a day with Connected Backup to just 2–3 hours. This improvement significantly boosted productivity, as team members no longer face extended downtime waiting for data recovery. Faster restoration times directly enhanced business continuity and operational reliability.

Operational Simplicity: Druva’s intuitive policy management and AI-driven assistance substantially reduced IT workload, simplifying data protection operations. These efficiencies freed up valuable resources, enabling IT staff to concentrate on strategic projects and innovation rather than routine maintenance tasks.

Scalable Cloud Architecture: Integration with AWS and Druva's scalable platform supports ZS Associates' future growth seamlessly. The solution adapts effortlessly as data volumes expand, eliminating concerns about additional complexity or significant investments typically required for scaling legacy systems.

Exceptional Customer Support: Dedicated TAM services, proactive telemetry monitoring, and efficient support processes have provided unparalleled peace of mind. Personalized and proactive interactions ensure quick resolution of issues, significantly enhancing overall customer satisfaction and trust in the solution.

Choudhary summed up their experience: “Druva gives us total confidence. With Druva, we’re assured that our endpoints are always protected, it's a completely different experience than what we had with Connected Backup."