VMware has launched a cloud-based disaster recovery service aimed at providing a simple and cost-effective solution for businesses using its vCloud Hybrid Service.

The service is available across all VMware’s vCHS data centers in the UK and US.

The service continuously replicates virtual machines to a virtual data center within vCHS, with a recovery point objective of up to 15 minutes.

Cost is from US$835 a month including TB of storage and standby cloud capacity. Initial data seeding, remote management and monitoring and two seven day disaster recovery tests are also included in the price of the service.

Traditional enterprise-class disaster recovery can be complex and expensive and VMware predicts that this service will be of interest to companies that want to extend their siaster recovery but that have previously been unable to balance the risk against the costs involved.

Richard Munro, director of vCHS technical services at VMware, said: “It’s a really simple solution. It will bring disaster recovery within the reach of people who know that they should be addressing it more fully.”

VMware partners can also offer the service as a value-added solution to customers who already have deployed infrastructure, or as part of their solution to new business.