This was really the exclusive picture of a data recovery firm even less than a decade ago. However, computer usage and consumer attitudes towards digital goods have undergone a sea change since then. Owning a pc was a luxury even in the early 1990s. And now, a man who does not use any digital goods is looked upon as a freak of nature. Data has become precious to us, and with it the demand for data recovery has skyrocketed. Thanks to the market pressure, a data recovery firm today is no more what it was ten years ago.

• uld be the fully equipped traditional high end data recovery facilities, complete with a Class 10 clean room, treated equipment, and trained staff in protective gear that looks like space suits.


• They would have an in house software team, reducing research and development expenses by a good margin. Gone are the days when these firms outsourced all their programming needs.


• The topmost DIY software of the market belongs to traditional recovery firms, or are floated by companies linked with such a firm. The professional recovery groups had discovered a few years ago that making DIY software themselves under a new avatar was the best way of tackling any competition in the home pc data recovery market. It is just that we rarely notice these details when hunting for the software.


• All recovery company websites are friendlier now. The language is not technical, and designed in such a way that even lay persons may be able to follow it. This has been done keeping in mind that a growing number of domestic users are also accessing these sites for services from the companies.


• Most sites have a well stacked FAQ section as well as write ups on various related issues. Some companies have even started blog spots to monitor customer reactions, ongoing trends, and possible information on rivals.

• If a person is sick, the first step towards cure is diagnosis. This is done by a doctor who has the specialised skill of assessing the problem. In the case of data loss and recovery, the role of the professional is exactly like this. A type of software can be easily downloaded, but it may not solve your problem, because, in the first place, you may not have realised the exact nature of the problem. A DIY kit is always a gamble, and why would you spend twice for the same job?


• The professionals of recovery firms are people who have extensive knowledge of the field, and have gained experience through dealing with various situations over the years. If the data is precious enough for you to want a recovery at all, why not entrust it to someone who knows best what to do?


• Your data recovery requirements may not be the same as a corporate giant’s, but you have the advantage of the same staff handling your case, and the same facilities (equipment, clean room etc) being used to solve your problem, without having to pay extra for what already exists.


• Most data recovery companies assess the problem and then provide the client with an estimate. So you have the provision of paying the charges for the diagnosis and then backing out if it sounds too high to you. Most companies have the provision of making part payments at each stage of the recovery, the entire payment being completed when the information is finally handed over to you.


• Apart from the above, data recovery companies are offering special packages too, and the cost, frankly speaking, is not so very high anymore, thanks to the pressure of the domestic market.
  
• Most data recovery companies also have a no recovery – no payment policy. So you have nothing to lose if it all fails, but you can’t download DIY without paying first.


• Overall, data recovery firms are more dependable and risk free than using software.