@Gila: I can provide you with my options but was looking for some general feedback first. Obviously I'd like to rule out options and not focus on them if they simply do not apply. But to elaborate here are additional details:

• Just under 300 databases across 15 servers (with new servers on the horizon)
• Each server contains a few to 20+ databases where the total size of all databases range from small to medium (few hundred MB up to just under 1 TB)
• The largest databases are approximately 300ish GB. We're just now approaching the VLDB thresholds. My projections show by the end of 2015 we'll be over double our current size with our largest and most active databases.
• Backup window, 3 hours for all - tops... I'd like to beat that by aiming for 1 hour
• Options available native backups, tape backups, NetApp snapshots
• Restore time, not defined but the expectation is ASAP... working on that one next

Let me also add our databases are currently versions 2005-2008. We also have SharePoint 2010 databases that will be folded into the mix so their backup is slightly different. In addition I want to try and get the backup strategies as consistent as possible across all servers / platforms.