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Office 365: Are You Backed Up?

Written by Gary Hill

Microsoft Services Agreement recommends that you regularly backup with a third-party service.

  • If you are a Microsoft O365 user, your data is not backed up. Microsoft Services Agreement recommends that you regularly backup with a third-party service.
  • The O356 recovery process can take anywhere from a, “few hours to a few days,” according to Corey Hintz, a sales engineer at Axcient.  

So how can you ensure the safety of your O365 content and data?

Understanding the O365 Limitations

Adoption of Microsoft Office 365 continues to grow with droves of businesses coming to the service for their collaborative software needs. While O365 offers basic protection for customer data, many businesses don’t realize that Microsoft recommends using a third-party service to guarantee access and retrieval in the event of a disruption.  In fact, the Microsoft Services Agreement contains the following:

We strive to keep the Services up and running; however, all online services suffer occasional disruptions and outages, and Microsoft is not liable for any disruption or loss you may suffer as a result. In the event of an outage you may not be able to retrieve Your Content or Data that you’ve stored. We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or stores using Third-Party Apps and Services.”

Backing up O365 data on a third-party platform will ensure that your data is secure and able to be retrieved easily and within a quick time frame. So why isn’t everyone working with a third-party backup provider for their O365 data?

Unfortunately, a lot of people think that once they migrate to cloud-based email services that the data remains in the cloud, even after being deleted from a users inbox. The truth is that Microsoft only retains data for 14 days after a purge from the deleted items folder. If more users knew about these important, but often  glossed over realities of O365 backup, they’d be working with a third-party provider as soon as possible.

What Are You Risking?

On top of short recovery times and Microsoft’s denial of liability, the threats of not backing up your O365 data are big. One of the most obvious risks is forever losing access to important business data that is crucial to the operation and security of your business.

When sensitive data loss occurs, especially without appropriate recovery spans, your business loses time and money attempting to retrieve something that may not be obtainable. Ensuring your O365 data with a third-party backup provider is absolutely necessary for the growth, success and productivity of your MSP.

Protect Your Business Where Microsoft Can’t

Axcient’s CloudFinder not only provides MSPs with military-grade encryption for the highest level of data protection, but it increases productivity and gives you peace of mind. SmartSearch, Axcient’s instant full text search and restore capabilities save you time with the fastest indexed search on the market. Retrieve files in no time at all with granular search controls and specific filtering abilities down to names within attachments and documents, and date modification.

Just as beneficial, CloudFinder enables MSPs to increase their profit margin by almost 3x from what they receive when selling O365 alone. Not only can you grow your business with CloudFinder, but you provide the backup insurance clients might not know they need for business continuity and disaster recovery. That type of full-service and support creates the kind of relationships that ensures loyalty and trust between you and your clients.

As a former employee of an MSP in the medical vertical, I know that CloudFinder stands out from the competition with proven features that work when you need them. Schedule a demo to see CloudFinder in action, along with product details and pricing information so that you can make the best choice to ensure your O365 data.

Gary Hill has been working with Axcient’s CloudFinder product for about 1.5 years. He started his career at Axcient as a Sales Engineer working directly with MSPs. About 1 year into his career, he moved into managing distributor relationships with Pax8 and other distributors. Gary worked at an MSP in the medical vertical for 3.5 years prior to moving across the country to work at Axcient HQ in Denver, CO.