Should I get a third-party backup solution for Office 365?
Office 365 has built-in backup functionality, but some people recommend having a third-party backup. Is this necessary, and what solutions do you recommend for this?
Director IM/IT at Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Real User
May 20, 2020
We use a third party. AvePoint Backup for O365 & Dynamics 365.
We evaluated a number of cloud backup providers and most (if not all) have unlimited capacity and retention for an all-inclusive per user subscription price. (No infrastructure!)
We had several criteria that helped us make the best decision for our organization:
Cloud Backup covered our M365 infrastructure components inclusively:
-Exchange Online
-SharePoint Online
-Microsoft teams
-OneDrive
-Planner
--(Additional Components that we do not use extensively)
Even with retention by default within Microsoft's Cloud, AvePoint can help preserve critical data within the services. You must remember you are still responsible for additional data protection scenarios -- Inadvertent user deletion of files or emails... not to mention malicious attacks or other nefarious acts for example.
A real tipping feature is that we use MS Teams extensively for all our internal and external communications. With our user population well versed in the application we were able to deploy AvePoint's Restore Bot "AVA" which is a godsend for IT as it alleviates a lot of "Can you please restore...X" because I deleted it or overwrote it etc... The self-service component it terrific and as a bonus, it cuts down on potential embarrassment by the users as they do not have to ask for the restore because of human error...
Backup frequency is full then incremental 4x per day which allows for intra-day data recovery as needed (Possible) on top of the Microsoft retention and versioning restore capability.
Overall, the implementation was extremely straightforward, and the console and feedback are very simple and intuitive.
Other considerations:
We have Country residency requirements and can satisfy them with AvePoint country resident data center.
Cost to benefit ratio demonstrates incredible value to cost ratio in addition to the peace-of-mind the product offers.
You can try the Yota Office 365 Backup Tool to securely save your Office 365 emails to your computer. This tool allows you to download Office 365 data in multiple formats like PST, PDF, MBOX, and EML. You can easily back up entire mailboxes including Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and more without losing any information. It also supports selective backup using filters like date range, subject, or email address.
Free Download: https://yotasoftware.com/offic...
Technical Support & Software Implementation Manager at Meiji Shipping Co., Ltd.
Vendor
Jun 16, 2025
Yes, Office 365 does have some built-in recovery options, but it’s not a full backup in the traditional sense. Things like accidental deletions, long-term retention, or ransomware protection can be limited. That’s why many people go for a third-party backup tool just to be safe. You can also try tools like the Shoviv Office 365 Migration Tool, which helps export and save mailbox data locally as an extra layer of protection. https://www.shoviv.com/pages/m...
If you prefer a third-party solution, the most trustworthy and reliable option is Softaken Office 365 Backup Tool. It only takes a few clicks to export emails and attachments. It can also back up 7+ file types and email apps. In addition, our software can't be damaged by ransomware or hacking. The user interface is simple and easy to use. It works with both old and new versions of Windows. To know more: https://www.softaken.com/office-365-backup-pro
There are lots of users are looking for the best solutuon to secure Office 365 emails. So, recently i have got SysTools Office 365 Email Backup Tool is one of the best application and it allows to export into PST format and also offer you to migrate to another platform To Know More: https://www.systoolsgroup.com/...
yes, why not, You should go with a third-party tool and DataVare Office 365 Backup Tool is the best option for it. Without losing any data, you can export your Office 365 mailbox to Outlook PST files. Additionally, it saves Office 365 files as PST, EMLX, EML, MBOX, or MSG files among other formats. This utility simultaneously exports all account data. For non-technical users, it is straightforward to use and understand. While Office 365 is backed up, the properties and data structure of your emails are kept intact. provides several filter options for convenience, including user, date, and mailbox filters. This program is compatible with every version of Windows and Outlook till 2021. Visit Here To Know more about it functionality - https://www.datavare.com/softw...
If you want third-party solution, then pick most trusted & reliable solution by BitRecover Office 365 Backup Wizard. It exports emails, calendars within a few clicks. Also, it supports backup in 35+ file formats and email clients. Moreover, our software is foolproof from any ransomware & cyberattacks.
Find out what your peers are saying about Veeam Software, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Commvault and others in Backup and Recovery. Updated: December 2025.
Search Engine Optimization Specialist at Shoviv Software
Vendor
May 23, 2025
Microsoft follows a shared responsibility model: while they secure the infrastructure, you are responsible for protecting your data from threats like accidental deletion, ransomware, or malicious activity.
One reliable option is the Shoviv Office 365 Backup Tool. This robust solution enables you to back up mailboxes, archive mailboxes, and public folders to PST files. Key features include:
Scheduled and automated backups
Incremental backup support to save time and storage
Granular restore capabilities for specific items or folders
By extending beyond Microsoft's built-in retention limits, Shoviv ensures your data remains safe, recoverable, and under your control—offering true peace of mind.
In regards to Backups for 365, It all depends on backup costings licenses and functionality and what type of environment you have to say for Hybrid to the cloud.
If you are in a large Enterprise environment it may be necessary to change your backup strategy to cover all products to get a cost-effective solution however 365 has basic built-in functionality but not many features as enterprise products.
UK, Sales Representative at iland Internet Solutions Corp
Vendor
May 20, 2020
Due to Microsoft's 'shared responsibility' model, it is absolutely necessary to have a backup of your O365 data, especially if the data is critical to the business. Whether you require a backup to be compliant or are looking for protection against accidental or malicious deletion (Insider Threats or Malware), a long term archive solution is well worth the price.
There are many providers offering O365 backup solutions today so be sure to check for any hidden fees or potential caps. It's also worth checking to see if the vendor supports backup for SharePoint Online, Teams, and OneDrive as well as Exchange Online.
Some companies provide licenses for you to backup locally, others provide an almost SaaS-like model, incorporating the storage and licensing.
If you don't have local storage available or do not wish to backup locally then you're best off looking at Cloud Service Providers or SaaS providers for O365 Backup. Be sure to understand where your data is held, the level of security and redundancy, and whether or not there is any level of support included in the cost.
You'll also want to be sure you can restore easily, with several different restore options as some vendors have very limited options.
iland cloud, the company I represent, offers a backup of the entire domain within O365 for a per-user price including licensing, unlimited storage, and support, with no extra fees.
Feel free to contact me via LinkedIn if you would like to find out more.
Also happy to answer any questions on other vendors that I have experience with.
Project Manager - Business Consultant at Comtrade System Integration
Real User
Aug 23, 2021
Surely. Of course, you should first check what and what kind of contract you have with the cloud provider for using Office 365, what kind of license and support you have. But I would definitely recommend some corporate backup solution as well. If you use business applications and databases or cleanly store copies of databases. By using a backup solution, you have more flexibility and the ability to set up, as opposed to what the cloud provider offers you through a license for Office365.
I would even recommend that you take a cloud backup solution, specifically Commvault Metalic, which is not intended for clients who do not have on-premise capabilities. Here you also have the option of choosing which components you want to cover with the backup solution, and what is most convenient, whenever you want to take a new component, it is enough to just enter a new license for it, without any setup, installation.
The backup functionality built into Microsoft365 is all to do with Microsoft losing their systems.
If you want to recover something YOU have accidentally deleted, or any of the more advanced backup functionality (e.g. the ability to recover a single mailbox from a date in the recent past) then you need 3rd-party backup software.
One shall use 3rd party backup at all times, for example, tools like Sharegate, Gs Richcopy 360 and Goodsync
Why ? here is a write-up by u/FatherPrax who describes it best:
"When it comes to O365 and other cloud environments, backup is needed just as much as before, just for different reasons.
1) Data ownership. Retention policies and such are fine, but if your company (for whatever reason) doesn't pay their bills to a cloud provider for a couple months that data will be wiped by the provider. In that situation, there's no reasonable expectation for them to have stored the data of a deadbeat customer.
2) Corruption/Hacking. If the cloud provider gets hit by malware on the back end, and their production servers get wiped, I'd say a good 75% of cloud providers would say "We cannot restore this data, reupload it." A hacked environment is even worse. If someone gets into the admin console on an O365 environment, they can then turn off all data retention policies before they start deleting everything.
3) Legal. There are tons of reasons that having an offline backup would help a company legally. A warrant to produce specific emails is a common thing for larger corporations, and as we all know users are dumb. If a user wipes their email and you don't have litigation hold on them beforehand, those email are gone. Offline backups are your only hope in that situation to either comply with the warrant or to provide proof to defend your company against the warrant. If you can point to a backup with a date stamp of 3 years ago, and the email isn't in there, then you are in a much better position than "We searched his mailbox, but the litigation hold only started when we got the warrant last week, so he could have deleted it anytime in the last 3 years."
Systems Admin at a wholesaler/distributor with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Aug 19, 2021
If you don't care about the data stored by Microsoft, then you don't have to back it up. But if you do care about your data, then look into some sort of backup solution for O365/M365. There are many good options out there. Microsoft's responsibility is for the infrastructure but if you have a user do something that they shouldn't have, you could be in for a big headache.
We had a user, about a month after we had migrated the accidentally deleted their entire inbox. Since we did have a backup solution in place we were able to recover their inbox back into their mailbox. While our solution was slow in this recovery, the user was able to get all their mail box.
CEO/co-founder at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
May 21, 2020
I would use:
1. Azure Backup solutions - it's quite cheap for some amount of data;
2. Another third party backup solution - depends on how the whole environment looks - many backup software solutions exist - for every computer/or session - backup with agent, or if the environment is virtualized (for example - virtual desktops by Microsoft or VMware Horizon/Workspace One)-
It's good to use some software that is able to backup the whole user virtual machine - -Veeam (os/apps agents and virtual environment),
-PureBackup by Archiware (totally free, only support costs - but it's not required; only for virtual machines)
-Networker (composed with DataDomain - very high level of deduplication),
-Agent backups - Symantec\Veritas Backup Exec, Arcserve Backup or Veeam
-Agent for Windows ( it's free, but there's no common management console if the quantity of clients is above 10 - I guess). These are not expensive solutions.
There're some in-built solutions - for example - if a data storage is Qnap/Synology device - some software (synchronization software) exists 'in device' - it's easy to use but - the device has to be rather stronger because the synchronization client works in continuous mode. For small offices, this solution is enough.
I will start by looking at what customers' perceptions are. Most customers believe that Microsoft will take care of their O365 data. This is the biggest mistake or misconception that most customers make. Microsoft only takes care of the infrastructure but the data remain that of the customer. Microsoft takes care of the uptime of the O365 but not the customer-generated data. With Office 365, it is your data, you own it, and off course, you control it.
Please see below Office 365 Responsibility mode:
See below also, what Microsoft backup:
Below also captures why you need to backup your data by yourself and not relying on Microsoft solution for that purpose.
I have used some products for this purpose but in terms of flexibility and ease of use with lower TCO, I will recommend Veeam Backup for Office 365.
I always recommend a combination of onsite and offsite backup storage and many third-party solutions provide both. The specific solution depends on how much data you have and how critical you consider the data - how long can you go without the data if you lose a system. I have used a local NAS and AWS, but there is more overhead to manage and I have also used Unitrends, which requires more initial setup and costs more, but is kind of a set it and forget it solution. Unitrends also has a more comprehensive backup option if you want it - down to bare metal restoration of workstations and servers. It all depends on your budget, in house resources, and comfort with risks.
It depends on what you are using office 365 for. Generally, anyone would be creating a lot of unstructured data. The best way to have an external backup strategy will be by placing unstructured fats on object storage. Police could be applied to how fats will be accessed. The cost of backups also can be kept low with such a strategy.
If you value it, back it up. The built-in "backup" in M365 is aimed at covering their arse, not yours. We use Cove (Solarwinds as was). Sensibly priced, automatic, effective.
Loads of options - depends on your budget. Backups need to be part of your cyber security strategy and therefore consider the security features of the platform too.
At FortNet we work with a platform that gets the price down to as low as $2 per user per month with unlimited storage, and no restrictions on how often you backup or recover. Backups are saved as immutable files so that hackers cannot change them.
A couple of other solutions that I came across are:
1) Nakivo &
2) Metallic (acquired by Commvault) the former being on the cheaper side. *I am not here for marketing any product but they are $@.75/user/month for a 3-year subscription.
You still need to have your own cloud or local storage for both which is what I don't like but some may prefer. i.e. they don't provide storage.
As of my knowledge, currently, only Barracuda provides bundled backup subscriptions along with cloud storage for Cloud-Cloud Backup (O365 to Barracuda Cloud).
We have been using GFI for more than a decade for on-premise exchange and Office 365. This is an excellent solution where the complete backup of emails can be maintained with email Journaling configuration.
Yes you need a backup solution for M365 - absolutely.
For example, we provide a managed version of Spanning for less than £2 ($3) per active mailbox and provide unlimited capacity and infinite retention across OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams etc.
The user interface is dead easy for your non-computer literate staff to easily restore everything or just single files or emails.
Built-in security ensures backups are not available for hackers to contaminate.
Rony, as others have mentioned, the shared responsibility model requires that you protect your data. The provided tools from MS are not adequate for most organizations. We use Commvault internally as well as for our O365 customers. Commvault works for the entire O365 Suite.
Personally, I have used Barracuda and Acronis and both have fair amount of features as needed to protect an M365 environment.
The former has flat user-based licensing with unlimited capacity but the latter has an additional capacity license on top of the user license (so you always have to keep purchasing capacity bundles) which is why I prefer Barracuda.
Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Reseller
May 22, 2020
What I have seen and experience is every company is good at one thing which is native strength. My experience says that 3rd party backup is always good than native platform backup due to security and BCP reason.
0365 is Cloud base so you need the solution also should be the Cloud base. MSP360™ Backup for MS Office 365 is designed for the cloud to cloud backup and restore of your Office 365 accounts, including Outlook mailboxes, calendars, and contacts, as well as OneDrive backup.
Office 365 backup solution by MSP360™ is fully integrated with Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure for backup storage and allows restoring to the original or new Microsoft account when required.
As others have stated about the shared model, you need a backup solution. I would recommend Veeam Backup for O365 as it is one of the best products out there. I work at an MSP, and I am the Veeam Architect, so I have set this up many times. Our clients love the solution, and recovery is straightforward as well for them since there is Item-Level or Snapshot Level backup options. If you want more information check online here - www.veeam.com/backup-microsoft-office-365.html
If you are interested in solutions or have other questions, feel free to reach out.
You can take a look at the solution provided by NetApp as a SaaS Backup. It's the best option to Backup and Restore any object of O365. cloud.netapp.com/saas-backup Please run the trial and check how easy it works.
Actually as you say o365 has a built-in backup but not full features and not enough for you I advise you to get third-party like Veeam they have a partnership with Microsoft.
Veeam® Backup for Microsoft Office 365 Community Edition provides FREE backup and recovery of Office 365 Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, eliminating the risk of losing access and control over your Office 365 data — limited to 10 users and 1 TB of SharePoint data.
This is advisable. However, although the backup solutions out there are pretty comprehensive and do a really good job of backing up like they say they do on the tin and can do a decent job of recovery in a DR situation, they do not necessarily have the native ability to restore specific mail items, should you need to be very granular when getting back to your recovery point objective and your recovery time objective. If you'd like to know more about how this can be done, I can discuss this and the third-party service provider that does this extremely well. Contact me via email or LinkedIn Messenger.
Account Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
May 20, 2020
Yes, I would recommend a 3rd party backup to Office 365. I recommend this with every Office 365 quote as an option. Things happen and the small additional cost is well worth it.
In my opinion its better to take backup of Office 365 using third party backup as well, so that even any users who are using office 365 leaves your company, backup will be protected which are used by that particular users and you can restore at any time as your schedule.
Backup and Recovery solutions protect data by regularly copying and securely storing it, ensuring quick restoration when necessary. These solutions minimize the impact of data loss, ensuring business continuity by restoring data in case of hardware failure, cyberattacks, or human error.
Backup and Recovery encompass a wide range of strategies and technologies designed to maintain data integrity. Businesses can leverage cloud-based storage, on-premises systems, or a combination of both to...
We use a third party. AvePoint Backup for O365 & Dynamics 365.
We evaluated a number of cloud backup providers and most (if not all) have unlimited capacity and retention for an all-inclusive per user subscription price. (No infrastructure!)
We had several criteria that helped us make the best decision for our organization:
Cloud Backup covered our M365 infrastructure components inclusively:
-Exchange Online
-SharePoint Online
-Microsoft teams
-OneDrive
-Planner
--(Additional Components that we do not use extensively)
Even with retention by default within Microsoft's Cloud, AvePoint can help preserve critical data within the services. You must remember you are still responsible for additional data protection scenarios -- Inadvertent user deletion of files or emails... not to mention malicious attacks or other nefarious acts for example.
A real tipping feature is that we use MS Teams extensively for all our internal and external communications. With our user population well versed in the application we were able to deploy AvePoint's Restore Bot "AVA" which is a godsend for IT as it alleviates a lot of "Can you please restore...X" because I deleted it or overwrote it etc... The self-service component it terrific and as a bonus, it cuts down on potential embarrassment by the users as they do not have to ask for the restore because of human error...
Backup frequency is full then incremental 4x per day which allows for intra-day data recovery as needed (Possible) on top of the Microsoft retention and versioning restore capability.
Overall, the implementation was extremely straightforward, and the console and feedback are very simple and intuitive.
Other considerations:
We have Country residency requirements and can satisfy them with AvePoint country resident data center.
Cost to benefit ratio demonstrates incredible value to cost ratio in addition to the peace-of-mind the product offers.
You can try the Yota Office 365 Backup Tool to securely save your Office 365 emails to your computer. This tool allows you to download Office 365 data in multiple formats like PST, PDF, MBOX, and EML. You can easily back up entire mailboxes including Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and more without losing any information. It also supports selective backup using filters like date range, subject, or email address.
Free Download: https://yotasoftware.com/offic...
Yes, Office 365 does have some built-in recovery options, but it’s not a full backup in the traditional sense. Things like accidental deletions, long-term retention, or ransomware protection can be limited. That’s why many people go for a third-party backup tool just to be safe. You can also try tools like the Shoviv Office 365 Migration Tool, which helps export and save mailbox data locally as an extra layer of protection. https://www.shoviv.com/pages/m...
If you prefer a third-party solution, the most trustworthy and reliable option is Softaken Office 365 Backup Tool. It only takes a few clicks to export emails and attachments. It can also back up 7+ file types and email apps. In addition, our software can't be damaged by ransomware or hacking. The user interface is simple and easy to use. It works with both old and new versions of Windows.
To know more: https://www.softaken.com/office-365-backup-pro
There are lots of users are looking for the best solutuon to secure Office 365 emails. So, recently i have got SysTools Office 365 Email Backup Tool is one of the best application and it allows to export into PST format and also offer you to migrate to another platform
To Know More: https://www.systoolsgroup.com/...
yes, why not, You should go with a third-party tool and DataVare Office 365 Backup Tool is the best option for it. Without losing any data, you can export your Office 365 mailbox to Outlook PST files. Additionally, it saves Office 365 files as PST, EMLX, EML, MBOX, or MSG files among other formats. This utility simultaneously exports all account data. For non-technical users, it is straightforward to use and understand. While Office 365 is backed up, the properties and data structure of your emails are kept intact. provides several filter options for convenience, including user, date, and mailbox filters. This program is compatible with every version of Windows and Outlook till 2021. Visit Here To Know more about it functionality - https://www.datavare.com/softw...
If you want third-party solution, then pick most trusted & reliable solution by BitRecover Office 365 Backup Wizard. It exports emails, calendars within a few clicks. Also, it supports backup in 35+ file formats and email clients. Moreover, our software is foolproof from any ransomware & cyberattacks.
Microsoft follows a shared responsibility model: while they secure the infrastructure, you are responsible for protecting your data from threats like accidental deletion, ransomware, or malicious activity.
One reliable option is the Shoviv Office 365 Backup Tool. This robust solution enables you to back up mailboxes, archive mailboxes, and public folders to PST files. Key features include:
Scheduled and automated backups
Incremental backup support to save time and storage
Granular restore capabilities for specific items or folders
By extending beyond Microsoft's built-in retention limits, Shoviv ensures your data remains safe, recoverable, and under your control—offering true peace of mind.
https://www.shoviv.com/office365-backup.html
In regards to Backups for 365, It all depends on backup costings licenses and functionality and what type of environment you have to say for Hybrid to the cloud.
If you are in a large Enterprise environment it may be necessary to change your backup strategy to cover all products to get a cost-effective solution however 365 has basic built-in functionality but not many features as enterprise products.
DPM
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/system-center/dpm/dpm-protection-matrix
Veeam
www.ct.co.uk/cloud/secure-backup-for-office-365-as-a-service
AvePoint
www.avepoint.com/uk/products/cloud/backup
SolarWinds
pages.solarwindsmsp.com/back-up-the-full-office-365-suite-at-an-affordable-price.html
Due to Microsoft's 'shared responsibility' model, it is absolutely necessary to have a backup of your O365 data, especially if the data is critical to the business. Whether you require a backup to be compliant or are looking for protection against accidental or malicious deletion (Insider Threats or Malware), a long term archive solution is well worth the price.
There are many providers offering O365 backup solutions today so be sure to check for any hidden fees or potential caps. It's also worth checking to see if the vendor supports backup for SharePoint Online, Teams, and OneDrive as well as Exchange Online.
Some companies provide licenses for you to backup locally, others provide an almost SaaS-like model, incorporating the storage and licensing.
If you don't have local storage available or do not wish to backup locally then you're best off looking at Cloud Service Providers or SaaS providers for O365 Backup. Be sure to understand where your data is held, the level of security and redundancy, and whether or not there is any level of support included in the cost.
You'll also want to be sure you can restore easily, with several different restore options as some vendors have very limited options.
iland cloud, the company I represent, offers a backup of the entire domain within O365 for a per-user price including licensing, unlimited storage, and support, with no extra fees.
Feel free to contact me via LinkedIn if you would like to find out more.
Also happy to answer any questions on other vendors that I have experience with.
Surely. Of course, you should first check what and what kind of contract you have with the cloud provider for using Office 365, what kind of license and support you have. But I would definitely recommend some corporate backup solution as well. If you use business applications and databases or cleanly store copies of databases. By using a backup solution, you have more flexibility and the ability to set up, as opposed to what the cloud provider offers you through a license for Office365.
I would even recommend that you take a cloud backup solution, specifically Commvault Metalic, which is not intended for clients who do not have on-premise capabilities. Here you also have the option of choosing which components you want to cover with the backup solution, and what is most convenient, whenever you want to take a new component, it is enough to just enter a new license for it, without any setup, installation.
The backup functionality built into Microsoft365 is all to do with Microsoft losing their systems.
If you want to recover something YOU have accidentally deleted, or any of the more advanced backup functionality (e.g. the ability to recover a single mailbox from a date in the recent past) then you need 3rd-party backup software.
One shall use 3rd party backup at all times, for example, tools like Sharegate, Gs Richcopy 360 and Goodsync
Why ? here is a write-up by u/FatherPrax who describes it best:
"When it comes to O365 and other cloud environments, backup is needed just as much as before, just for different reasons.
1) Data ownership. Retention policies and such are fine, but if your company (for whatever reason) doesn't pay their bills to a cloud provider for a couple months that data will be wiped by the provider. In that situation, there's no reasonable expectation for them to have stored the data of a deadbeat customer.
2) Corruption/Hacking. If the cloud provider gets hit by malware on the back end, and their production servers get wiped, I'd say a good 75% of cloud providers would say "We cannot restore this data, reupload it." A hacked environment is even worse. If someone gets into the admin console on an O365 environment, they can then turn off all data retention policies before they start deleting everything.
3) Legal. There are tons of reasons that having an offline backup would help a company legally. A warrant to produce specific emails is a common thing for larger corporations, and as we all know users are dumb. If a user wipes their email and you don't have litigation hold on them beforehand, those email are gone. Offline backups are your only hope in that situation to either comply with the warrant or to provide proof to defend your company against the warrant. If you can point to a backup with a date stamp of 3 years ago, and the email isn't in there, then you are in a much better position than "We searched his mailbox, but the litigation hold only started when we got the warrant last week, so he could have deleted it anytime in the last 3 years."
thanks
If you don't care about the data stored by Microsoft, then you don't have to back it up. But if you do care about your data, then look into some sort of backup solution for O365/M365. There are many good options out there. Microsoft's responsibility is for the infrastructure but if you have a user do something that they shouldn't have, you could be in for a big headache.
We had a user, about a month after we had migrated the accidentally deleted their entire inbox. Since we did have a backup solution in place we were able to recover their inbox back into their mailbox. While our solution was slow in this recovery, the user was able to get all their mail box.
I would use:
1. Azure Backup solutions - it's quite cheap for some amount of data;
2. Another third party backup solution - depends on how the whole environment looks - many backup software solutions exist - for every computer/or session - backup with agent, or if the environment is virtualized (for example - virtual desktops by Microsoft or VMware Horizon/Workspace One)-
It's good to use some software that is able to backup the whole user virtual machine - -Veeam (os/apps agents and virtual environment),
-PureBackup by Archiware (totally free, only support costs - but it's not required; only for virtual machines)
-Networker (composed with DataDomain - very high level of deduplication),
-Agent backups - Symantec\Veritas Backup Exec, Arcserve Backup or Veeam
-Agent for Windows ( it's free, but there's no common management console if the quantity of clients is above 10 - I guess). These are not expensive solutions.
There're some in-built solutions - for example - if a data storage is Qnap/Synology device - some software (synchronization software) exists 'in device' - it's easy to use but - the device has to be rather stronger because the synchronization client works in continuous mode. For small offices, this solution is enough.
Use GFI Email Archiver. The solution helps in backup and addressing long term retention requirements. It keeps a copy directly when an email is sent or received and avoid any mail lose due to intentional or accidental deletion of emails by users.
manuals.gfi.com/en/mar12admin/content/administrator/topics/o365/o365howitworks.htm
www.gfi.com/products-and-solutions/network-security-solutions/gfi-archiver
I will start by looking at what customers' perceptions are. Most customers believe that Microsoft will take care of their O365 data. This is the biggest mistake or misconception that most customers make. Microsoft only takes care of the infrastructure but the data remain that of the customer. Microsoft takes care of the uptime of the O365 but not the customer-generated data. With Office 365, it is your data, you own it, and off course, you control it.
Please see below Office 365 Responsibility mode:
See below also, what Microsoft backup:
Below also captures why you need to backup your data by yourself and not relying on Microsoft solution for that purpose.
I have used some products for this purpose but in terms of flexibility and ease of use with lower TCO, I will recommend Veeam Backup for Office 365.
I always recommend a combination of onsite and offsite backup storage and many third-party solutions provide both. The specific solution depends on how much data you have and how critical you consider the data - how long can you go without the data if you lose a system. I have used a local NAS and AWS, but there is more overhead to manage and I have also used Unitrends, which requires more initial setup and costs more, but is kind of a set it and forget it solution. Unitrends also has a more comprehensive backup option if you want it - down to bare metal restoration of workstations and servers. It all depends on your budget, in house resources, and comfort with risks.
It depends on what you are using office 365 for. Generally, anyone would be creating a lot of unstructured data. The best way to have an external backup strategy will be by placing unstructured fats on object storage. Police could be applied to how fats will be accessed. The cost of backups also can be kept low with such a strategy.
If you value it, back it up. The built-in "backup" in M365 is aimed at covering their arse, not yours. We use Cove (Solarwinds as was). Sensibly priced, automatic, effective.
Yes - definitely!
Loads of options - depends on your budget. Backups need to be part of your cyber security strategy and therefore consider the security features of the platform too.
At FortNet we work with a platform that gets the price down to as low as $2 per user per month with unlimited storage, and no restrictions on how often you backup or recover. Backups are saved as immutable files so that hackers cannot change them.
A couple of other solutions that I came across are:
1) Nakivo &
2) Metallic (acquired by Commvault) the former being on the cheaper side. *I am not here for marketing any product but they are $@.75/user/month for a 3-year subscription.
You still need to have your own cloud or local storage for both which is what I don't like but some may prefer. i.e. they don't provide storage.
As of my knowledge, currently, only Barracuda provides bundled backup subscriptions along with cloud storage for Cloud-Cloud Backup (O365 to Barracuda Cloud).
https://manuals.gfi.com/en/mar...
We have been using GFI for more than a decade for on-premise exchange and Office 365. This is an excellent solution where the complete backup of emails can be maintained with email Journaling configuration.
The search capabilities are excellent and this solution enables retention of emails in their native form for years. Visit the below URLs for more information:
https://manuals.gfi.com/en/mar... and https://www.gfi.com/products-a...
Yes you need a backup solution for M365 - absolutely.
For example, we provide a managed version of Spanning for less than £2 ($3) per active mailbox and provide unlimited capacity and infinite retention across OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams etc.
The user interface is dead easy for your non-computer literate staff to easily restore everything or just single files or emails.
Built-in security ensures backups are not available for hackers to contaminate.
Rony, as others have mentioned, the shared responsibility model requires that you protect your data. The provided tools from MS are not adequate for most organizations. We use Commvault internally as well as for our O365 customers. Commvault works for the entire O365 Suite.
Feel free to message me if you have questions.
Personally, I have used Barracuda and Acronis and both have fair amount of features as needed to protect an M365 environment.
The former has flat user-based licensing with unlimited capacity but the latter has an additional capacity license on top of the user license (so you always have to keep purchasing capacity bundles) which is why I prefer Barracuda.
What I have seen and experience is every company is good at one thing which is native strength. My experience says that 3rd party backup is always good than native platform backup due to security and BCP reason.
0365 is Cloud base so you need the solution also should be the Cloud base. MSP360™ Backup for MS Office 365 is designed for the cloud to cloud backup and restore of your Office 365 accounts, including Outlook mailboxes, calendars, and contacts, as well as OneDrive backup.
Office 365 backup solution by MSP360™ is fully integrated with Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure for backup storage and allows restoring to the original or new Microsoft account when required.
As others have stated about the shared model, you need a backup solution. I would recommend Veeam Backup for O365 as it is one of the best products out there. I work at an MSP, and I am the Veeam Architect, so I have set this up many times. Our clients love the solution, and recovery is straightforward as well for them since there is Item-Level or Snapshot Level backup options. If you want more information check online here - www.veeam.com/backup-microsoft-office-365.html
If you are interested in solutions or have other questions, feel free to reach out.
You can take a look at the solution provided by NetApp as a SaaS Backup. It's the best option to Backup and Restore any object of O365. cloud.netapp.com/saas-backup Please run the trial and check how easy it works.
Actually as you say o365 has a built-in backup but not full features and not enough for you I advise you to get third-party like Veeam they have a partnership with Microsoft.
Your should try Veeam its free for upto 10 users
www.veeam.com/backup-microsoft-office-365.html
Top archival and mail store products from Barracuda and Proofpoint will protect o365 data while allowing user access to mail archives.
It depends on the size and industry compliance. A lot of customers back up all of office 365. Who is the customer?
We don't use anything for Office 365. I know there are other options but expensive ones.
ref: go.veeam.com/backup-office-365-free
Veeam® Backup for Microsoft Office 365 Community Edition provides FREE backup and recovery of Office 365 Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, eliminating the risk of losing access and control over your Office 365 data — limited to 10 users and 1 TB of SharePoint data.
This is advisable. However, although the backup solutions out there are pretty comprehensive and do a really good job of backing up like they say they do on the tin and can do a decent job of recovery in a DR situation, they do not necessarily have the native ability to restore specific mail items, should you need to be very granular when getting back to your recovery point objective and your recovery time objective. If you'd like to know more about how this can be done, I can discuss this and the third-party service provider that does this extremely well. Contact me via email or LinkedIn Messenger.
Yes, I would recommend a 3rd party backup to Office 365. I recommend this with every Office 365 quote as an option. Things happen and the small additional cost is well worth it.
In my opinion its better to take backup of Office 365 using third party backup as well, so that even any users who are using office 365 leaves your company, backup will be protected which are used by that particular users and you can restore at any time as your schedule.