If Microsoft’s Office 365 is Used in Your Business, So Do You

It’s highly common in the current business environment for companies to rely on Microsoft Office 365® for managing content and data critical to daily operations. Its debut in 2011 was a game changer for Office environments craving resources beyond one-time “boxed” software purchases. These yearly subscriptions provide for immediate access to the latest software versions, critical updates, security enhancements, and multi-user platforms.

Labeled as a Software as a Service (SaaS), Office 365 allows users access to information across numerous devices or workstations for multiple users. It’s perfect for organizations with highly collaborative environments, and available to groups of various sizes.

OneDrive, Microsoft’s answer to automatic cloud backup, is included on the Office 365 round-up of benefits. It provides a user-friendly, highly-accessible means for professional environments to share information in real-time throughout their internal networks. It’s all mirrored real time via OneDrive—so no matter where employees are, it’s available and secure. Perfect, right?! Read on.

That said, what if the “unthinkable” happens? Accidental deletion, a syncing error from a user, or something intentional or even malicious could leave you unprotected and unable to recover. That’s where the importance of a third-party SaaS backup process comes in. Whether it may be for a Microsoft product or any other SaaS, engaging a third-party backup could be what saves your data in the event of significant platform failure.

If Microsoft’s servers fail, so does your company’s critical data.

What many people may not fully realize—Microsoft is not ultimately responsible for the safety and security of data stored on its servers through Office 365 and OneDrive. There is fine print within the products’ licensing agreement clarifying where Microsoft’s responsibility to the user starts—and where it ends.

Excepted from the Microsoft Services Agreement (part 6b), what follows is a clause relevant to this caveat:

“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 store using third-party apps and services.”

So, how do I protect my company’s data?

In short, the best course of action is to select a third-party SaaS backup product, including options from Veeam or Barracuda. Some call these resources “disaster recovery” products. Most importantly, it’s wise to engage an outside resource for proper integration across your systems.

That’s where the IT professionals at Matrix Integration can support your operation in implementing these Backup as a Service (BaaS) products. You’ll have no worries on proper installation and ongoing management. As these services also are subscription based, you’ll know your company’s content and data is always safe and secure. Put another way that we all can understand—you’ll definitely sleep better at night knowing everything is backed-up the way it should be.

Take action and make a plan!

We understand the process of evaluating and implementing IT products, services, and resources can seem overwhelming. Matrix Integration works with clients in a customized fashion to ensure each receives the exact products and services necessary for supporting your organization’s success.

When it’s time to boost your company’s Disaster Recovery plan for what the future may hold, turn to the professionals at Matrix Integration. We’re ready when you are!