Email Archiving for Microsoft 365

Weaknesses of the Native Archiving Options Available in Microsoft 365

Although Microsoft 365 does offer a number of different options for archiving emails, you should be aware of a number of inherent weaknesses and idiosyncrasies in order to protect your organization from the risks in hand.

• The “Shared Responsibility” Model
  Microsoft applies a policy of shared responsibility to its Microsoft 365 services. In a nutshell, this means that while Microsoft is responsible for ensuring that services under the Microsoft 365 label are permanently available, it does not bear responsibility for protecting and retaining the data of its customers, and this also applies to any data contained in emails. So, essentially, you and you alone are responsible for keeping your emails safe and sound.
• Compliance Risk
  Today, companies need to satisfy a range of legal requirements, for example the EU’s GDPR. Companies active on the international stage must comply with special requirements governing data privacy, the transfer of data to third-party agents for processing, and the storage location (residency) of the data. The native archiving options in Microsoft 365 do not always offer the level of security and compliance required in cases such as these.
• Risk of Data Loss Despite Archiving
  Above all, when it comes to the safe storage of emails, PST files or the “Archive” button in Microsoft Outlook do not provide genuine protection against data loss. Likewise, deploying a separate archive mailbox (when not using the paid Exchange Online Archiving service) does not satisfy all the criteria an email archiving solution should. For example, limits in storage capacity can mean that older emails have to be deleted in order to make room for new ones. During this process, important business information can be lost.
• Comfort Versus Security
  Even though it is comfortable for administrators to have all data in the same system, this concept also has disadvantages. If the archived files remain in the same system as the original email data, this can lead to security risks. For example, if the access data falls into the wrong hands or if the system falls victim to a hacker attack, not only the original data in the email service is at risk, but also the archived data.
• Limited Search Functions
  Searching for specific emails or the information contained in them in Microsoft 365 can be an onerous and time-consuming task. In particular, poor efficacy when running searches for large volumes of data can waste valuable working time.
• Substantial Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for SMBs
  Exchange Online Archiving is the most powerful option among the archiving tools built into Microsoft 365. However, this function is only included in Microsoft 365’s premium plans and is geared to the needs of large businesses. Exchange Online Archiving is not part of the Microsoft 365 plans tailored to the small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and it must be added as an extra paid service if required. In cases like these, the cost to a business of buying a third-party email archiving solution can be much lower and it is worth taking a closer look at the total cost of ownership here.

In conclusion, Microsoft 365’s native email archiving functions often fail to provide a fully effective and secure archiving environment. The limited options can quickly give rise to a lack of data security, inefficient data management and legal risks.

The Solution: MailStore Server for Microsoft 365

MailStore Server is an independent email archiving software developed specifically with medium-sized businesses in mind. It is simple to set up, can be installed in just a few minutes, fits seamlessly into existing infrastructures, and is compatible with virtually all the usual email systems. More than 80,000 companies from a wide range of industries across the globe have been relying on MailStore for their email archiving needs for years.

Your Benefits With MailStore Server and Microsoft 365:

• Independence From Microsoft
  Without an external email archive, users will not be able to access their own emails if the Microsoft 365 services fail. An independent email archiving solution such as MailStore Server ensures that a “vendor lock-in” is avoided and the company’s own emails remain accessible even if the M365 services fail.
• Assistance With Regulatory Compliance
  Many companies are subject to legal requirements concerning retention periods for certain emails. To comply with these regulations, it is important that emails are stored for many years in a form that is complete, faithful to the original, tamper-proof, and also permanently available. Data protection requirements should also be observed. MailStore Server can help you comply with these regulations and is also GDPR-certified. What is more, you retain full control over your archived data and where these data reside.
• Robust Protection Against Data Loss
  With MailStore Server, you can protect yourself effectively against data loss arising from hardware failure or accidental deletion. Journal archiving, for example, helps safeguard the integrity of your archive. Even PST files can be archived and protected on a central basis, thus making mailbox quotas all but superfluous.
• Efficient Data Management
  Through data de-duplication and compression, data kept in the MailStore Server archive occupy up to 70% less space than on the email server, allowing you to significantly reduce your storage needs in Microsoft 365, while optimizing performance. In addition, archived emails can be deleted from the mailboxes in Microsoft 365, effectively ruling out exhausted mailbox quotas.
• Fast Searching Plus Self-Service for the User
  Thanks to MailStore Server’s powerful search function, you can locate the emails you need in a matter of seconds. Whether searching for a sender, a recipient, specific points in time or keywords, pinpointing emails in the archive is made easy with the MailStore Outlook Add-in. Users can also restore emails from the archive quickly and simply. This can relieve the burden on help-desk teams as IT staff no longer need to be contacted to deal with such issues. The efficient search function also simplifies the work of system administrators and compliance officers, especially when it comes to performing discovery searches across many archives.
• Modest Acquisition and Operating Costs
  MailStore Server is available as a starter package for as little as $ 259.00 plus VAT. The licensing costs pay for themselves quickly. You benefit from having low-maintenance, stable software that saves you time and effort, allowing you to concentrate on other important IT tasks and increasing your company’s productivity.
• Seamless Integration in Microsoft 365
  MailStore Server can be integrated simply into your existing Microsoft 365 environment with up to 2,000 users via Active Directory synchronization. There’s no complicated installation or complex configuration – you’ll be up and running in no time at all! Of course, you can easily migrate your existing archive mailboxes from Microsoft 365 to the new MailStore solution.

With MailStore Server, you not only get GDPR-compliant data storage and fast search functions, but also full control over your archived emails. Our goal is to make your email archiving more secure, more efficient, and support you with compliance.

Further Information on Email Archiving in Microsoft 365

What Our Customers Appreciate Most About MailStore

Thousands of companies from a wide range of industries across the globe have been relying on MailStore for their email archiving needs for years. Read here to find out what our customers experienced and the problems that were solved.

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