Many businesses assume Microsoft automatically backs up their M365 data. That is a misconception. Microsoft 365 Backup now provides a built-in solution for item-level recovery. What does it do exactly, what does it cost, and when is it essential?
One of the most persistent misconceptions in IT is that Microsoft automatically backs up your Microsoft 365 data. It does not. Microsoft protects its own infrastructure from outages, but if you accidentally delete a file, empty a mailbox or fall victim to ransomware, you are dependent on the built-in recycle bin and version history, and those have limits in both time and depth.
Microsoft 365 Backup is a native solution that closes this gap. Available via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, it provides automated backups for SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and Exchange Online, with item-level recovery and a retention period of up to 180 days.
Microsoft 365 Backup creates continuous backups of your SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts and Exchange mailboxes. Recovery is possible at three levels: site level, library or folder level, and individual file or email level. The recovery process runs through the Admin Center and requires no external tools or third parties.
Microsoft 365 Backup is billed based on the protected data volume, not per user. The current price is $0.15 per GB per month. For an average SMB with 50 users and 500 GB of total storage, that comes to approximately $75 per month, depending on actual usage.
If your organisation relies on SharePoint, OneDrive or Exchange for critical business data and you are not using a separate backup solution from a third-party provider, Microsoft 365 Backup is a logical step. Especially for organisations in sectors where data availability is legally required, such as healthcare, finance and legal services.
Want to know how Microsoft 365 Backup fits into your current IT policy? Contact Zarioh for tailored advice.
