SolarWinds Backup for Office 365 delivers cloud-first data protection for Office 365 Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint

SolarWinds, provider of IT management software, launches SolarWinds Backup for Office 365, designed to extend data protection services by helping ensure the retention and recoverability of Office 365 data.

Backup for Office 365 backs up and helps restore Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint data, managed from the same web-based dashboard used to protect servers, workstations, and critical business documents. The need for effective and affordable tools to help MSPs reduce the potential impact of malicious external attacks or internal user error is growing. 

Related data retention, recoverability, and the ability to demonstrate regulatory compliance is becoming even more critical, as more businesses continue to adopt SaaS applications and shift resources to the cloud.

With Backup for Office 365, users are able to save administrative time by managing Office 365 backups alongside server and workstation backups, keep recoverable copies of Exchange data for seven years, and archive OneDrive and SharePoint data for one year. Backup storage in SolarWinds’ private cloud is included, with more than 30 data centers worldwide to help meet data locality requirements.

Users can often unwittingly (or purposely) delete important emails, or OneDrive or SharePoint files. If this happens, SolarWinds Backup offers the ability to search for, and recover what is needed. If employees leave and the company does not want to continue paying a subscription fee to store their email and shared documents, then the SolarWinds Backup for Office 365 offers an additional way to retain and access this data. If the enterprise must comply under regulations with data-retention requirements, SolarWinds Backup is designed to help retain and archive critical data.

With SolarWinds Backup for Office 365, users can manage Office 365 Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint backups from a single web-based dashboard. They can also view and manage backup status across customers, and several devices and data types. SolarWinds Backup also helps strike the right balance between automation and control. Users can manually select which accounts and mailboxes they want to protect, or automatically add newly created Office 365 accounts to the backup schedule.

“Backup for Office 365 has assisted us in making our clients feel more secure and comfortable with cloud solutions because they’ve regained control over their data backups,” said Kelvin Tegelaar​, CTO, Lime Networks. “This solution is easy to manage, is super-efficient, and gives our customers an extra layer of protection and continuity.”

“If you’re relying on storage to do the job of backup, you’re putting your data at risk. Anything from an overzealous email cleanup to a deliberate ransomware attack can leave you scrambling if your data isn’t safely backed up. Microsoft is focused on the availability of active email and data, but potential gaps exist around the recoverability of accidentally deleted or overwritten data that are only solved by an effective backup product,” said Mav Turner, group vice president of products, SolarWinds MSP. “Backup for Office 365 is designed for peace of mind; you retain control over the retention and recoverability of your customers’ data in Office 365 and can be ready to help them in their time of need. Your backups will run seamlessly in the background, and the only difference you’ll notice will be increased trust that your data is safe, no matter what.”

SolarWinds Orion Suite v4.0 experiences Common Criteria Evaluation that includes Server Configuration Monitor, Log Analyzer

SolarWinds announced that the SolarWinds Orion Suite for Federal Government v4.0 is undergoing evaluation for Common Criteria to Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 2+ under the Netherlands Scheme for Certification in the Area of IT Security (NSCIB). 

The Common Criteria is an international set of guidelines and specifications designed to ensure information security products meet agreed-upon security standards for government deployments in 30 nations. Conformance is verified through laboratory evaluation and scheme certification.

SolarWinds SCM is designed to detect, track, and compare system and application changes. SolarWinds Log Analyzer allows IT professionals to collect, consolidate and manage logs. Both products are built on the SolarWinds Orion Platform, which provides a unified view and full visibility into the performance and availability of an IT environment.

“SolarWinds continues to invest in both the security of its IT products and new product development to better meet the needs of IT professionals in the public sector,” said Sandy Orlando, senior vice president of product, SolarWinds. “This year, two new products that are part of the Orion Suite, Server Configuration Monitor (SCM) and Log Analyzer, are undergoing Common Criteria evaluation for the first time.”

Unisys debuts CloudForte for ServiceNow to help clients modernize, operate and manage critical mission and business functions

Unisys announced availability of Unisys CloudForte for ServiceNow, its comprehensive solution to automate and accelerate secure digital transformation and cloud operations utilizing ServiceNow enterprise platform services. 

CloudForte for ServiceNow enables clients to accelerate the deployment of IT and business service workflows and applications securely and cost-effectively. It transforms business operations to help clients conduct business more efficiently and deliver consistently positive service experiences to their constituents and customers.

CloudForte includes a subscription-based platform and expert professional services that leverage the full potential of hybrid cloud environments. With CloudForte for ServiceNow, businesses and government agencies can deliver IT services faster, with greater multi-cloud utility, improved end user service and security, and lower costs.

Unisys has the expertise and credentials to integrate cloud and cloud management to keep the cloud (and entire enterprise) secure, fully optimized, and up to date. It also aims to make the complex simple, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with clients to make certain every CloudForte engagement directly benefits their business.

For example, the solution recently helped a Unisys client modernize multiple global service management deployments into an integrated solution based on the ServiceNow platform in a secured public cloud. The client is now leveraging the latest ServiceNow technologies for improved efficiency, security, productivity, visibility and business intelligence.

In addition to faster access to IT and customer services, CloudForte for ServiceNow delivers modern IT service management practices with cognitive artificial intelligence, intelligent knowledge management, complete transparency and comprehensive automation. It transforms the user experience and lowers service costs. 

CloudForte also provides templates and pre-configured solutions for automating digital services that extend beyond IT management. By leveraging the integration, reporting and workflows capabilities of ServiceNow, CloudForte delivers solutions to transform business services.

CloudForte for ServiceNow provides integrated DevOps tools with ServiceNow components, a low-code/no-code development feature for rapid application development and continuous delivery of high-quality software. It also accelerates migration, implementation, compliance and security accreditation for hosting ServiceNow in high-security cloud platforms for clients like those in the U.S. Department of Defense, the State of Georgia Technology Authority and other critical functions in government and the private sector.

ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus adds point-in-time restoration capabilities for SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business

ManageEngine, the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, announced that RecoveryManager Plus, its Active Directory and Exchange backup and restoration solution, can now backup and restore contents in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. 

Available immediately, the latest version of RecoveryManager Plus lets administrators store SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business backups locally and perform point-in-time restoration for any site.

ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus is a comprehensive backup and recovery solution that empowers administrators to back up and restore their Active Directory, on-premises Exchange, and Office 365 environments. With its ability to perform incremental backups, define flexible retention policies for its backups, and multiple modes of restoration, RecoveryManager Plus performs as a holistic solution to back up data that is critical for enterprises to function. 

Despite the effectiveness of SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, these two Microsoft services fall short for enterprises that want to be able to restore sensitive data and content for long periods of time. Currently, Microsoft's Recycle Bin offers a recovery window of just 93 days, plus an additional 14 days with Microsoft's intervention. Organizations that require a longer recovery window need a better disaster recovery solution.

The latest version of RecoveryManager Plus delivers backup and restore all SharePoint Online site collections, sites, lists and document libraries; backup and restore all OneDrive for Business files and folders; backup metadata such as last modified time and share permissions; restore entire SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business sites to any backed up version; and granularly restore individual SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business documents or lists to any of their previous versions.

The RecoveryManager Plus features complement its existing capabilities to back up and restore Active Directory, on-premises Exchange and Office 365 (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business). Moving forward, ManageEngine plans to extend RecoveryManager Plus’ backup and restoration features to cover Google’s cloud-based collaboration service, G Suite.

"The ever-increasing threat to data posed by ransomware, Trojans and even unintended actions like accidental deletion of contents in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business can impact business continuity and seriously reduce the trust customers place in an organization," said Subramanyan Balakrishnan, product manager at ManageEngine. "RecoveryManager Plus provides enterprises a way to keep the trust of their customers by enabling them to restore any file to a backed up state, no matter how long ago it was deleted."

RecoveryManager Plus is available online. Pricing for SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business backup and restoration is based on the number of sites backed up using the product, starting at $145 a year for 5 SharePoint Online sites and $95 a year for 25 OneDrive for Business sites. A fully functional, 30-day trial version is also available.