How We Leverage Microsoft 365 Backup with EUM Upgrades

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At Envision IT, we understand that protecting your organization’s data becomes more challenging every day. With threats like ransomware, stricter compliance standards, and the complexities of hybrid work, you need a backup strategy that is both reliable and simple to manage.

That’s why we’ve implemented Microsoft 365 Backup, a cloud-native solution that works seamlessly with our Extranet User Manager (EUM) platform. It provides scalable, secure, and compliant data protection for OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange.


What Is Microsoft 365 Backup?

Microsoft 365 Backup is a new feature integrated directly into the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. It provides fast, detailed recovery options for your most vital collaboration workloads. Whether you're restoring an entire mailbox or just a single document, the process is quick, user-friendly, and secure.

Key features include:

  • Fast backups: Restore points are created within minutes, ensuring minimal data loss. 

  • Granular recovery: You can restore entire mailboxes, SharePoint sites, or individual items.

  • Immutable storage: Backups are protected from tampering, supporting zero-trust principles.

  • Data residency compliance: Backup data respects your tenant’s geographic boundaries, helping meet regulatory requirements. 

This service is particularly valuable for organizations managing external collaboration through platforms like EUM, where data integrity and access control are paramount.


How Is It Priced?

Microsoft 365 Backup uses a pay-as-you-go model:

  • $0.15 USD per GB per month of protected content.
  • Charges include:
    • Active data in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange.
    • Deleted items and version history are retained for recovery. 
  • Restores are free—you only pay for storage.

Microsoft offers a downloadable Excel-based pricing calculator to help estimate monthly and yearly costs. For organizations using EUM to manage large volumes of external users and shared content, this pricing model provides predictable scalability without hidden fees.


Steps to Enable Microsoft 365 Backup

Getting started is easy, but it requires some initial setup. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Link an Azure Subscription

  • Required for billing.
  • You must have Owner or Contributor access.

2. Enable Pay-As-You-Go Billing

  • Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Cente
    • Navigate to: 

       Setup → Billing and Licenses → Activate pay-as-you-go services

    • Select Syntex Services and follow the prompts to link your Azure subscription.

3. Turn On Microsoft 365 Backup

  • In the Admin Center, go to:
    •  Setup → Files and Content → Use content AI with Microsoft Syntex → Manage Microsoft Syntex 
  • Select Backup Preview, toggle Enable and accept the terms.

4. Create Backup Policies

  • Define which OneDrive accounts, SharePoint sites, and Exchange mailboxes to protect. 
  • Assign the Microsoft 365 Backup Administrator role for policy management. 
  • You can create up to 100 policies per product, and each item can only belong to one policy. 

5. Configure Notifications (Optional but Recommended)

  • Set up email alerts for backup events.
  • You can notify up to 20 recipients or distribution lists.


Why Should You Pair Microsoft 365 Backup with EUM?

Envision IT’s Extranet User Manager is designed to make external collaboration easier and more secure. When combined with Microsoft 365 Backup, it creates a strong system for managing and safeguarding shared content.  

Extranet User Manager offers:

  • Delegated user management: Business owners can invite and oversee external users without causing IT delays.
  • Self-registration and profile management: Reduce administrative work and enhance the user experience.
  • Granular permissions: Ensure external users only access the content they are authorized to.
  • Audit trails and MFA enforcement: Enhance security and ensure compliance.  

In real-world situations, such as construction projects involving hundreds of external stakeholders, EUM helps organize documents by version and project. At the same time, Microsoft 365 Backup ensures they can be recovered if they are accidentally deleted or targeted by malicious activity.  

For more on how EUM supports structured external sharing, visit Extranet User Manager. 


What We Need From You

To set up Microsoft 365 Backup on your behalf, Envision IT will need:

  • An active Azure subscription.
  • Admin access or delegated permissions.
  • A list of users/sites/mailboxes to protect.
  • Optional: Notification recipients.

Once these requirements are met, our team can oversee and monitor your backup environment, ensuring your data remains protected and recoverable.


Next Steps 

If you're ready to improve your Microsoft 365 environment with enterprise-grade backup and secure external collaboration, contact us at inquiry@envisionit.com or visit www.envisionit.com. We’ll assist you in assessing your current setup, configuring Microsoft 365 Backup, and integrating it with EUM for a smooth experience. 


References

Overview of Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn

Pricing model for Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn

Set up Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn

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