When we started developing a Microsoft 365 backup product, we did so in partnership with Veeam. I’m often asked what made us choose Veeam.
The answer is the fundamental difference between Veeam's approach and that of other vendors. Many providers bend over backwards to get you on board, discounting your first year to the hilt to lock you in. However, when the service doesn't work as well as you expected, your needs change, or you reach the end of the year and the price hikes, you'll find that extracting yourself is close to impossible; you’re well and truly locked in. This is great for the vendor, but not so great for you, the customer.
We see this every day when talking to potential customers who want to switch from their current backup provider.
The question is always
How do I get my historic data out?
The answer
You can’t because your chosen vendor does not allow you to.
There are various workarounds, including keeping a minimum number of licences so that your backups are retained, but the fundamental problem is that the vendor has ownership of your data.
Our approach, in partnership with Veeam, is different.
We want you to stick with us because our product is great, and our support is top-notch.
If we fail, for whatever reason, then you always have the option to export your data from Cirrus and retain access to it at no ongoing cost. Veeam, and by extension Cirrus, is the only vendor I am aware of that allows this for Microsoft 365 backups.
Technology evolves, prices drop, and suppliers innovate. We believe you should always be in a position where your data belongs to you, so that you have full flexibility to move if you want or need to.
So next time you’re on a slick demo for a SAAS backup vendor, ask the salesperson two questions:
- Who owns the data?
- How do I get my data out if I need to?