Quest Software and Metallic are both bolstering their Office 365 backup products to help companies protect critical Office 365 data.

Quest’s latest NetVault (version 13) product gets snapshot support for NetApp arrays and a wide range of other new features. In a separate announcement, Metallic is partnering with global distributor Zones to offer Metallic’s Office 365 backup product to customers.

Quest’s NetVault v13 also gets a new Rest API interface, support for Office 365 Teams and an updated licensing model. The support for NetApp arrays expands snapshot protection from Dell Compellent and Huawei Oceanstore arrays, according to Quest. The company created the new RESTful API to help IT teams integrate, streamline, guide and improve NetVault operations and processes.

In addition, customers can now create synthetic backups from deduplicated full and incremental backups stored on Quest QoreStor. Quest says this feature gives users additional protection against malicious attacks and unintentional human error. The new server-side licensing model aims to reduce license administration and complexity.

Also new are intelligent synthetic full backups, which can reduce backup windows and resource usage. These full backups, which metadata generate, integrate with Quest QoreStor. Full and incremental backups and recovery support are also now available for Office 365 calendars.

The Easy Button

Adrian Moir is the senior product management consultant and lead technology evangelist for Quest. He told Channel Futures that easier NetVault operations accompany the enhanced features.

Quest Software’s Adrian Moir

“A new option to unify QoreStor Storage elements into a single ‘pool’ while intelligently managing the data streams to optimize deduplication simplifies data management and target selection without compromising on deduplicated data space savings,” said Moir. “The additional capabilities to Snapshot NetApp storage logical unit numbers (LUNs) add to the capabilities already found in NetVault.”

The revised Office 365 plug-in adds protection for Teams and Calendars, and is more scalable, said Moir.

“Office 365 data can also be collected by deployments in the cloud or on premises. And leveraging QoreStor, it can be stored anywhere the organization needs without constraints. In a world that has become more reliant on remote working technologies, the simplified recovery options for Teams make life easier for administrators to recover and businesses to continue working,” he added.

For channel partners, the improvements address customers’ expanded needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Moir. The RESTful API allows MSPs and others to integrate, streamline and incorporate NetVault functionality into their operational frameworks. Simplified licensing and the ability to offer the product as a subscription also empower partners and MSPs, he said.

Channel partners and customers have been asking for backup support for Teams, simpler management and greater ability to scale.

“Teams is rapidly becoming an essential business tool,” he said. “NetVault v13 provides a simple way to …

… mitigate against loss of conversations, data, business logic, configurations and interconnections to ensure complete recovery from the aspect of the Azure administrator,” said Moir.

Metallic Signs Partnership Deal with Zones

For Metallic, the partnership with global IT solutions provider Zones expands its reach and sales potential for Office 365 backup. That will broaden its market for Metallic Office 365 Backup & Recovery for Microsoft Office 365 and the Azure cloud.

Metallic’s Office 365 backup is a SaaS-based product which stores data backups for customers’ Office 365 deployments. Office 365 does not include built-in backup capabilities for data generated by users.

Since it is SaaS, customers and partners can quickly set up Metallic Office 365 Backup & Recovery to protect customer data. If an attack compromises the data, Metallic allows quick and granular data restores, according to the company.

Under the deal, Zones offers Metallic’s other products, including Metallic Core Backup & Recovery for VM and more. Also included is Metallic’s Endpoint Backup & Recovery for laptops and desktops.

John Schwan is Metallic’s head of global partner sales and programs. He told Channel Futures that Office 365 backup products have become critical because Office 365 users can’t depend on Microsoft to protect their data.

Metallic’s John Schwan

“Even though it is in the cloud, you still need a backup and recovery solution for it, especially as the volume and value of your Office 365 data expands,” said Schwan. “As the number of companies that recognize they need this type of data protection increases, so do opportunities for the channel to provide solutions that address this need.”

The deal demonstrates that Metallic is strategically expanding and strengthening its partner community, he said.

“We are interested in working with partners who have made investments in delivering SaaS and other cloud solutions like Metallic through their own cloud platforms — as Zones has done with its newly launched Zones Cloud 2.0 cloud commerce platform,” he said. “Not only do these investments make it easier for customers to purchase our solutions, it shows customers that these channel partners understand the cloud, and that cloud-based delivery mechanisms are where the IT market is heading.”

An Analyst’s Take

Charles King is a principal analyst with Pund-IT. He says both the Quest and Metallic announcements show that the market is growing.

“Both are designed to add a layer of backup and recovery functionality to Office 365 backup customers,” said King. “Both note that Microsoft itself suggests that this is a wise course for businesses that require assurance that the files they are creating and saving with Office 365 apps are being properly backed up and can be recovered in case systems fail or a disaster strikes.”

On the other hand, said King, the COVID-19 pandemic could complicate that argument for some customers.

“If four out of five users determine that the Office 365 and Azure auto-save features are good enough, the extra cost of third-party solutions may be a tough sell, especially [when] so many businesses are under substantial financial pressure,” he said.