Independent Backup & Recovery

Microsoft 365 backup outside of Microsoft, stored in the Netherlands

Microsoft 365 contains business-critical email, files, and collaboration data. Mica IT maintains a separate backup of this data outside of Microsoft 365. The backup data is stored in data centers in the Netherlands.

We monitor the process and handle the recovery when data is deleted, modified, encrypted, or otherwise becomes unavailable.

  • Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, and supported Teams data
  • A separate backup outside of Microsoft 365
  • Monitoring, Support, and Recovery by Mica IT
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Microsoft 365 backups from Mica IT

Why a Separate Microsoft 365 Backup Is Important

Microsoft 365 includes built-in features for availability, version control, retention, and recovery. These capabilities are valuable, but they are limited to the Microsoft environment.

A separate backup outside of Microsoft 365 adds an additional recovery path. This allows you to explicitly define which data is protected, how long recovery points remain available, and how your organization will proceed when data needs to be restored.

Deletion and Transfer

A file, folder, or email can easily be accidentally deleted or modified. Supported data can be restored from a suitable restore point.

Account Abuse and Ransomware

In the event of account misuse, mass changes, or ransomware, a restore point from before the incident can be used. Recovery takes place after the cause has been investigated and sufficiently contained.

Data from former employees

Mailbox and OneDrive data may remain available after an employee leaves the company, provided that it has been backed up prior to deletion and is still within the agreed retention period.

Separate recovery path

The production environment and the separate recovery copy are not located on the same cloud platform. This means you are not solely dependent on the original Microsoft 365 environment for recovery.

Custom Retention Periods

The retention period is determined based on recovery needs, business interests, legal obligations, and the company’s own data deletion policy.

Demonstrable recovery process

We document what is being protected, where the backup data is stored, who is authorized to request a restore, and how monitoring, escalation, and recovery are handled.

Are you sure your Microsoft 365 data can be recovered?

We’ll review what data is being backed up, where the backup is stored, and how recovery is handled. You’ll gain immediate insight into any risks and receive practical advice on the next steps.

Schedule a backup check

What Microsoft 365 data do we protect?

Microsoft 365 consists of various services, each of which stores data in its own way. That is why we define, for each workload, which data is protected and which recovery options are available.

Exchange Online

    • User Mailboxes and Shared Mailboxes
    • Email, folders, and attachments
    • Agenda items and contact persons
    • Archive mailboxes included in the scope
    • Restore at the item, folder, or mailbox level

OneDrive and SharePoint

    • Files and Folders
    • OneDrive accounts
    • SharePoint sites and document libraries
    • Supported authorizations and structure
    • Restore to the original location or an alternative location

Microsoft Teams

  • Teams channels and supported channel messages
  • Files stored via SharePoint and OneDrive
  • Teams and channels that fall within the agreed-upon scope
  • Restore backed-up data from a selected restore point

Outside of Microsoft 365. Stored in the Netherlands. Managed by Mica IT.

Microsoft 365 remains the production environment for email, files, and collaboration. The separate backup copy is stored in data centers in the Netherlands.

As a result, the source data and the backup are not located on the same cloud platform.

  • An additional recovery path outside the Microsoft 365 environment
  • A clearly designated storage location in the Netherlands
  • Retention periods agreed upon independently of the source
  • A single point of contact for monitoring and recovery
  • Support from engineers who are familiar with your environment

From Backup Policy to Verifiable Recovery

A successful backup job is not the ultimate goal. The goal is to ensure that the correct data can be restored at the right time and that it is clear in advance who is responsible for doing so.

Step 1. Assessment and Repair Needs

We identify users, mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, SharePoint sites, Teams environments, and data belonging to former employees.

Step 2. Setup and Validation

We configure the agreed-upon workloads, users, sites, backup schedules, and retention periods.


Step 3. Monitoring, Changes, and Recovery

Mica IT monitors backup tasks and follows up on errors or discrepancies in accordance with the agreed-upon procedures.

What Customers Say About Mica IT's Reliability and Support

When it comes to backup, what ultimately matters is what happens when data needs to be restored. Our customers appreciate Mica IT’s direct communication, responsiveness, and technical expertise.

Why Organizations Entrust Their Microsoft 365 Backups to Mica IT

You’re not just purchasing storage capacity or a backup license. You’re getting a managed backup and recovery service with clear agreements, active monitoring, and a single point of contact.

Backup Outside of Microsoft 365

The individual recovery copy is stored outside the Microsoft 365 platform. 

Data Storage in the Netherlands

The Microsoft 365 backup data is stored in data centers in the Netherlands.

Managed Monitoring

Mica IT monitors implementation and tracks errors, deviations, and agreed-upon changes.

Retention and Governance

We document what data is stored, how long it remains available, who has access to it, and when it must be deleted.

Repair by Mica Engineers

Our engineers provide support for searching for, selecting, and restoring supported emails, files, folders, mailboxes, sites, and Teams data.

Available individually or as a bundle

The backup service can be purchased on its own, in addition to an in-house IT department or other management partner. The service can also be combined with Microsoft 365 management, system administration, or Mica IT’s Modern Workplace.

Create your recovery plan before you need it

Mica IT provides a separate Microsoft 365 backup in the Netherlands and establishes clear agreements regarding monitoring, retention periods, and recovery. This way, you know in advance what will happen if important data is lost.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft 365 Backup and Recovery

Microsoft 365 offers comprehensive availability and recovery features. These include redundancy, recycle bins, version history, retention policies, and the separate Microsoft 365 Backup service.

The question, therefore, is not whether Microsoft is doing anything at all. The relevant question is whether your organization wants to rely exclusively on recovery options within the same Microsoft environment.

Mica IT adds a separate backup outside of Microsoft 365. This backup is stored in Dutch data centers and managed by Mica IT. This allows you to create an additional recovery path alongside the capabilities provided by Microsoft.

Retention determines how long data must be retained or when it must be deleted. Retention policies are typically managed within Microsoft 365.

Archiving is intended to ensure that information remains available in an organized manner over the long term, for example, for historical, legal, or organizational purposes.

The primary purpose of a backup is to be able to restore data after it has been deleted, damaged, or altered unintentionally, or following an incident.

Retention, archiving, and backup can complement each other, but they do not automatically replace one another.

The services are scheduled for the following agreed-upon dates:

  • Exchange Online;
  • OneDrive for Business;
  • SharePoint Online;
  • Microsoft Teams.

For each customer, we document which users, mailboxes, sites, Teams, and data are included. We also specify which components are supported, which recovery options are available, and which Microsoft 365 applications or objects are not covered by the service.

Microsoft Teams stores data in various locations. Files from Teams are typically stored in SharePoint or OneDrive. In addition, supported Teams channels and channel messages can be included in the backup scope.

We do not automatically assume that every Teams object is protected in the same way. The proposal therefore specifies exactly which Teams data is included and how it can be restored.

The backup data is stored outside of Microsoft 365 in Equinix data centers in the Netherlands.

Mica IT provides and manages the backup service. We set up the agreed-upon protection and retention periods, monitor implementation, and provide support for recovery requests.

In the contractual and security documentation, we specify, among other things:

  • where the data is stored;
  • What data is protected;
  • which technical parties are involved in providing the service;
  • who has access;
  • how recovery requests are authorized;
  • how retention periods and disposal are handled.

Relevant data center certifications are available upon request.

Backups are performed automatically at scheduled times. Depending on the Microsoft 365 workload, multiple backup times per day are possible.

We determine the exact frequency on a per-workload basis. In doing so, we consider the maximum amount of recent work that can be lost and how critical the data in question is to your organization.

The retention period is determined based on:

  • the need for repair;
  • the company's interests;
  • statutory retention requirements;
  • contractual agreements;
  • internal governance;
  • the sensitivity of the data;
  • the data deletion policy.

Long-term retention can be useful, but indefinite retention is not necessarily required or desirable. That is why we establish a deliberate and well-founded retention period.

That depends on what needs to be restored.

A single email or a small file can usually be restored more quickly than an entire mailbox, SharePoint site, or large dataset. The size of the data, the target environment, and the nature of the incident also play a role.

Let's establish the following in advance:

  • who is eligible to request reinstatement;
  • what priority a request is given;
  • when Mica IT begins the repair;
  • What is the realistic recovery time being targeted?.

For this reason, we do not make a general promise that every repair will be completed within a set number of minutes.

A backup does not prevent ransomware. To prevent ransomware, you still need, among other things, strong account security, multi-factor authentication, access policies, endpoint security, monitoring, and user awareness.

A separate backup can, however, help restore data from a restore point prior to the attack.

For repairs, we first examine:

  • when the incident is believed to have begun;
  • Which accounts and data were affected;
  • whether the attacker's access has been terminated;
  • which restore point is usable;
  • whether the target environment is secure enough to restore data to it.

Backup and incident response must therefore be coordinated.

Yes, provided that the data was backed up before the account was deleted and is still within the agreed retention period.

Let's agree on this beforehand:

  • which mailbox and OneDrive data should be retained;
  • who is authorized to request access to this data;
  • how long the data is retained;
  • when the data is permanently deleted.

Retaining data on former employees indefinitely without a clear purpose is not necessarily desirable.

No. Storing data in the Netherlands provides clarity regarding the location of backup data and can help address requirements related to data residency, supplier management, and risk diversification.

However, the storage location alone does not automatically make an organization compliant. To achieve compliance, the following are also required, among other things:

  • appropriate access control;
  • data processor agreements;
  • justified retention periods;
  • a removal process;
  • monitoring;
  • incident procedures;
  • clear responsibilities;
  • a practical recovery plan that has been tested where necessary.

Mica IT provides support for the technical implementation and demonstration of these components. The organization remains responsible for its overall compliance.

Yes. The Microsoft 365 backup can be purchased as a standalone service in addition to your internal IT department or current management partner.

We will then clearly state:

  • who refers new users and sites;
  • who manages changes in Microsoft 365;
  • who follows up on reports;
  • who is eligible to request reinstatement;
  • what access Mica IT needs;
  • where each party's responsibilities begin and end.

This service can always be combined later with Microsoft 365 management, system administration, or Mica IT's Modern Workplace.

Microsoft 365 data and infrastructure data are different workloads.

Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams are covered by this Microsoft 365 backup service. For Windows servers, Azure Virtual Machines, SQL databases, application data, and other files, for example, a separate backup and disaster recovery solution is required.

Mica IT can also assess this environment and prepare a separate proposal based on the desired backup frequency, retention period, and recovery time.

The costs depend, among other things, on:

  • the number of users;
  • the workloads to be protected;
  • the amount of data;
  • the backup frequency;
  • the desired retention period;
  • monitoring and reporting;
  • the recovery and support agreements.

A proposal may include one-time costs for assessment and setup, as well as a monthly fee for the backup service, monitoring, and agreed-upon support.

You will receive a clear overview in advance that lists what is included as standard and which services will be billed separately.