SoftwareOne case study

Secure Data & Simplified IT An effective M365 backup solution for the City of Geneva

Without a solid backup strategy, organizations migrating to Microsoft 365 face considerable risks of data loss and vulnerability to ransomware attacks. A lack of backup increases uncertainty and makes it difficult to comply with legal requirements and quickly restore sensitive data.

However, the City of Geneva overcame these challenges with SoftwareOne's Backup Essentials managed service solution. The SaaS solution integrates seamlessly into the M365 environment, reduces IT overheads, and enables easy scaling. It also provides comprehensive protection, improved compliance, and accelerated recovery processes.

The result was an automated backup strategy, minimized operational risks, and relief for the IT team by establishing a future-proof basis for further growth.

Data backup
Backups protect all Microsoft 365 data from loss or attack
Compliance requirements
Solution ensures secure data and simple rules.
Reduced IT effort
Managed services approach minimizes IT backup workload.

Client: City of Geneva
Industry: Public sector
Services: Backup Essentials powered by Commvault
Country: Switzerland

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Underestimating the danger without a data backup

After the City of Geneva migrated to Microsoft 365, it quickly became apparent that sensitive data was exposed to considerable risks without a solid backup strategy. What happens if important files are accidentally deleted, or a ransomware attack paralyzes IT systems? How can Geneva ensure it complies with legal data retention and recovery requirements?

No backup solution posed a risk to business operations. After any system interruption, rapid recovery of the whole mailbox was particularly critical. However, it would be time-consuming and resource-intensive without a data backup in place.

Minimize risks with Backup Essentials

To overcome data protection challenges, the City of Geneva initiated Backup Essentials with SoftwareOne and its managed services team. This solution offered comprehensive protection and numerous benefits, safeguarding ongoing business operations and reducing the workload of the IT teams.

The Backup Essentials managed service model significantly simplified processes by reducing complexity for IT staff and freeing time to focus on more strategic tasks. The SaaS solution integrated seamlessly into the city's M365 environment, ensuring a smooth rollout with no operational disruption. Backup Essentials thus provides comprehensive protection for M365, covering compliance requirements and ensuring rapid data recovery. In addition, the Backup Essentials' managed service offering eliminated the need for Geneva to manage its backup infrastructure or perform regular updates directly.

With this holistic backup solution, we protect our data, save time and resources, and are prepared to embrace the future, including deployment of all other products in the M365 suite.

Julie Rieger

Head of IT Infrastructure, City of Geneva

Security and efficiency: rethinking data backup

A secure, automated backup strategy now reliably protects all of Geneva’s M365 data and enables rapid recovery in case of a loss or attack. SoftwareOne implemented the solution without increasing the IT workload, allowing the team to focus on strategic projects again.

The solution fulfills all legal compliance requirements and is flexibly scalable to cover future workloads. With Backup Essentials, the city has increased its data resilience, minimized operational risks, and created a future-proof basis for further growth.