Microsoft 365 is one of the most popular email providers the world over. So much so that over one million organizations worldwide use it for their business email communications.
Any business relying on email for communication should consider implementing a strong email archiving solution alongside in order to comply with data protection regulations, as well as to improve their email management and retainment. Having an email archiving solution that helps you fulfil both of these objectives is a legal and practical necessity for many organizations the world over.
If you have Microsoft 365 as your email service provider, then just having any old email archiving solution won’t do. They have to be especially compatible with your current email server, otherwise this can cause configuration and deployment issues further down the line–and end up being extremely costly, especially if you have to switch archiving providers.
So, getting it right the first time is pretty important. The only issue is, with such an oversaturated market it can be hard to figure out which one is best for your business. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a selection of some of the best email archiving solutions that are not only robust and intuitive, but offer seamless integrations with Microsoft email servers.
TitanHQ is a global market leader in a range of powerful cybersecurity tools that are frequently recognized by leading cybersecurity review platforms. Their contribution to the email archiving market is ArcTitan, a complete email archiving solution that is cloud-native and compatible with Microsoft 365. As ArcTitan is an entirely cloud-based solution with no on-prem option, it operates on a pay-as-you-go model, with companies paying on a rolling subscription per user, with no upper limit to the number of users you can add. Companies can pay per live user, to avoid any additional costs from staff turnovers. The solution complies with strict compliance guidelines, making it compatible with GDPR, eDiscovery, Sarbanes–Oxley, and HIPAA–amongst others–for e-discovery, audit, and retention.
Deployment is completed within minutes, with no manual installation required. All archived emails are compressed, coped, and encrypted before being stored on a separate server, reducing workloads for your current email server. A particularly attractive feature is the solution’s mobile access, allowing remote or traveling users easy access to the archive, wherever they may be in the world. The eDiscovery platform is simple and user-friendly. All legacy PST files are assimilated into a single, secure archive that is easy to search and retrieve from. Mail server integration is made to be as streamlined as possible to reduce headaches, with robust data capture and import capabilities that help to manage and transport legacy email data, with the intention of reducing how much data needs to actually be migrated.
Additional features that are particularly notable are single sign-on, exchange import, PST imports, saved search capabilities, single instance storage, and email compression. We would recommend ArcTitan for SMBs and MSPs, thanks to its multi-tenant architecture, as well as any organizations in the educational sector.
Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive is a cloud-based email solution that combines archiving, email security and continuity. The archive part provides real-time archiving, which strongly supports Microsoft-based email servers Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016 and Microsoft 365. It accurately and automatically copies all internal, outbound, and inbound email data and saves all content, including the original email and all sending data. The platform also allows importing from legacy archives and Exchange. It reduces storage constraints for email servers whilst also meeting strict legal requirements and regulations. Company users can easily access the archive with configured permissions and access policies, reducing the number of requests to admins and help desks, with users able to find any emails that may have been accidentally deleted. Users find they can easily and quickly perform extensive and specific searches on archived email data.
Storage capabilities are particularly strong, with Proofpoint’s solution being able to provide unlimited storage for your data, also supporting retention policies and legal retainment of up to ten years. Searches are powerful and quick, being able to search and return data stored in any attachments. The user interface is very user-friendly and easy to use. Reporting for the platform is also strong, with admins able to generate a wide range of reports into archive use. Users can also choose to add an analytics module onto their subscription.
Overall, Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive is quick to install due to it being cloud native. Configuration is easily streamlined and quick to achieve, and Proofpoint regularly updates the platform, providing patch management and new features for companies. We would recommend Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive as a strong archiving solution for SMBs.
Akazio is a cloud-native email archiving platform that captures, copies, and saves all email communication, be it inbound, outbound, and internal. All data–emails and files–is saved in a tamper-proof storage container in a highly secure cloud platform, with all data encrypted whether it is in transit or at rest. Akazio stores all data in your company or outpost’s local region, meaning that there are fewer requirements to meet in terms of data residency regulations. Deployment, management, and configuration are quick and easy to perform. Uploading historic data to the archive is also streamlined.
Akazio Cloud Archive saves all data in the original format, with any meta data also saved, making it easy for eDiscovery through the use of powerful and specific searches that can be highly defined and refined–dates can also be specified by relative and absolute dates. Flexible query syntaxes can allow for fuzzy matching, phrase matching, and more. Data access protocols are robust and strongly enforced, with protocols like single sign-on, IP safelisting, and tamper-proof WORM storage all available. Discovery features are also strong, with admins able to create a legal case management workflow to spot and flag any communication that needs to be investigated and assigned for review.
Beyond storing all Microsoft 365 email data, the solution can also collect data and retain it from other Microsoft apps including Slack and Teams. The solution also offers transcription services, with the ability to transcribe and save phone calls, video meetings, and media files. All of this can be searched for using metadata.
We would recommend Akazio for SMBs and enterprises, though enterprises will need to purchase add-ons to make the platform more enterprise-friendly. We would also recommend it for the financial sector due to its transcription services feature.
Barracuda is a leading figure in the market for their powerful email security tools, and their email archiving solution is no different. Marketed as their Cloud Archiving Service, Barracuda offers a cloud-native archiving platform that saves unmodified copies of all email communication to ensure compliance whilst reducing storage requirements in the email server—supported by unlimited storage per user. Emails are saved at the exact time they are sent or received. Compliance is ensured through tamper-proof archiving and extensive granular retention and access policies.
The archive itself is heavily indexed for streamlined and extensive search capabilities. The platform possesses multi-level search and tagging capabilities to enable complex audit and discovery requirements. Particularly important data can be flagged for a longer retention period before being exported for analysis or disclosure. The interface is clean and intuitive to navigate, making it easy for users to traverse the archive. Searching and retrieving emails is quick to perform, with high levels of accuracy when returning data. Users can also easily access the archive from any location and any device via a standalone desktop client and a clean web interface–an important facet for organizations with a large number of remote or nomadic workers.
The Cloud Archiving Service offers seamless support for Microsoft 365. The platform contains a multi-function Microsoft Outlook Add-In which allows a streamlined and easy experience for users using both their mailboxes and the archive. The add-in also retains a local cache of important or relevant archived messages, so there is still ongoing access provided even when users are offline.
We would recommend Barracuda for MSPs, email hosting providers, and enterprises—particularly those with a large number of remote or hybrid workers that may need to access the archive on-the-go.
Cryosever is a London-based cybersecurity company that specializes in email archiving. The company offers both on-prem and cloud archiving solutions. It is specifically their cloud version of the product that ensures strong integration with Microsoft 365. Cryoserver Cloud Email Archiving stores an exact copy of all email data that has been sent and received, acting independently of your email server. All emails are saved, backed up and made accessible in Cryosever’s email archives, mitigating data loss through malicious or accidental deletion. It also provides easy migration from Microsoft’s email archive to their own. It heavily reduces storage on email servers by what Cryoserver estimates as between 30 and 40%. Archived data can be transported through different storage tiers, so companies can reduce ownership costs for retaining emails over long periods.
The platform boasts an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface, making search and retrieval quick and simple. Deployment and delivery are customizable, letting admins select the most appropriate for their company. As well as emails, Cryoserver can also archive instant messages from collaborative and communication work applications such as Teams, Slack, and more. This data is saved in a separate repository from email data but can be searched at the same time through a single pane of glass. Users can access the archive when needed from any device and any location. Other features include simple backup and restore capabilities, data loss protection, removal of unreliable PST files, and reduced storage for your current mail server.
Cryosever supports full compliance with a wide range of data protection standards, including FCA, FINRA, SEC, and GDPR. We would recommend Cryoserver’s email archiving tool for any organizations that are required to host their email archiving solution on their own infrastructure due to its high customization and strong DLP capabilities.
Libraesva is a cybersecurity company specializing in enterprise-level email security. Their answer to email archiving is the Libraesva Email Archiver platform, a simple yet powerful archiving solution that captures, saves and indexes all email communication in real-time. It integrates well with any email server, and offers native integration with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Exchange, which is supported with an exclusive Outlook Add-in, streamlining the archiving process and allowing users to be able to access their archive through their Microsoft email server like normal. The platform has a powerful eDiscovery function which can quickly return detailed, complex, and specific searches. Libraesva’s archiving tool is available as an on-prem virtual appliance or as a private cloud service. The on-prem version is available for VMware with full support, and the private cloud service can be offered in multiple regions.
All archived emails received a certified timestamp and are further protected by strong auditing and anti-tampering capabilities. All emails are encrypted in transit and at rest in the archive. Admins can configure over 80 granular and custimozable permissions to protect data. Additionally, access to sensitive data can be controlled through approval permission requests to admin teams.
Libraesva’s platform is a powerful and highly customizable tool. MSPs in particular can benefit from the product’s features of multi-tenant native capabilities and a full API that enables total integration with any environment. We would recommend Libraesva for large organizations and MSPs.
From Germany is cloud security specialist Hornetsecurity. Their contribution to the email archiving sphere is their Hornetsecurity Cloud Email Archiving product, a completely automated and audit-proof email archiving platform that helps your organization retain important data and remain compliant with data protection regulations. All incoming, outgoing, and internal mail is saved automatically in its original format in an encrypted database, which resides in a certified and secure data center. Anything saved to the data center cannot be altered or deleted prior to the retention period expiry date. Retention periods are particularly robust, with inbound and outbound emails able to be retained for up to 30 years.
Hornetsecurity’s Cloud Email Archiving solution is highly integrable with existing email servers, including Microsoft 365. The platform has a user-friendly interface for both admins and users. Access to the archive can be performed from any device and any location, ensuring admins and users alike can access the database while on the go. Hornet Security also provides a 24/7 email and telephone support service should any issues arise. Audits are easily performed with auditors granted access to the archive through a specific audit login, granting access for a limited period.
The lifecycle management feature of this product automatically removes all email records when the retention period expires, removing another manual task for admins to do. Other features include different storage periods, ability to archive internal mail, granular search capabilities, exclusionary policies for archiving, service level agreements, and the availability of the product as a managed service.
A powerful solution with strict compliance regulations, audit and tamper-proof features, and robust retention policies make Hornetsecurity’s platform suitable for large organizations and MSPs.
From Waterford Technologies is the powerful eDiscovery and email retention solution, MailMeter. MailMeter comes as both an on-prem and cloud service and is highly compatible with Microsoft 365. It reduces costs for Microsoft 365 users as it works with all licenses, rather than specific licenses such as E3 and E5, which are often expensive. It also reduces data loss and complex issues when archiving with Microsoft 365, as Microsoft has restrictive retention policies. As well as helping reduce storage costs, the platform ensures full compliance with several data protection standards, including GDPR. To achieve this, MailMeter catches and indexes all inbound, outbound, and internal emails in real-time. The solution also receives round-the-clock, real-time monitoring from Waterford Technologies to ensure your data stays secure while in the cloud. Individual, specific messages can be saved from being deleted. Single users, groups of users, and specific messages can have holds put on them, with specific messages being held through tagging.
MailMeter works diligently in the background, with easy implementation, management and configuration. Emails are captured, encrypted, compressed, and stamped in real-time before archiving, making sure that all email data is tamper-proof and providing secure and accurate information for auditing. eDiscovery is made straight forward through an intuitive, clean interface with extensive search capabilities, making retrieval as easy as possible for admins and users alike, reducing calls to help desks for email retrieval. The archive can also be accessed from anywhere, supporting archive searches for those who are working remotely. Data management tasks can be automated, meaning that redundant mailboxes, retention policies, and email storage management can be monitored and dealt with automatically.
We would recommend Waterford’s MailMeter for SMBs and larger organizations due to its flexibility and scalability.
From Microsoft is the Exchange Online Archiving tool. It is a cloud-based email archiving solution that works with on-prem Exchange and Hosted Exchange (Microsoft 365). The solution can also be offered as an add-on service for companies that have their mailboxes hosted online. The solution prides itself on its reliability and the robustness of the search engine. All emails are captured and archived at the time of sending and receiving, for all outbound, inbound, and internal mail. Email data is kept safe and encrypted in globally distributed data centers with strong backup and disaster recovery capabilities, ensuring that, while the data might be out of sight, it’s not out of mind.
Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving, being cloud-native, is easy to deploy, maintain, and configure. It also boasts an easy-to-use eDiscovery search tool with a clean and simple user interface. Users can navigate the archive easily, being able to access their own archived email via the Outlook app and Outlook web page directly. Storage space is particularly robust, with each user given 50GB for their archive mailbox, leaving users with plenty of space. Automatic storage addition is available with certain plans if it’s expected your users will exceed this amount. Users can organize their information if granted permission by admins to delete emails at their discretion. User information can also be retained for future discovery and use with the In-Place Hold feature. The platform also boasts highly customizable policy management and has a strong, 24/7-available customer support team.
Being Microsoft-native, Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving is easy to use and implement for Microsoft 365 users. It’s easy to add it on to existing 365 subscriptions, making it cost-effective for companies that don’t want to deploy another third-party solution. As such, we would recommend Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving for SMBs with less complex archiving requirements, that don’t have as many strict compliance regulations to meet.
Mimecast is a London-based cybersecurity company renowned for their cloud-based email management and security solutions. Mimecast’s Cloud Archive for Email is a cloud-native archiving solution that provides users with an “endless” mailbox to help manage their email data and reduce workloads on existing email servers. The platform enhances and supports Microsoft 365, providing enterprise-grade data retention and archive that Microsoft 365 can’t always deliver. It offers a single, highly integrated platform that unifies all email data in one tightly secure cloud archive for Microsoft 365 emails. It pulls emails from several collection points, retaining the original email, saving meta-data, and creating a copy of the email if the original was changed in any way.
Mimecast’s solution boasts an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for users navigating the archive, as well as the platform returning quick results. Searches can be highly customized and specific. eDiscovery capabilities are further supported by the fact users do not have the ability to delete emails–which also protects email data retention. Users can also access their archives from any device and location, ensuring archive access for those working remote or on the move. Compliance and legal teams, as well as auditors, can search through the archive independently, reducing the amount of time spent on the part of your admin team. Admins are also granted a clean and intuitive dashboard in order to set retention policies, perform eDiscovery, and manage users, inboxes and hold requests.
Thanks to its granular eDiscovery capabilities and data loss prevention features, we would recommend Mimecast Cloud Archive for both SMBs and enterprises, and particularly those in the legal and financial sector.
FAQs
What Email Archiving?
Email archiving is an effective way of cataloguing and managing the emails that are in your account. These solutions are capable of storing and indexing emails (and related attachments) for a set period of time – as compliance rules dictate.
In many cases, email archiving is used for regulatory and customer service needs. You can easily find all previous interactions with a customer to ensure you can understand their concerns.
Email archiving solutions are also useful for disaster recovery, litigation purposes, and managing your records.
What Should You Look For In An Email Archiving Solution?
- If you are operating in a regulated sector, you want to ensure that your archiving solution is compliant. In many cases you will need to be able to prove this compliance through comprehensive auditing and reports. Many archiving solutions will have features to make this as easy as possible.
- Your solution should offer you a good deal of customizability to ensure that your solution works for you.
- It is also important that your solution has a comprehensive and effective eDiscovery tool. Otherwise, you will spend just as much time searching for the information you need.
- You need to ensure that your archiving solution protects your data effectively. Data should be encrypted with a robust protocol. This may be detailed by regulatory frameworks.
