Freight-Forwarding Firm JAS Worldwide Improves Backup Strategy with Quick, Delegated Restores and Unlimited Storage and Retention
Success Highlights
Customer Location Atlanta, Georgia
Industry Transportation & Logistics
Platform Microsoft 365
JAS Worldwide is a privately owned international freight forwarder and logistics provider, handling the complex process of moving large-scale and complex cargo from point to point globally. Through the use of advanced tracking technologies, sophisticated global communications, and a large team of experts across a broad spectrum of specialties, JAS is able to cost-effectively handle the shipping of everything from tiny camera parts up to the massive components required to build an oil rig. With 7,000 employees in 65 countries, JAS has built a global network of quality offices that deliver a consistent level of high service and performance to its customers.
Critical Needs
- Data protection and backup in M365
- Fast recovery and easy restores
- Easy-to-use solution for IT and staff
- Safeguard against ransomware attacks
The Challenge
While JAS Worldwide, a rapidly growing, global free-forwarding firm, manages much of their day-to-day work in a global logistics execution SaaS application, they use Microsoft 365 to improve their team’s productivity. Currently, they have “terabytes upon terabytes” of data – according to Augustine Asare, JAS’s IT Security Manager – in their M365.
Like any other 21st-century company, email is incredibly important, and the primary point of communication for partners, customers, and clients. They needed to ensure this email data – as well as the rest of their M365 environment – was protected and accessible.
Unfortunately, Microsoft’s native capabilities were not meeting the logistics provider’s needs. “Beyond 30 days, the backup and recovery ability Microsoft provides is painful to use,” Augustine explains. “Even if you use a litigation hold across the board, which we do, restoring is still not a simple process.”
This, paired with the rise in ransomware attacks – “it’s not a matter of if, but when,” says Augustine – had the company looking for a new strategy to protect their data. “Like any insurance, you are hoping you don’t need to use it, but in the event that you do, you need to make sure you’re protected.” Augustine began to explore his third-party backup and recovery options.
We’re a growing company, but we still haven’t hired to the point that I can do it all – I need to delegate. The ease of use and delegated administration means I can assign permissions to our help desk team and they can perform restores when they need to. As admin, I can audit the record of who did what and why and step in if I see any improper requests.
IT Security Manager, JAS Worldwide
The AvePoint Solution
JAS had several requirements for a backup tool: they wanted a solution that offered encryption at rest, was reasonably priced, and, most importantly, was easy to use; Augustine knew he wouldn’t be the only person using the solution, so wanted to find something user-friendly that others could take to easily.
They narrowed their search to three vendors. They decided to go with AvePoint Cloud Backup, a comprehensive cross-platform, multi-cloud backup and restore solution. Cloud Backup features built-in storage, encryption, flexible pricing plans, and more for M365, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Azure, and Dynamics 365.
Two key features helped Cloud Backup stand out from the others: first, the ease of use. Augustine explains: “We’re a growing company, but we still haven’t hired to the point that I can do it all – I need to delegate. The ease of use and delegated administration means I can assign permissions to our help desk team and they can perform restores when they need to. As admin, I can audit the record of who did what and why and step in if I see any improper requests.”
The second critical feature: the unlimited storage and retention. While legally JAS does not need to retain information more than 90 days, it would impact productivity if staff could not restore something they needed; this feature ensures JAS’s team always has the information they need.
Together with Cloud Backup’s other capabilities – such as ransomware detection and out-of-place restores – these features made AvePoint’s offering hard to match.
AvePoint’s service team helped ensure a successful launch through the Deployment Service. “They brought on a technical person to set up the solution,” Augustine explains. “I had the opportunity to work with him for five days and learned a lot. The team made the journey incredibly easy for me.” After launch, Augustine could lean on AvePoint’s 24/7 support team to help ensure continued success.
While they haven’t had many opportunities to use it since implementation, Augustine considers this a good thing. He says, “I hope we never get in a situation where we need to use it a lot. However, we have armed ourselves with the tool we need to speed up productivity, should it come to that.”
The Road Ahead
JAS has been satisfied with Cloud Backup. By having a reliable and unlimited capability for backup in Microsoft 365, JAS has insurance against worst-case scenarios. Augustine also has more time. As a quickly growing organization with limited resources, any one task Augustine can remove from his plate allows him to focus on other things, giving him time back in his day.
For others unsure if they need a backup solution like Cloud Backup, Augustine shares this comparison: “When you buy Microsoft 365, it’s like buying a new house. You think it’s new and you don’t need home insurance, but then a great storm hits your area and your roof rips off. Then, you’ll realize you should have had it. You don’t want to get in a situation where your mind is ‘I should have’ – just get a good backup. That’s just how enterprises function.”
