Dutch MSP Lucrasoft Quickly Transitions Vendors to Deliver AvePoint Cloud Backup, Provide Increased Value for Customers
Success Highlights
Customer Location Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands
Industry Information Technology
Platform Microsoft 365
Lucrasoft is a managed service provider (MSP) fulfilling the information technology needs of Dutch companies. The organization is celebrating 25 years in service. The Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, which employs 55 people, prides itself on delivering IT innovation with a personal touch.
Critical Needs
- Data protection and backup in M365
- Fast recovery and easy restore
- Seamless transition from old backup solution
- Data migration to M365
The Challenge
Lucrasoft knows the value of a backup solution in the modern workplace.
“We already were on the Office 365 train, and a lot of our customers were already on Microsoft Teams,” said Wouter van Baardewijk, general manager at Lucrasoft, which had provided backup capabilities for Microsoft 365 via another third-party service for four years.
When the company’s third-party distributor, Ingram Micro, decided to start using AvePoint as the go-to solution for backups, Lucrasoft was also ready for a change.
“We were searching for a cloud-to-cloud solution; we didn’t want to do anything with software, we don’t want an on-premises solution,” van Baardewijk said, adding that the MSP saw real value in a product with more advanced reporting and better security than the former solution could deliver.
Basic logistics of the move were also important.
“We were really pleased with the way and speed the transition to AvePoint was made,” van Baardewijk said. “The migration went seamlessly, and the solution is easy to use, thus making it simpler to market to new customers.”
Meeting those needs is critical for Lucrasoft to do what it does best: deliver new and effective solutions to the businesses that need them.
“They just want to focus on what they are good at doing and outsource their IT,” van Baardewijk said. “They don't know that Microsoft doesn't have a backup. We do have to enlighten them about that.”
General Manager, Lucrasoft
The AvePoint Solution
As promised by their distributor, the transition to AvePoint was fast and effective.
AvePoint Cloud Backup is a 100% SaaS solution that provides automated, comprehensive backup and restore services for M365, Salesforce and Dynamics 365. It features built-in storage and encryption and offers flexible pricing plans based on the number of users.
Also purchased via Ingram Micro, the AvePoint solution is ISO:27001 and SOC Type II certified and GDPR compliant.
“Security was a big plus for us, and AvePoint has that,” van Baardewijk said, adding that the solution’s ability to back up data in Microsoft Teams — including conversations, private channels, and meeting items — offered a big advantage.
To help users comply with GDPR requirements, Cloud Backup supports right to be forgotten requests, data sovereignty (choosing where the information is physically located), and extended retention.
Today, Lucrasoft has backed up 20 TB of data for 563 seats in M365 using Cloud Backup. The initial deployment was quick — as was a recent restore for a customer that had lost a large amount of data.
“At first, they were very scared, of course,” van Baardewijk said. “But we reassured them that we have four backups per day, and we can go back an infinite amount. It’s no problem.”
AvePoint’s robust infrastructure, which includes more than 12 data centers worldwide, allows for large restores to be completed quickly.
A positive experience with Cloud Backup also compelled Lucrasoft to add another solution, AvePoint FLY, to its service offerings for customers.
FLY delivers a three-step approach — via a self-guided tool or with help from AvePoint — to migrate on-premises or cloud-hosted mail, content, and collaboration into M365 or SharePoint. Data can be migrated from existing Microsoft accounts or from SaaS providers such as Box, Google Drive, and Slack.
Managing these various tools isn’t complicated. To help MSPs balance the needs of multiple customers, AvePoint’s Elements partner portal offers a dedicated platform to manage support tickets, view activity across the business, and connect with 24/7 support teams.
The Road Ahead
By delivering AvePoint services, Lucrasoft can put its own customers at ease by handling backup and restore duties, as well as data migration to M365, without work or worry.
It also gives them a competitive edge. “To perfectly fit the customer’s needs, MSPs need to find a solid suite of good products that represent their own company and what it stands for,” van Baardewijk said. “With AvePoint, you get that power.”
Ongoing risks of cybercriminals and ransomware help Lucrasoft emphasize to customers why purchasing long-term backup solutions can deliver peace of mind and business continuity.
In fact, these tools are now a standard part of their sales pitch.
“We always recommend AvePoint,” van Baardewijk said. “It’s on every offer we put out.”
