Arcitecta Launches Active Data Management Solution for Universities Facing Microsoft 365 Education Storage Policy Changes

Arcitecta, a creative and innovative data management software company, announced Mediaflux Connect 365, a solution that brings active data management to Microsoft OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, to help universities and research institutions optimize long-term data management while keeping data instantly accessible, searchable and governed.Microsoft is transitioning  Microsoft 365 Education from its previous unlimited cloud storage model to a free but limited pooled storage model (capped at 100TB per tenant plus 50-100GB per licensed user) as universities renew their Microsoft 365 licensing agreements. For institutions that have relied on unlimited storage, the change will necessitate increased storage costs, significant data reduction or migration to lower-cost storage options. Institutions managing hundreds of terabytes or multiple petabytes of data could face additional costs of approximately USD $360,000 per PB per year.

“Universities shouldn’t have to choose between controlling costs and preserving decades of valuable institutional and research data,” said Jason Lohrey, CEO and founder, Arcitecta. “Mediaflux Connect 365 gives institutions a practical, cost-effective way to move data into an actively managed environment built for long-term management, governance and innovation. As universities prepare for Microsoft’s new pooled storage model, we’re helping them solve today’s storage challenges while building a stronger, more resilient future-ready data strategy.”

Active Data Management for Microsoft 365 OneDrive and SharePoint Data
Arcitecta’s Mediaflux Connect 365 empowers universities to quickly identify and categorize the data within their Microsoft environment, enabling institutions to meet fast-approaching data migration deadlines and to start the often lengthy Microsoft-controlled egress process.

Key benefits of Mediaflux Connect 365 include:

• Data analysis. Identifies the data residing in Microsoft 365 storage to help institutions determine what data they want to retain there, move or be deleted. Uses data analytics to identify what data must be moved and migrated into on-premises, cloud or hybrid storage
• Reduced storage costs. Organizations can avoid the significant cost increases associated with the new Microsoft 365 Education storage limitations and commercial pricing changes
• Improved governance under active data management. All institutional data can be managed from a single pane of glass, including from Microsoft’s OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, providing simplified data management and visibility across storage types and locations. Today these data repositories are unmanaged, making it difficult to understand what data is stored, identify sensitive information, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or verify backup policies
• Powerful metadata support. Rich, searchable metadata makes data genuinely manageable at scale, not just archived out of sight. Metadata enables data users to find what they need when they need it, understand and identify what data they have, and provide details such as how and where the data was generated
• Flexible storage options. Maintains choice and control through flexible, vendor-neutral storage options, including on-premises (flash, object and tape) and any cloud storage

“Arcitecta isn’t just helping universities overcome Microsoft’s new storage model – we’re helping them modernize how they manage their data with an active data management platform that improves governance, AI readiness, searchability and long-term cost control,” added Lohrey.

Worldwide Ecosystem Expansion
Arcitecta is expanding its ecosystem of technology partners to help universities worldwide respond to Microsoft’s new storage requirements. By combining any storage with Mediaflux’s active data management capabilities, institutions can reduce costs and optimize Microsoft 365 storage while meeting local requirements for data sovereignty, governance and long-term stewardship.

Availability
Arcitecta’s Mediaflux Connect 365 solution is available.