A prominent Mimecast partner found themselves increasingly constrained by their reliance on Mimecast’s archiving services. The perception of “hostage fees” associated with exporting data from Mimecast had left them feeling trapped, unable to transition to more flexible and cost-effective solutions. Seeking to regain control over their legacy email archives, they turned to NBConsult for assistance.

Challenge

The partner aimed to migrate 17 years of mailbox data from Mimecast, into a desired format of PST files. The primary challenges included:

• Data Expansion: The unknown expansion in data volume during export, due to loss of single instancing posed storage and transfer challenges.

• Perceived Vendor Lock-In: High costs and complexities associated with exporting data from Mimecast had led to a sense of entrapment, hindering their ability to transition to alternative solutions.

• Efficient Data Transfer: Ensuring the secure and swift transfer of large PST files to the client’s preferred storage environment.

Solution

NBConsult implemented a strategic approach to address these challenges:

1. Pre-Migration Inventory: Conducted a comprehensive assessment of the Mimecast tenant to identify and catalog all archived data, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

2. Customized Export Strategy: Developed a tailored plan to export the journal data to PST files, aligning with the client’s preferences and infrastructure capabilities.

3. Efficient Execution: Leveraged advanced tools and methodologies to complete the export within a single day, minimizing downtime and operational disruption.

4. Secure Data Handoff: Utilized Microsoft Azure Blob Storage to securely transfer the PST files, providing the client with immediate access to their data in a scalable and reliable environment.

Benefits

The collaboration yielded significant advantages:

• Regained Autonomy: The client successfully liberated their data from Mimecast’s ecosystem, eliminating the constraints and costs associated with vendor lock-in.

• Cost Savings: By avoiding Mimecast’s export fees and transitioning to a more flexible archiving solution, the client achieved substantial financial savings.

• Enhanced Flexibility: With their data now in PST format within Azure Blob Storage, the client gained the flexibility to integrate with various platforms and services, tailoring their data management strategy to their evolving needs.

Conclusion

Through NBConsult’s expertise and strategic approach, the Mimecast partner overcame the challenges of data export and vendor lock-in, reclaiming control over their legacy email archives. This empowerment not only alleviated the sense of entrapment but also opened avenues for cost savings and enhanced operational flexibility, positioning them for future growth and adaptability.