Canadian organizations face an unprecedented challenge: ensuring that high-value digital information, often critical for compliance and long-term business operations, can be preserved and made accessible for years—if not decades—amid the relentless pace of technological change. Adding to this complexity, regulators and stakeholders increasingly expect organizations to maintain airtight governance over sprawling digital assets, particularly within the heavily used Microsoft 365 ecosystem. In this environment, the recent partnership between Preservica and Gravity Union offers a compelling blueprint for how Canadian businesses, government agencies, and institutions can secure their most important data, meet evolving regulatory obligations, and establish a future-ready foundation for artificial intelligence.
Preservica, a recognized global leader in Active Digital Preservation archiving, has long been at the forefront of addressing the challenge of digital file format obsolescence. Its client roster includes some of the world’s most demanding data custodians, such as the UK National Archives, MoMA, Yale, HSBC, and various state and federal bodies. By guaranteeing that archives—whether mundane office files or troves of unique digital artefacts—stay accessible and actionable despite shifts in technology, Preservica has won trust from institutions that can afford no mistakes in information stewardship.
Gravity Union, meanwhile, brings a uniquely Canadian perspective, blending deep expertise in information governance, automation, and Microsoft 365 deployments. With a track record spanning hundreds of deployments since 2015, from the public to the private sector, Gravity Union has consistently helped clients modernize their digital workspaces without sacrificing oversight or compliance. Their experience supporting Canadian data sovereignty, privacy requirements, and regulatory frameworks places them in a strong position to bridge technology and governance for clients of all sizes.
This collaboration is not a superficial alliance. By becoming an authorized reseller of Preservica’s Enterprise and Preserve365® solutions, Gravity Union can now offer Canadian Microsoft 365 customers integrated solutions that directly address both today’s information management pain points—such as accessibility, compliance, and cost—and tomorrow’s opportunities around AI and workflow automation.
For Canadian organizations, the stakes are particularly high. Cross-border data transfer restrictions, sector-specific compliance mandates (like those in healthcare or government), and the rising importance of information governance add complexity and risk. Many organizations already invest heavily in Microsoft’s own governance tools—such as Purview for data compliance, Power Automate for processes, and Copilot for AI—but persistent challenges remain when it comes to actively maintaining the accessibility and usability of high-value, aging digital assets.
Gravity Union’s existing track record supporting large-scale deployments is a mitigating factor. However, each organization—especially those with deeply entrenched legacy systems or informal information governance practices—should anticipate a non-trivial onboarding period with adequate stakeholder buy-in.
Michael Schweitzer, CEO and President of Gravity Union, underlines the future value: “With Preserve365, we’re enabling our clients to build AI-ready foundations that are secure, accessible, and built for the future.” Similar sentiments are echoed by Mike Quinn of Preservica, who points to the ability to make legacy information—often locked in siloed archives—discoverable and actionable in real-time.
Early deployments across Canadian public agencies, educational institutions, and regulated industries are expected to serve as bellwethers, demonstrating the transformative potential of integrating preservation and active governance within the daily digital workspace.
Preserve365 is not simply a compliance tool; it is positioned as an enabling technology for AI. By ensuring that preserved archives remain machine-readable, securely governed, and instantly accessible, organizations can maximize the value of their historical data—extracting insights, automating knowledge work, and maintaining trust with regulators and the public.
The move to host Preserve365 on Canadian Azure further assures public- and private-sector clients that their most valuable data can be preserved in compliance with sovereignty regulations. At the same time, the promise of AI-ready archives—accessible, actionable, and trustworthy—presents a powerful incentive for modernizing legacy information governance approaches.
For those charged with records management, compliance, IT, or digital transformation in Canada, the Preservica-Gravity Union partnership offers both a timely solution and a strategic foundation for future innovation. Successful adoption will require thoughtful planning and organizational buy-in, but the benefits—greater operational efficiency, reduced risk, and the ability to unlock value from decades’ worth of information—make a persuasive case for action.
Decision-makers should carefully assess their long-term information needs, undertake due diligence, and engage with experienced partners to ensure that their preservation strategy is robust, scalable, and aligned with both regulatory and business priorities. In doing so, they can ensure that Canada remains at the vanguard of modern, responsible, and innovative digital stewardship.
Source: Morningstar https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1042535msn/preservica-and-gravity-union-partner-to-streamline-long-term-data-archiving-and-governance-in-microsoft-365-for-canadian-organizations/
Preservica, a recognized global leader in Active Digital Preservation archiving, has long been at the forefront of addressing the challenge of digital file format obsolescence. Its client roster includes some of the world’s most demanding data custodians, such as the UK National Archives, MoMA, Yale, HSBC, and various state and federal bodies. By guaranteeing that archives—whether mundane office files or troves of unique digital artefacts—stay accessible and actionable despite shifts in technology, Preservica has won trust from institutions that can afford no mistakes in information stewardship.Gravity Union, meanwhile, brings a uniquely Canadian perspective, blending deep expertise in information governance, automation, and Microsoft 365 deployments. With a track record spanning hundreds of deployments since 2015, from the public to the private sector, Gravity Union has consistently helped clients modernize their digital workspaces without sacrificing oversight or compliance. Their experience supporting Canadian data sovereignty, privacy requirements, and regulatory frameworks places them in a strong position to bridge technology and governance for clients of all sizes.
This collaboration is not a superficial alliance. By becoming an authorized reseller of Preservica’s Enterprise and Preserve365® solutions, Gravity Union can now offer Canadian Microsoft 365 customers integrated solutions that directly address both today’s information management pain points—such as accessibility, compliance, and cost—and tomorrow’s opportunities around AI and workflow automation.
Decades-Long Records: A Mounting Challenge for Microsoft 365 Users
The shift to cloud-based productivity platforms like Microsoft 365 has reshaped how organizations manage content. Modern collaboration relies on seamless document sharing, real-time editing, and AI-powered search. Yet, this agility brings new risks: files may be scattered across multiple repositories, legacy formats can become unreadable, and out-of-the-box retention tools may be insufficient to handle long-term obligations for records management—especially when those records must survive technology shifts for decades.For Canadian organizations, the stakes are particularly high. Cross-border data transfer restrictions, sector-specific compliance mandates (like those in healthcare or government), and the rising importance of information governance add complexity and risk. Many organizations already invest heavily in Microsoft’s own governance tools—such as Purview for data compliance, Power Automate for processes, and Copilot for AI—but persistent challenges remain when it comes to actively maintaining the accessibility and usability of high-value, aging digital assets.
Introducing Preserve365: Active Digital Preservation for Enterprise-Grade Needs
The core of this partnership is the integration of Preservica’s Preserve365 solution directly into the familiar workflow of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint users. Developed in close collaboration with Microsoft, Preserve365 extends the concept of “active digital preservation”—once the domain of library science and digital archiving professionals—into the average workplace.Key Features and Capabilities
- Embedded Preservation in Microsoft 365: Unlike standalone archiving platforms, Preserve365 is built to sit within the existing SharePoint and Microsoft 365 experience. This means users and records managers operate within familiar interfaces, reducing training overhead and improving adoption.
- Future-Proofed File Accessibility: By leveraging Preservica’s patent-pending technologies, the solution monitors content for at-risk file formats and automatically migrates them to future-friendly, standards-based formats. In practice, this ensures that even decades-old documents created in obsolete formats are always findable and usable when required.
- Automated Lifecycle and Governance: Preserve365 automates what has traditionally been a highly manual, resource-intensive process. Retention, review, and preservation policies can be triggered directly within Microsoft 365 workflows, leveraging native tools like Power Automate and integrating with third-party governance solutions where required.
- Compliance and Legal Readiness: Built with Freedom of Information (FOI) and legal discovery in mind, the platform ensures that records—regardless of origin or age—are trustworthy, fully auditable, and available for regulatory response or litigation holds.
- Cost Optimization and Searchability: By eliminating redundancy, moving cold data to more appropriate storage tiers, and removing silos, organizations can trim storage costs while making both recent and legacy content instantly searchable for employees and, importantly, for AI agents that rely on high-quality data to generate insights or automate tasks.
- Data Sovereignty and Security: With Preserve365 now hosted on Microsoft Azure in Canada, organizations stressed about regulatory requirements for local data residency gain the confidence they need to modernize, knowing their information remains subject to Canadian law.
Strengths of the Preservica-Gravity Union Approach
This partnership brings real strengths—both technical and organizational—to bear on the problem of long-term digital stewardship within Microsoft 365 environments:1. Seamless Integration, Minimal Disruption
One of the persistent complaints about digital archiving has been the disruptive experience for end users and the IT team. Preserve365, by embedding itself within Microsoft 365, removes much of the friction that has historically led to failed or underused records management projects. Routine activities—uploading, sharing, searching—happen as usual, while powerful preservation and governance features run in the background.2. Active Versus Passive Archiving
Traditionally, archives have acted as digital “vaults”—safe but inert storage for content. Preservica flips the paradigm, automatically intervening when files, formats, or metadata are at risk. This proactivity aids not only compliance (for instance, when responding to FOI requests or legal filings) but also knowledge reuse, brand asset management, and future AI-powered processing.3. Canadian Data Residency and Regulatory Confidence
For organizations operating in highly regulated industries or those subject to provincial/federal data localization requirements, knowing that their preserved data never leaves Canada is crucial. Leveraging Microsoft Azure’s regional data centers, Gravity Union is able to assure clients of compliance with the toughest industrial and governmental mandates on data residency.4. Future-Ready AI Enablement
Perhaps one of the more understated benefits is the way Preserve365 supports the rise of AI in knowledge work. By maintaining archives in accessible, well-governed, machine-readable formats, organizations create a high-quality data foundation for Microsoft Copilot and custom AI integrations. Over time, this could be transformative for organizations seeking to automate not just compliance, but business intelligence, content creation, and operational analysis.Risks, Caveats, and Critical Analysis
While the joint offering from Preservica and Gravity Union offers significant technical and governance advantages, there are several factors that Canadian organizations must consider before making an investment.1. Upfront Complexity and Change Management
No archive or governance solution is truly “plug-and-play,” even when tightly integrated with familiar platforms. Thorough planning, policy development, and change management remain essential—especially when the solution is expected to support multi-decade retention requirements. Canadian regulations around privacy, access, and data destruction introduce another layer of due diligence.Gravity Union’s existing track record supporting large-scale deployments is a mitigating factor. However, each organization—especially those with deeply entrenched legacy systems or informal information governance practices—should anticipate a non-trivial onboarding period with adequate stakeholder buy-in.
2. Cost Considerations and ROI
Preservica’s technology, while powerful, is an enterprise-grade solution and may not be cost-effective for smaller organizations with limited amounts of high-value long-term data. While automation can reduce ongoing storage and compliance costs, the initial investment (including potential migration from existing archives, training, and process redesign) must be justified against the tangible risks and costs of non-compliance or data loss.3. Dependence on Cloud and Microsoft Ecosystem
Although most Canadian organizations are accelerating their adoption of cloud-based solutions, some sectors—such as critical infrastructure, healthcare, or certain public bodies—may still face constraints or internal resistance. Relying on Azure-hosted preservation means trusting not just Preservica but the broader Microsoft infrastructure for long-term stewardship. While both providers have robust security postures and compliance certifications, organizations with extremely sensitive or unique requirements will need to conduct rigorous due diligence.4. Technology and Standards Evolution
Preservica’s approach relies on ongoing maintenance of file format migration pathways and the continuous development of preservation best practices. Although the company has a strong track record, the fast pace of digital format evolution, changes in storage technology, and emerging compliance standards mean that clients must remain proactive, ensuring that their archiving processes keep pace with external developments.5. Vendor Lock-In
As with any deeply integrated enterprise solution, organizations must assess their ability to migrate or export their archives should their business needs or vendor relationships change. Preservica’s support for open, standards-based formats and reporting reduces the risk, but organizations should seek clarity regarding contract terms, data export, and portability.Customer Perspectives and Market Momentum
Both Preservica and Gravity Union have built reputations based on results. While concrete statistics for Canadian deployment are still emerging, international case studies suggest that clients adopting Active Digital Preservation report significant reductions in the time and cost of fulfilling information requests, as well as a measurable decrease in storage and compliance risks. The added benefit of future-proofing archives against new AI and automation requirements adds further incentive for organizations looking beyond simple compliance toward digital transformation.Michael Schweitzer, CEO and President of Gravity Union, underlines the future value: “With Preserve365, we’re enabling our clients to build AI-ready foundations that are secure, accessible, and built for the future.” Similar sentiments are echoed by Mike Quinn of Preservica, who points to the ability to make legacy information—often locked in siloed archives—discoverable and actionable in real-time.
Early deployments across Canadian public agencies, educational institutions, and regulated industries are expected to serve as bellwethers, demonstrating the transformative potential of integrating preservation and active governance within the daily digital workspace.
Technical Highlights: Under the Hood
While some aspects of Preserve365’s operation are proprietary, several features stand out for IT professionals seeking depth:- Automated Format Migration: The platform identifies at-risk or proprietary file formats and migrates them to standards-based ones (such as PDF/A or XML) on a policy-driven schedule, ensuring long-term access without manual intervention.
- Lifecycle Automation: Through deep integration with Power Automate and Purview, retention schedules, legal holds, and disposition reviews can be triggered and managed in accordance with internal and external mandates.
- Metadata Enrichment and Search Integration: Preserved records retain rich metadata, making full-text and property-based searches easily accessible via SharePoint interfaces—or available for analysis by AI models.
- Audit Trails and Tamper Evidence: The integrity of preserved records is maintained with comprehensive audit logging, cryptographic checksums, and support for eDiscovery workflows.
- Scalability and Multi-Tenancy: Hosted on Microsoft Azure, the service can scale to meet the needs of individual departments or sprawling, multi-jurisdictional organizations.
Looking Forward: The AI Opportunity
Perhaps the most forward-looking element of the Preservica-Gravity Union partnership is the explicit alignment of digital preservation with the emerging AI ecosystem in Microsoft 365. As organizations race to harness Copilot and other intelligent agents for automation, insight, and content generation, the underlying quality, accessibility, and governance of the data upon which AI depends becomes a competitive differentiator.Preserve365 is not simply a compliance tool; it is positioned as an enabling technology for AI. By ensuring that preserved archives remain machine-readable, securely governed, and instantly accessible, organizations can maximize the value of their historical data—extracting insights, automating knowledge work, and maintaining trust with regulators and the public.
Conclusion: A Model for Digital Stewardship Across Canada
As Canadian organizations grapple with the competing demands of compliance, operational agility, and digital transformation, the partnership between Preservica and Gravity Union arrives at a pivotal moment. By uniting global best-in-class preservation technology with local expertise in information governance, automation, and Microsoft 365, the joint offering gives organizations a credible, future-proof pathway to data stewardship.The move to host Preserve365 on Canadian Azure further assures public- and private-sector clients that their most valuable data can be preserved in compliance with sovereignty regulations. At the same time, the promise of AI-ready archives—accessible, actionable, and trustworthy—presents a powerful incentive for modernizing legacy information governance approaches.
For those charged with records management, compliance, IT, or digital transformation in Canada, the Preservica-Gravity Union partnership offers both a timely solution and a strategic foundation for future innovation. Successful adoption will require thoughtful planning and organizational buy-in, but the benefits—greater operational efficiency, reduced risk, and the ability to unlock value from decades’ worth of information—make a persuasive case for action.
Decision-makers should carefully assess their long-term information needs, undertake due diligence, and engage with experienced partners to ensure that their preservation strategy is robust, scalable, and aligned with both regulatory and business priorities. In doing so, they can ensure that Canada remains at the vanguard of modern, responsible, and innovative digital stewardship.
Source: Morningstar https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1042535msn/preservica-and-gravity-union-partner-to-streamline-long-term-data-archiving-and-governance-in-microsoft-365-for-canadian-organizations/