Syncro’s new cloud backup for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID lands squarely at the intersection of two growing realities: MSPs need simple, billable services that reduce client risk, and identity-related outages are now among the fastest routes to catastrophic downtime. Announced on September 16, 2025, Syncro Cloud Backup is an integrated, multi-tenant backup and restore capability built directly into the Syncro XMM platform; it promises unified management for Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams and—critically—Microsoft Entra ID objects, plus automated provisioning, U.S./Canada Azure storage options, and a per-user pricing model with an early access 14‑day trial and planned general availability on October 1, 2025.
Microsoft 365 adoption has driven enormous productivity gains, but it also concentrated risk: collaboration data, mailboxes and identity configurations now sit at the core of business operations. At the same time, multiple industry studies show a rising rate of unrecoverable data incidents and ransomware-related disruptions; a major IDC study commissioned by Zerto found that roughly 60% of surveyed organizations reported unrecoverable data loss within a 12‑month period—an alarming data point that underpins the market demand for resilient cloud backup and fast restores.
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the identity layer that authorizes access across Microsoft 365 and many third-party apps. Because tenant-level configuration, roles, conditional access and privileged assignments are so foundational, the loss or corruption of Entra ID settings can paralyze an organization. Microsoft’s native recovery primitives (for example, the Entra/Azure AD Recycle Bin) are useful for short windows and limited object types, but they do not provide full tenant-level, long-term, versioned backups—creating a gap that third‑party backup vendors and MSP-focused platforms are racing to fill.
However, the product is not a universal replacement for specialist backup or archive vendors in every scenario. Entra ID recovery fidelity, legal/archival requirements and advanced eDiscovery needs still push some customers to seek best‑of‑breed backups. MSPs should treat Syncro’s solution as a practical, integrated option that substantially improves baseline resilience—and should validate coverage and SLAs against each client’s risk profile before positioning it as the sole backup for mission‑critical compliance scenarios.
Syncro’s timing is sensible: the market is receptive after high rates of unrecoverable incidents and a growing awareness that identity is a primary attack vector. MSPs that can combine a tested recovery playbook, regular restore drills, clear commercial terms and the operational simplicity of a single console will find that embedded backup—when validated carefully—meaningfully strengthens business continuity for their clients.
Syncro Cloud Backup is available now in early access with a 14‑day free trial; Syncro reports general availability on October 1, 2025. MSPs should use the trial window to validate restores, review the fair use rules and confirm region selection before rolling the service into production clients.
Source: TECHNOLOGY RESELLER Syncro Launches Integrated Cloud Backup and Restore for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID – TECHNOLOGY RESELLER
Microsoft 365 adoption has driven enormous productivity gains, but it also concentrated risk: collaboration data, mailboxes and identity configurations now sit at the core of business operations. At the same time, multiple industry studies show a rising rate of unrecoverable data incidents and ransomware-related disruptions; a major IDC study commissioned by Zerto found that roughly 60% of surveyed organizations reported unrecoverable data loss within a 12‑month period—an alarming data point that underpins the market demand for resilient cloud backup and fast restores.Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the identity layer that authorizes access across Microsoft 365 and many third-party apps. Because tenant-level configuration, roles, conditional access and privileged assignments are so foundational, the loss or corruption of Entra ID settings can paralyze an organization. Microsoft’s native recovery primitives (for example, the Entra/Azure AD Recycle Bin) are useful for short windows and limited object types, but they do not provide full tenant-level, long-term, versioned backups—creating a gap that third‑party backup vendors and MSP-focused platforms are racing to fill.
What Syncro Cloud Backup actually delivers
Core capabilities (what MSPs will see in the product)
- Unified management for Microsoft 365 workloads (Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams) and Microsoft Entra ID objects (users, groups, roles, and policies). This is surfaced inside Syncro XMM so MSPs can manage backups alongside RMM and PSA workflows.
- Automated provisioning & billing that auto-adds new tenant users to the backup service and ties usage into Syncro’s billing, helping MSPs capture recurring revenue without manual onboarding.
- Flexible restore models: granular restores (single email or file), point‑in‑time restores, and tenant-level restores of Entra ID objects and policies. Syncro positions these as “a few clicks” operations for speedy recovery.
- Data residency choices: backups can be stored in Microsoft Azure datacenters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, or Australia (with U.S. and Canada explicitly highlighted in the launch materials).
- Operational dashboards: separate Microsoft 365 and Entra ID dashboards show status, object counts, last backup timestamps and on/off indicators for each service; backups are scheduled twice daily by default.
- Per-user, per-month pricing with an unlimited‑storage promise subject to a fair use policy; Syncro’s docs require at least 80% tenant coverage to comply with that fair‑use approach.
How it’s integrated
Syncro embeds the backup controls inside the same XMM interface that MSPs already use for RMM and PSA tasks. That integration reduces context switching, allows policy-driven automation based on Entra ID group membership, and enables billing and reporting to be handled from a single pane of glass—an operational advantage MSPs value because it turns security and resilience into a directly billable service. ([5])Why Entra ID backup matters (and why it’s hard)
The stakes
- Identity is the control plane. If Entra ID roles, conditional access and app registrations are altered or deleted—whether by accident or attack—services can break in cascading ways: logins fail, SSO breaks, automation stops and cross‑tenant app assignments are lost. The result is not only data loss but also loss of access and friction in recovery.
- Rising unrecoverable incidents. The IDC/Zerto research shows a spike in unrecoverable data events and disaster recovery activations, underscoring the reality that reliance on default platform protections is not a complete defense. ([2])
Native Microsoft limitations
Microsoft provides some built‑in protections—object recycle bins, internal redundancy and an evolving backup authentication system—but these are not the same as a customer‑facing, fully versioned, long‑retention restore capability for an entire Entra ID tenant. The Entra/Azure AD Recycle Bin is limited in scope (30‑day retention, selective object types, incomplete restoration of linked relationships), and Microsoft does not offer a tenant‑level “export everything and restore everything” feature for customers in the way traditional backup products do. Organizations with regulatory or long‑retention needs therefore look to third‑party backups.The third‑party market
Vendors such as AvePoint, Veeam, Rubrik and specialist SaaS backup providers already offer Entra ID / Microsoft 365 backup services because customers demand:- longer retention,
- immutability and air‑gapped storage options,
- granular search and restore across collaboration workloads,
- and tenant-level capture of identity objects and policies that Microsoft’s native tooling does not preserve in full fidelity.
How Syncro fits into the MSP toolchain (practical view)
For MSP sales and packaging
- Clear productization: Syncro packages backup as a per-user add-on that integrates into existing Syncro billing and PSA workflows—meaning MSPs can onboard protection as a line item on invoices without building separate billing connectors. That lowers the friction to monetize backup.
- Trial + EA to GA path: Early access with a 14‑day trial gives MSPs a low‑friction way to demo the functionality and validate that restores work in their clients’ environments before committing to GA on October 1, 2025 (planned).
For MSP operations
- Automated discovery and policy mapping: Because Syncro can apply backup policies by Entra ID groups and discover new users automatically, the common “blind spot” problem—new users or new Teams sites left unprotected—can be dramatically reduced. That is operationally significant in multi-tenant, high-change environments.
- Delegated administration: Role-based access for recovery operations is an essential control for large MSPs that need to separate duties between technical support, security teams and customer-facing billing staff. Syncro advertises delegated administration to support this.
Technical considerations and limits (what MSPs must validate)
- Fair use and 80% tenant coverage: Syncro requires at least 80% of a tenant’s users to be selected to comply with the fair use policy—MSPs must understand how the vendor enforces this and how it affects billing for tenants with many transient or contractor users.
- Storage region selection is one‑time: The storage region cannot be changed after initial configuration; MSPs must confirm the customer’s compliance and data residency needs before onboarding. This is a practical governance point that must be baked into onboarding checklists.
- Service availability and cloud dependency: As a SaaS backup service, restores depend on the vendor’s control plane and connectivity; MSPs should verify SLAs, recovery‑time objectives (RTO) and the vendor’s incident history and runbooks for cross-regional outages. Syncro’s launch materials position rapid restores as a core benefit, but MSPs should test restore times in pilot customers.
- Scope of Entra ID restores: Third‑party backups (including Syncro’s offering) often cannot perfectly restore every built‑in Entra ID artifact (for example, certain built‑in tenant roles, some transient system objects or region‑specific features). Best practice is to verify the vendor’s Entra ID object coverage matrix on a per‑tenant basis and to run recovery drills. Microsoft’s own community and vendor guidance stress that complete tenant fidelity is challenging.
- Immutable and air‑gapped options: Vendors tout immutability to defend against ransomware; MSPs must validate encryption key custody, retention locks (WORM) and the legal implications of customer-held keys for e‑discovery and audits. Syncro’s launch emphasizes encrypted Azure storage and insurance alignment—but MSPs should confirm key management and the exact immutability guarantees.
Operational checklist for MSPs evaluating Syncro Cloud Backup
- Confirm data residency requirements with the client; choose the correct Azure region at onboarding since it is not changeable later.
- Run an onboarding pilot with at least one tenant and exercise:
- Single-item restore (email, file).
- Group-level restore (SharePoint site, Teams channel).
- Entra ID object restore: a deleted user, a revived group, and (if supported) restoration of role assignments and related policies. Document gaps and manual steps.
- Validate billing behavior and per‑user counts under peak usage to understand monthly charge calculation.
- Test delegated admin workflows and RBAC to confirm least‑privilege recovery operations.
- Establish a documented restore runbook (RTO/RPO targets and escalation paths) and schedule regular restore drills.
Competitive context and how Syncro’s approach compares
- Many dedicated backup vendors (AvePoint, Veeam, Rubrik and others) already offer Entra ID and Microsoft 365 backups with immutability, long retention and enterprise-grade SLAs. Syncro’s differentiator is the integration inside an XMM platform that combines RMM, PSA and backup billing—making it easier for MSPs to sell and operate as a single product stack rather than assembling multiple vendors. For MSPs that already use Syncro’s XMM, this reduces integration overhead and shortens time-to‑value.
- For MSPs that prefer best-of-breed, standalone backups may offer deeper coverage, advanced retention/archival options, and broader regional coverage (including government or China regions) that some SaaS backup services do not. The choice depends on an MSP’s scale, compliance demands and desire for consolidated tooling.
Strengths: why this is a meaningful product for MSPs
- Operational consolidation: Putting backups into the same console as RMM and PSA reduces manual work and makes backup a predictable revenue stream.
- Identity-first protection: Entra ID object backup is still a relatively new managed feature in MSP-focused platforms; Syncro’s inclusion addresses a high‑impact, high‑risk vector that generic Microsoft 365 backups sometimes ignore.
- Ease of onboarding and billing: Automated provisioning, per-user billing and trial options lower sales friction and let MSPs monetize backup quickly.
Risks and limitations to watch
- Not a silver bullet for identity disasters: Even with Entra ID backups, complete tenant fidelity is often difficult; some policies, built‑in roles and live assignments may require manual reconciliation post‑restore. MSPs must set expectations with customers and test restores.
- Cloud dependency and SLA exposure: When the provider’s control plane is unavailable, restores may be delayed. MSPs should take into account vendor SLAs and fallback options.
- Fair use ambiguity: “Unlimited storage under a fair use policy” can hide edge cases and chargeable behavior—MSPs should review the written fair use terms and test cost behavior under real workloads.
- Regulatory and geo constraints: The storage region selection and any limitations on region support must match client compliance needs; a one‑time selection that’s immutable is operationally significant.
- Third‑party vendor overlap: Some enterprise clients will prefer to consolidate backup and long‑term archiving with an existing vendor (e.g., Veeam, AvePoint). Syncro offers convenience; it may not replace specialized archive or eDiscovery capabilities in every case.
Practical recommendations (actionable advice MSPs can apply today)
- Run a short, documented proof‑of‑value: enable the 14‑day trial on a non‑critical tenant and perform recovery tests across the three main failure scenarios: accidental deletion, credential compromise, and ransomware‑style data corruption. Validate times and fidelity.
- Maintain an external export of critical Entra ID mappings and policies (via Microsoft Graph scripting) as a secondary air‑gapped snapshot for high‑value customers—this complements SaaS backups and addresses edge cases where vendor restores are constrained. Microsoft community guidance and best practices recommend scripted exports as part of a layered approach.
- Negotiate restore RTOs and support SLAs into the onboarding contract if the customer’s business continuity depends on rapid tenant-level recovery. Confirm support escalation matrices in writing.
- For customers with strict compliance or archival needs, map requirements against Syncro’s region options and confirm whether long‑term archival to a second provider is necessary.
Final analysis: where Syncro Cloud Backup matters most
Syncro Cloud Backup is a logical and timely extension of Syncro’s XMM stack: it turns a critical but often non‑monetized MSP responsibility—protecting Microsoft 365 and identity configurations—into a packaged, billable service while reducing operational friction. For mid‑market MSPs already committed to Syncro’s platform, the offering removes common integration headaches and helps turn backup into a value proposition rather than a cost center.However, the product is not a universal replacement for specialist backup or archive vendors in every scenario. Entra ID recovery fidelity, legal/archival requirements and advanced eDiscovery needs still push some customers to seek best‑of‑breed backups. MSPs should treat Syncro’s solution as a practical, integrated option that substantially improves baseline resilience—and should validate coverage and SLAs against each client’s risk profile before positioning it as the sole backup for mission‑critical compliance scenarios.
Syncro’s timing is sensible: the market is receptive after high rates of unrecoverable incidents and a growing awareness that identity is a primary attack vector. MSPs that can combine a tested recovery playbook, regular restore drills, clear commercial terms and the operational simplicity of a single console will find that embedded backup—when validated carefully—meaningfully strengthens business continuity for their clients.
Syncro Cloud Backup is available now in early access with a 14‑day free trial; Syncro reports general availability on October 1, 2025. MSPs should use the trial window to validate restores, review the fair use rules and confirm region selection before rolling the service into production clients.
Source: TECHNOLOGY RESELLER Syncro Launches Integrated Cloud Backup and Restore for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID – TECHNOLOGY RESELLER
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