When it comes to protecting your business email, it’s easy to think a backup is enough. But as regulations tighten and inboxes overflow, many organisations are realising they need more than just a safety net – they need clarity, compliance, and control.
That’s where email archiving comes in.
NOTE: when talking of ’email archiving’, we are not referring to the Outlook archive function, but a separate service entirely. It’s important to note that Outlook Archiving contains none of the benefits discussed in this post.
In this post, we’ll break down the key differences between email backup and email archiving, why they matter, and how different teams – from HR to Finance – can benefit.
What’s the Difference?
| Email Backup | Email Archiving | |
| Purpose | Recover from accidental loss or system failure | Store, search, and retrieve for legal/compliance |
| Search Tools | Basic | Advanced, fast, and accurate |
| Retention | Short-term | Long-term, policy-driven |
| Mailbox Impact | Doesn’t help with inbox size | Allows inbox clean-up without data loss |
| Legal Features | Not suitable for discovery | Includes eDiscovery and litigation hold |
Think of backup as your “restore button” and archiving as your “filing cabinet” – but one that’s searchable, secure, and smart.
Why Archiving is So Useful
While backup is crucial for disaster recovery, archiving brings benefits that many businesses overlook:
- Improved Search: Search every email ever sent or received, across all users, in seconds.
- Saved & Scheduled Searches: Save regular queries and automate them. Great for HR or compliance teams.
- Shareable Results: Send results to HR, legal, or management teams, without giving full mailbox access.
- Litigation Hold: Preserve email threads exactly as they were, without the risk of deletion or tampering.
Real-World Scenarios
HR Investigations
Need to review an internal complaint or historic abusive message? Archiving allows HR to retrieve records quickly, without relying on the employee’s mailbox.
Declutter Without Losing Control
Large mailboxes slow down systems. With archiving, staff can delete old emails knowing a secure, searchable copy exists.
GDPR & Compliance
Set policies to retain (or delete) emails automatically, and prove your compliance when audited.
Subject Access Requests (SARs)
When someone requests “all emails about me,” archives allow you to respond quickly, fully, and defensibly.
Industries That Shouldn’t Skip This
Some sectors face stricter obligations, and bigger risks.
- Financial Services – FCA, MiFID II, anti-fraud
- Legal Practices – Evidence management, client confidentiality
- Healthcare – Patient records & clinical audits
- HR Departments – Investigation evidence, employee disputes
If you’re in one of these sectors, or if your business handles sensitive information, archiving isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Why You Need Both
- Use backup to recover after data loss, corruption, or ransomware.
- Use archiving to manage compliance, reduce mailbox clutter, and keep your records accessible and audit-ready.
They’re not competing tools, they’re complementary. One protects your operations. The other protects your reputation.
Conclusion
If you’re relying only on backups to protect your emails, you’re leaving yourself exposed. A proper email archiving solution adds the visibility, control, and legal defensibility your business needs.
Get in touch if you’d like any more information.
