Backup Options

Microsoft has several backup products and services, but not all will receive the same level of future Microsoft development. This chart lists Microsoft’s major backup tools and Directions on Microsoft’s forecast of future Microsoft investment in each format, with some of the factors that support the rating. Microsoft does not endorse this report, and its plans could change at any time.

In our estimation, top-rated services will receive major improvement, including new capabilities, and will be implemented in new versions of Microsoft services and software. Services with increasing or flat ratings will receive some improvement with no substantial change in the scenarios they enable, or the software and services they are compatible with. Services with declining ratings will become increasingly less viable, as newer software and services appear that do not work with them, and replacements take over their roles.

Our ratings include the following factors:

Recent and announced Microsoft investment. How much investment has the software or service received since 2014 or that Microsoft has announced for the future? Heavy recent or near-term investment suggests that Microsoft has a longer-term plan for a technology.