How Agile ICT saves schools time and money on data protection with BackupVault

In education, IT leaders face constant pressure to protect data while working with limited budgets. A single data loss incident could disrupt lessons, damage reputations, and put compliance at risk.

Agile ICT, a UK-based IT services provider for schools, needed a solution that was both affordable and reliable. With BackupVault, they found a partner that delivers cost savings, proactive support, and peace of mind.

The challenge: Costly and clunky backup

Agile ICT’s previous vendor didn’t provide full coverage of the workloads they needed to protect. Critical platforms such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Google Classroom, and Entra ID weren’t all supported, leaving gaps in protection.

At the same time, the platform’s control panel was clunky and unintuitive, and support lacked consistency.

Ryan Fletcher, Head of IT at Agile ICT, explains:

The risk wasn’t just financial. Without the right backup solution, schools faced wasted admin time and uncertainty over whether they’d be ready if disaster struck.

Why BackupVault

When comparing providers, Agile ICT chose BackupVault for three key reasons:

1. Consultative, education-first pricing – BackupVault didn’t just sell a product, they advised Agile ICT on the solution that best fit the needs of schools. By recommending a per full time employee (staff-only) pricing model through their vendor partnerships, they ensured schools only pay for staff accounts, while student accounts are included free of charge.“BackupVault guided us to the model that made sense for education. For a typical school, that difference can save hundreds of pounds a month.”
2. Proactive, human support – A named contact checked in regularly during onboarding, offering guidance and reassurance at every step.“Support from BackupVault has been efficient. Having a named contact who knows our setup makes everything easier.”
3. Local partner, global solutions – With a UK base and strong vendor relationships, BackupVault offered the reassurance of local service and access to best-in-class solutions such as AvePoint for Microsoft 365 backup.

Onboarding made simple

The onboarding journey was a highlight of the experience. From the first inquiry, Agile ICT was speaking with BackUpVault within a day. The process included:

• Initial scoping – Understanding Agile ICT’s requirements and the schools’ priorities.
• Guided migration – A step-by-step plan for moving away from Barracuda.
• Transition support – A free month of coverage for schools needing extra time to migrate.
• Best-practice setup – BackupVault arranged for an AvePoint engineer to walk Agile ICT through recommended configurations.
• Ongoing check-ins – Regular calls from a named contact to ensure everything was running smoothly.

Ryan reflects:

Results: Before vs After

Before BackupVault

• Paid for every student account, inflating costs.
• Clunky, unintuitive control panel.
• No consistent support contact.

With BackupVault

• Pay only per staff account, students free.
• Intuitive, user-friendly interface.
• Dedicated named contact, proactive support.
• Access to broader data management features, not just backup.

Even though BackupVault’s service is slightly more expensive on paper, Agile ICT sees clear added value in support, usability, and long-term flexibility.

Looking ahead

While Agile ICT is currently focused on Microsoft 365 backup, they are already exploring BackupVault’s wider solutions. This includes:

• Microsoft Entra ID Backup – Protecting the schools identity platform
• Policy and Insights – Reporting on schools security settings and potential file sharing risks
• Tenancy Management – Comparing and aligning policies across different schools
• Reporting and Visibility – Gaining clearer insights into data protection performance

These options provide Agile ICT with confidence that their investment in BackupVault will continue to deliver value as their needs grow.

The recommendation

When asked if he would recommend BackupVault to other schools and trusts, Ryan didn’t hesitate:

Key takeaways

• Save money with education-focused per FTE pricing.
• Rely on human support with a dedicated named contact.
• Migrate smoothly with guided onboarding and transition support.
• Partner locally, scale globally with BackupVault’s range of solutions.