Managed IT & Support
Cybersecurity
Cloud, Backup & Network
Microsoft keeps Office 365 running, but it does not promise to restore the mailbox, file or site you deleted last spring. Get a separate, tested copy of your Microsoft 365 data, managed by a local Chicago team.
Get a Free IT AssessmentMany owners assume Microsoft 365 already backs everything up. It does not, at least not the way you need. Microsoft protects the service itself. If its data center has a problem, you are covered. If a person deletes a mailbox, a bad sync wipes a folder or an attacker encrypts your files, that is your data and your responsibility. That is the gap an Office 365 backup closes.
A proper backup makes a separate copy of your Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive files, SharePoint sites and Teams content. The copy lives outside your Microsoft tenant, so one compromised account cannot reach both the live data and the backup. It runs on a schedule, usually several times a day, and keeps older versions so you can go back to the day before the mistake.
Chicago offices lean hard on Microsoft 365. A Loop law firm keeps client email for years. A River North agency keeps large creative files in SharePoint. A Lakeview dental office shares scheduling notes in Teams. Losing any of that stops work fast. We set up backup, watch it every day and run real restores so you know it works before you need it.
Most Microsoft 365 data loss is quiet. An employee leaves and their account is deleted. Someone empties a shared mailbox by accident. A third-party app syncs bad data over good files. Microsoft’s built-in recycle bins and retention settings help for a short time, but they are not a full backup. Once the window closes, the data is gone, and no support ticket will bring it back.
Cyberattacks make this worse. Phishing that steals a Microsoft 365 login lets an attacker delete or encrypt content you thought was safe. A separate backup gives you a clean copy to restore from. Chicago businesses also face record-keeping duties, from client files to patient notes, where losing old email creates real trouble. A backup you control, tested on a schedule, removes the guessing.
Everything below is part of one monthly plan. Pick a topic to see what is handled for you and how it works in a Chicago office.
Email is often the most valuable record you keep. Contracts, approvals and client history all sit in mailboxes. Backup copies every user mailbox, shared mailbox and archive on a regular schedule, so a deleted message or whole account can be restored without guesswork.
You can recover one email, one folder or an entire mailbox. Restores can go back to the original account or to a new one, which helps when an employee leaves and someone needs their old messages. Retention follows rules you choose, not a short default window.
OneDrive and SharePoint hold the working files your team opens every day. Sync errors, bulk deletes and ransomware can damage them in minutes. Backup keeps versioned copies of personal drives and team sites outside your Microsoft tenant, ready to roll back.
If a folder is overwritten or a site is removed, you restore the exact version from before the problem. Permissions and folder structure come back with the files, so staff do not have to rebuild access by hand afterward.
Teams has become a filing cabinet. Channel files, posts and meeting recordings pile up fast, and many offices never plan for losing them. Backup captures Teams content so a deleted channel or team is not a permanent loss.
This matters most for project teams, front offices and anyone who shares files in chat instead of email. We confirm what is covered during setup, so you know which Teams data is protected and which settings still need attention.
A backup you have never restored from is a guess. Each month we restore a sample of real data and check that it opens, so problems show up while nothing is on fire. You get a short note on what was tested and what we found.
If a restore fails, we fix the cause and test again. This habit is what separates a backup that looks fine from one that works. It also gives you proof to show a partner, an insurer or an auditor who asks how you protect your data.
How long you keep data depends on your work. A law firm may hold email for many years. A retail office may need far less. We help you choose retention periods that match your records, your risk and your budget, then write them down.
This also covers what happens when someone leaves. Their mailbox and files can be kept for a set period at low cost instead of paying for a full license. Clear rules mean fewer surprises when someone asks for old data.
Plenty of companies can fix a laptop. These are the three reasons clients mention most when they explain why they picked Ping Chicago.
Your technicians know how Loop high-rises handle building access, why basement server closets flood in summer storms and how long it really takes to reach Oak Brook at 4 p.m. That local knowledge turns into faster, calmer fixes.
Your network, devices and backups are watched around the clock. Most issues are caught and fixed before anyone in your office notices, and the rest are explained to you in plain English.
You get a written per-user quote after a free assessment, with every included service listed. No hourly surprises, no emergency rates and no fine print about what counts as extra.
Microsoft 365 backup runs in the cloud, so it protects every office the same way, wherever your team sits. What changes is how each neighborhood uses the data and what a loss would cost.
Most Loop offices share a building’s internet riser, wiring closets and security desk. Managed IT here means working with property management on access and cabling, keeping remote access stable for commuters and scheduling after-hours work around building rules.
Teams here grow fast, so new hires need laptops, accounts and access on their first day. Managed IT keeps onboarding repeatable and the network ready for the next floor or the next office.
Dental and medical practices, therapists and small firms run on a few critical systems: scheduling, imaging and billing. Managed IT keeps them patched, backed up and running before the first appointment of the day.
Point-of-sale systems, guest Wi-Fi and a handful of laptops can still take a shop offline. Managed IT separates guest and business networks and keeps payment systems updated and monitored.
Event, hospitality and professional offices near McCormick Place deal with seasonal rushes. Managed IT scales support around busy weeks and keeps shared and public spaces secure.
Practices and offices in Evanston and Skokie get the same remote help desk as downtown clients, with on-site visits scheduled for hardware, cabling and network work.
Logistics and distribution businesses near O’Hare run warehouses, scanners and shipping systems around the clock. Managed IT monitors those networks 24/7 and plans updates outside shift changes.
Many companies in Oak Brook, Naperville and Schaumburg run a suburban headquarters with a city branch. Managed IT connects both sites securely and supports staff at either location.
Microsoft includes recycle bins and retention settings, but they are not a true backup. Here is how the options compare for a typical Chicago office.
| Topic | Ping Chicago | Microsoft Built-In Only | No Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate copy of data | Yes, stored outside your tenant | No, same tenant as live data | None |
| Restore a deleted mailbox | Yes, from a chosen date | Limited, short window only | Not possible |
| Protection after ransomware | Clean copy ready to restore | Copy can be affected too | Data may be lost |
| Restore testing | Monthly, with a short report | None | None |
| Retention control | You set it, in writing | Limited default settings | Not applicable |
| Monthly cost | Flat fee per user | Included in license | $0 until a loss |
| Who helps in a crisis | Local team, same day | Support queue | You, alone |
You stop hoping Microsoft has a copy and start knowing you do.
A lost mailbox, folder or site is restored from a point in time you choose.
A clean, separate copy means a stolen login cannot erase everything.
Restoring one item takes minutes, not a long hunt through recycle bins.
You pay a flat per-user fee, with no surprise bill when something breaks.
Office 365 backup works best alongside the other parts of your IT plan.
Cover servers, laptops and line-of-business data beyond Microsoft 365.
Cloud Backup ServicesKeep offsite copies of key systems in secure cloud storage.
Disaster Recovery SolutionsPlan how your whole office gets back online after a major outage.
Microsoft 365 SupportGet help with licensing, security settings and daily Microsoft 365 questions.
Our old provider took a day to answer. Now a typical ticket is closed in about 12 minutes, and password resets happen while I’m still on the phone. Our staff stopped complaining about IT within the first month, which never happened before.
We were nervous about changing providers with deadlines ahead. The whole move took three weeks, email and files kept working throughout, and every login and device was documented. Not one person missed a day of work because of it.
We used to get surprise invoices every time something broke. Now it’s one predictable monthly bill, and problems get flagged before we notice them. Planning our IT budget takes five minutes instead of an argument with the owner.
After a free assessment you get a written quote with a per-user price, what is covered and how long data is kept.
Not in the way most owners expect. Microsoft keeps its service running and offers recycle bins and retention settings. It does not give you a separate, long-term backup you control. If data is deleted or encrypted, restoring it is your responsibility.
It typically covers Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive files, SharePoint sites and Teams content. We confirm exactly what is included at setup, so you know which data is protected and which settings still need attention in your account.
Most businesses pay a flat monthly fee per user, and it typically stays modest compared with the cost of lost data. The exact price depends on user count, storage and retention. A free assessment gives you a written quote.
Most plans back up several times a day, and many run automatically around the clock. That keeps the gap between your live data and your last good copy small. We confirm the schedule with you and monitor every run.
A single email or file usually comes back in minutes. A full mailbox or large SharePoint site takes longer, depending on size. We test restores each month so you know realistic times before an emergency.
Yes, if it was backed up before the account was removed. You can also keep a former employee’s data for a set period at low cost. We help you decide how long to keep it so you are not paying for unused licenses.
It gives you a clean copy to restore from, which is the key part of recovery. Because the backup sits outside your Microsoft tenant, one stolen login should not reach both. Prevention and monitoring still matter alongside it.
Version history helps with small mistakes, but it has limits. It will not save you if a whole site is deleted, an account is compromised or retention windows expire. A separate backup covers those larger problems.
Rules vary by industry, and we do not give legal advice. Many Chicago firms still keep long-term copies to meet client, insurer or record-keeping expectations. A written retention plan helps you answer questions when they come up.
Start with a free IT assessment. We review your Microsoft 365 setup, user count and retention needs. Then you get a written quote with price, coverage and timeline. Setup is usually quick and does not interrupt your staff.
Need something slightly different? These services cover the same ground from another angle.
A free assessment shows what is backed up today, what is exposed and what it would cost to fix.