Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery
Should the worst happen, it's vital to know that not only is your infrastructure compliant, but that the right planning is in place to ensure everything is backed up as it should be. A reliable solution is vital to make sure your school or MAT continues to run smoothly.
Backup is one of the quiet jobs a good IT partner just does. As a UK-wide managed service provider working exclusively with schools and trusts, we build backup and disaster recovery into the same service that answers your helpdesk calls, installs your networks and runs your connectivity — and then we prove it's working, every single day, through AIT Horizon, our leadership platform that comes included with our service, not sold on top.
Trusted by schools and trusts across the UK
PEACE OF MIND
Keeping your data protected
Secure Cloud remote backup is the best offsite backup solution for keeping your school or MATs critical data safe and secure. Our managed backup service stands out from other providers thanks to data being held across two UK data centres and is replicated from one remote site to another elsewhere in the UK. Our solutions mean you only page for the GB of storage you need, and with our free monitoring solution, we provide you with an effective way to comprehensively protect your schools data.
Eliminate Downtime
Reduce Costs
DfE Compliant
Fully Protected
Because we're the team already looking after your IT support, your broadband and your cyber security, your backup isn't a bolt-on from a third party you never speak to. It's monitored by the same UK-based engineers who know your school, your network and your restore priorities.
Backup, recovery and monitoring — fully managed
School Data, Fully Protected
Our encrypted Cloud back up solution is the gold standard for protecting your sensitive data. AIT set everything up for you, and provide a fully managed service that's reliable, robust and comprehensive. Our procedures adhere fully to ISO27001 compliance, ensuring that data is sorted safely and securely across co-location. We offer back up services that are Capita approved for your SIMS and FMS data. Fully secure, fully encrypted and hosted at our UK data centres.
Disaster Recovery
You may well never have a disaster which destroys your data onsite. But if it were to happen, you'd want to know that your most valuable data is safe. Our Disaster Recovery planning ensures that your school and MAT polices are both up to date and effective. We provide you with a Disaster Recovery Solution that easily evidences compliance such as GDPR, with policy driven automation and enhanced reporting, giving you complete overview of your data management.
Automatic Backups, Carefully Monitored
Our backups happen automatically which means they won't slow down your internet connection, consume bandwidth or impact the school day. Cloud storage is monitored 24/7/365 proactively at our central NOC via our expert team and monitoring software. This keeps everything running as it should, and any pre-emptive steps taken immediately should it ever be needed. The fact we are recommended by East Midlands Cyber Police is a testimony to our processes!
Microsoft 365 & Google G-Suite Backup
Data located in the Cloud can still be lost if it is not backed up securely. AIT provide Schools & MATs with Cloud to Cloud back up solutions to allow your school to share and store data more safely.
YOUR BEST CYBER ATTACK DEFENCE
Instant Cloud Recovery
Losing data can be extremely damaging for Pupils, Teachers of Staff, and whilst Google and Microsoft hold responsibility in certain cases; the users are responsible for their own data and their own actions when using the applications. AIT can help you understand what your responsibilities are when handling data in Microsoft 365 and Google G Suite for Education. Our Cloud back up adds an extra layer of security to your schools accounts, giving you complete peace of mind knowing that your data is safe.
Encrypted Data Backup
Easily Restore
100% Secure
Careful Monitoring
Microsoft 365 Backup
All Microsoft 365 Applications are backup via our Cloud-to-Cloud solution such as Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. That means if a user accidently deletes a file, or you need a specific file version, you'll be able to restore it. AIT offer free backups for Student Accounts! Our solution is design specifically with education in mind and complies with GDPR and DfE regulations, ensuring you keep control of your data and recover from any data loss quickly with flexible options.
G-Suite Backup
All Google for Education G-Suite Applications and Data are remotely backed up via our Cloud to Cloud solution, meaning that if a user accidently deletes a file, or you need a a file restoring from a specific point in time – our solution can give you complete data management. You can be up and running instantly at the click of a button. With inbuilt ransomware protection and fully GDPR compliant, AITs solution gives your school complete peace of mind.
Quick Restore
With Third-Party secure backups now required by the DfE IT and Technology Standards in Schools, our solution can make sure your school is compliant quickly and efficiently. With all student accounts benefitting from free licencing, AIT can offer your school or MAT an effective solution that's user friendly, robust and more importantly, reliable. Thanks to our UK based central support team, you backup solution benefits from our ongoing expert support.
Cloud-to-cloud backup pairs naturally with the rest of your defences — see how compromise alerts and phishing training stop the attacks that make restores necessary, and how AIT Cloud keeps your wider cloud estate managed and secure.
Backup you can evidence, not just believe
Most providers tell you your backups ran. We show you — in AIT Horizon, the leadership platform every AIT school and trust gets as part of the service.
- Backup success rate in the RAG compliance tracker. Backup and disaster recovery sit as a tracked line in Horizon's RAG compliance view, alongside your other DfE digital standards. Your headteacher or trust IT lead opens the Schools view and sees at a glance whether backup is green — for example, a school might see an illustrative 99.6% success rate across last month's backup jobs, with any amber exception noted and the fix recorded. No chasing reports, no taking our word for it.
- Trust-wide oversight in the Executive view. For a multi-academy trust, Horizon's Executive view rolls the same compliance picture up across every school — so a COO preparing for a trust board or an audit can evidence backup coverage for all sites in one place, and drill into any school that needs attention. If you run a trust, start with our multi-academy trusts page.
- Disaster recovery policies, stored and reviewed. Your DR plan lives in Horizon's policies area with its review date tracked, so it never quietly goes out of date — and restore-test outcomes are logged as compliance evidence for GDPR and inspection.
- Budgeting for storage in IT Finance. Horizon's IT Finance module puts backup storage alongside your hardware refresh and software licensing lines in a 5-year projection — so as pupil data grows, the cost of protecting it is planned years ahead on your strategy roadmap, never a surprise invoice.
Log in any time via the Customer Portal — your single door to AIT Horizon, Helpdesk Reporting, AIT Atlas and AIT Ordering.
All figures shown are illustrative examples, not live service data.
ROBUST AND RELIABLE
Stay Secure
With infinite scalability, our Managed Backup Solutions can be speedily deployed to ensure your site is fully DfE compliant. As a Trusted provider to Schools, Academies and MATs across the UK, AIT have been securely protecting schools sensitive and critical data for over 20 years. All data is stored safely in our UK based Data Centres, with ISO27001 compliance and ICO certification. Our provision doesn't stop there though, it's underpinned with fantastic support, training, advice and guidance. So you're always secure and protected.
What schools and trusts say
Above and beyond
Our Trust have worked with AIT for almost ten years. In that time we have developed a trusting relationship, and they are continually looking for ways in which to improve the service to our schools. As their team have grown, so have their capabilities, but they have never lost that personal approach which is what separates them from counterparts. If you're looking for a provider who can really deliver…look no further than AIT!
J Haigh
We love our technician visits!
It's always such a joy when our AIT tech visits! He's really part of the team and my staff always know that whatever they need will get resolved. It's nice to have that relationship develop and push new initiatives which go beyond support.
K Yoxall — School Business Manager
They just get it
AIT really 'get it'. I know that sounds cliché but anything we try and articulate they put into action. I really respect their transparent approach, and they always do everything to ensure we get the very best in price, service and products.
A Mullahy — School Business Manager
Cost Effective Solutions
AIT came in with a great price and even better proposal which really did maximise our budgets as they said it would! The broadband services they provider and additional support has been seamless
Nottingham City Council
Made a real impact
We have worked with AIT since 2018 and they have helped us in the centralisation of our IT and Telecommunication services. AIT staff are knowledgeable, friendly and efficient at all levels and really have made an impact to our MAT.
M Premdjy — Director
5 Years & Counting
For the past 5 years Advanced IT Services have provided exceptional service. We've used them as a complete end-to-end provider from IT support to broadband & filtering –the team have always been on hand to help with anything we need. I cannot recommend them enough, the support team are always there night or day and it's a pleasure working with them!
M Wenham — School Business Manager
Understanding
AIT have really inspired our team with how they can make AIT work for us! They're really driven a positive change within school so that our teachers are comfortable in using new EdTech. They're always so understanding to our requirements.
L Tonks — Headteacher
'The go-to IT support provider'
AIT continue to demonstrate why they are becoming the go-to IT support provider. They're continued investment into infrastructure and their staff base means all clients benefit. AIT still have the personal approach though to services which really does count for a lot, it means that anything we need or advice – they're always there to lend a helping hand
J Richardson
'High Standards Always'
AIT were a name which cropped up when we were in the initial phases of looking for a managed service provider. Our requirements were quite niche and we needed to work with an agile supplier who would be able to react quickly but facilitate the high standards we needed to achieve. I'm thrilled with the progress so far and look forward to many more years to come!
S. Mitchell — CEO
Backup is one layer — see the rest
Frequently asked questions
Not in the way most schools assume. Microsoft and Google run resilient services, but under their shared-responsibility models the data itself — and what your users do to it — remains your responsibility. Deleted accounts, overwritten files, malicious encryption and retention gaps can all mean cloud data is gone for good. That's why the DfE's digital and technology standards now expect schools to have third-party backup in place. Our cloud-to-cloud solution covers Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Google Workspace for Education, with free licensing for student accounts.
In two UK data centres, with data replicated from one remote site to the other. Everything is encrypted, held under ISO27001-compliant procedures, and never leaves the UK — which keeps your GDPR position straightforward and your Data Protection Officer happy.
Two ways. First, our UK-based NOC monitors every backup job 24/7/365 and acts on exceptions before they become problems. Second, backup success is reported into AIT Horizon's RAG compliance tracker, so your leadership team can see the status themselves — in your Schools view, or rolled up trust-wide in the Executive view — rather than relying on an annual reassurance from a supplier. Horizon is included with our service, not sold on top. (Any figures shown on this page are illustrative, not live data.)
We start with what matters most: which systems and data your school genuinely cannot run without — MIS, finance, safeguarding records, shared drives — and how quickly each needs to come back. From there we write and maintain your disaster recovery policy, automate the protection behind it, and log restore tests as evidence. The policy itself lives in AIT Horizon with a tracked review date, so it stays current instead of gathering dust in a drawer.
Backup and disaster recovery are part of our managed service, priced simply: you only pay for the storage you actually use, monitoring is free, and student-account cloud backups are free. There are no per-restore charges and no surprise fees when you need us most. Call 0115 9170 197 and we'll give you a straight answer on cost for your school or trust.
LETS TALK
Get in touch
We understand the unique needs and challenges that are faced by schools, and we are all about finding a solution that works for you. Get in touch with our friendly team to have a chat about how we can support you on your digital journey.
Call: 0115 9170 197