The organisation was exceeding its SharePoint Online storage allocation, creating a risk that sites could become read-only. Purchasing additional storage addressed the immediate capacity issue, but not the underlying causes of growth. The organisation needed a sustainable way to control storage consumption while keeping content protected, accessible and recoverable.
Using inclusive Advanced Support hours, bluesource assessed what was stored and how quickly the environment was growing. The analysis identified versioning as an immediate optimisation opportunity: default settings retained up to 500 versions, significantly increasing the footprint of frequently edited files.
Working with the organisation, bluesource reduced the version limit to 100 and introduced Microsoft version-trimming capabilities, reducing storage by 2.5 TB over time. The team then implemented archiving and stubbing for SharePoint Online and Teams content, alongside backup coverage for Microsoft 365 data. Content not modified for two years could be stubbed, leaving a lightweight 4 KB file in SharePoint that directed authorised users to the protected copy.
bluesource also established ongoing monitoring across SharePoint Online and the archive platform, with administration and support delivered as a managed service.
The first phase moved 91 TB out of SharePoint Online while retaining the content in the protected archive. Based on the Microsoft storage pricing quoted to the organisation, the additional SharePoint capacity would have cost around £235,000.
The approach strengthened security and resilience without disrupting the user experience. Stubbed content remained accessible through SharePoint to authorised users, with Conditional Access and existing compliance controls remaining in place. Backup and restore capabilities provided an additional layer of protection for archived and live Microsoft 365 content.
The programme also demonstrated practical recoverability. When engineering and plant sites needed archived content returned, bluesource restored approximately 350 GB within a couple of days. Additional exclusions were then introduced to better reflect operational requirements.
By combining specialist analysis, version optimisation, protected archiving, stubbing, backup and ongoing management, bluesource helped the organisation take a more secure, controlled and resilient approach to Microsoft 365 data growth.
bluesource helps organisations optimise, protect and operate complex Microsoft 365 environments. Our specialists combine consultancy, implementation and managed services to strengthen resilience, control cost and support long-term platform performance.
Understand what is driving SharePoint storage growth and identify opportunities to reduce cost, strengthen security and improve recovery.