Key Takeaways
- Interactive guide for choosing on-premises v cloud archiving options
- Arctera announced a shift to a fully SaaS cloud-based business model
- Enterprise Vault is now a separate business unit focusing on on-premises data governance software
- Cloud archiving focuses on speed, scalability, and simplicity
- On-premises archiving offers more control, and is ideal for highly regulated industries
- Hybrid archiving, like Cloudlocker’s 23 option, offer a balance of control and security with simplicity and scalability
5 Key Considerations for On-Premises v Cloud Archiving
Arctera (formerly Veritas) recently announced a major shift in its operating model, reorganizing into three business units: one for its fully cloud‑based SaaS offerings, one for its on‑premises Enterprise Vault (EV) portfolio, and one for InfoScale. All three business units remain under Cloud Software Group ownership and management.
This distinction highlights a shift in the data governance industry, and pushes “cloud v. on-prem” conversations front and center.
Traditionally, cloud-based SaaS options offer more flexibility, while on-prem options can be ideal for industries facing strict data regulations (finance, healthcare, government, etc.) or organizations that want greater control of their data. One isn’t inherently “better” than the other; it’s a question of which deployment is a better fit for your organization.
Comparing on-premises v cloud archiving involves looking at more than regulatory requirements. Important considerations also include budget, logistics, usage, and the impact on your IT team. You must also look at your current and future business requirements for all stakeholders.
Comparing on-premises v cloud archiving involves looking at more than regulatory requirements. Important considerations also include budget, logistics, and impact on your IT team.
Arctera and Enterprise Vault Updates: On-Premises v Cloud Archiving
Your organization’s compliance obligations, infrastructure strategy, and risk profile are key considerations for choosing between cloud and on-premises archiving. Below is a breakdown of the key considerations.
| Features | Arctera Unified Platform (Saas/Cloud) | Enterprise Vault Complete (On-Premises) |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Fully cloud-hosted, SaaS-delivered | Customer-controlled on-premises infrastructure or private cloud |
| Data Residency | Managed within the cloud platform | Full control over where data lives |
| Scalability | Elastic, no predefined limits on volume or users | Determined by the chosen infrastructure |
| Maintenance and Upgrades | Handled by Arctera; continuous delivery | Managed by your team or with external support |
| Compliance Coverage | Unified platform across all sources and channels | Comprehensive archiving and governance |
| Best for | Organizations embracing cloud-first strategies, remote and hybrid environments | Highly regulated industries with strict data control requirements (such as finance, healthcare, and government) |
| Infrastructure Ownership | No hardware to manage | Full ownership of systems and data |
| Legacy Products | Artera Insight Platform, EV.cloud | Merge1, eDP, EV on-premises |
Cloud Archiving
Arctera Unified Platform
Cloud-based compliance delivers speed, scale, and simplicity. With Arctera’s SaaS model, there are no infrastructure procurement cycles, no on-premises hardware to maintain, and no version upgrade windows to manage.
“Arctera’s SaaS operating model delivers compliance as a unified, cloud-based service. The approach enables organizations to extend compliance across systems, data sources, and workflows without the challenges of legacy approaches.”
Compliance capabilities extend as your organization grows across new channels, new systems, and new geographies, without requiring additional infrastructure investment. For organizations navigating complex, multi-channel data environments at enterprise scale, a unified SaaS foundation removes the friction that often creates compliance gaps and cost overruns.
On-Premises Archiving
Enterprise Vault Complete
As regulatory expectations continue to intensify, the ability to maintain data compliance while keeping up with modern systems and collaboration is not a nice-to-have; it is a compliance requirement. On-premises archiving provides something cloud systems cannot fully replicate: complete, uncompromising control.
“Enterprise Vault is built for environments where data residency, sovereignty, and system control matter. It enables organizations to modernize compliance and governance capabilities while maintaining full control over deployment, infrastructure, and data location.”
This need for advanced compliance and complete control is especially important when organizations face strict data regulations such as HIPAA, SEC, and FINRA compliance. With on-prem archiving, organizations control software deployment, physical infrastructure, and data location (whether on-premises or within a private cloud structure).
With on‑premises archiving solutions like Enterprise Vault, organizations own more than just their data — they own the systems and infrastructure. While regular maintenance and updates can be more work for IT teams, it also means internal teams have more power and access to customize systems, make necessary updates, and install fixes without waiting on vendor solutions.
The Simplicity of a Single SKU
One of the biggest advantages of both Arctera Unified Platform and Enterprise Vault Complete is the simplicity of a single SKU that unlocks the entire feature set. Instead of navigating add-ons, modules, or tiered licensing, organizations get full access to every capability from day one, whether deployed in the cloud or on-premises. This model eliminates licensing complexity, reduces procurement friction, and ensures teams can use the full breadth of compliance, search, retention, supervision, and discovery tools without worrying about incremental costs.
For cloud customers, it means immediate access to new features as they’re released. For on-premises customers, it means predictable ownership with the entire EV portfolio available under one entitlement. A single SKU ensures organizations aren’t forced to choose which capabilities they can afford – it gives them everything they need to run compliance at scale.
And now the bad news: this simplicity will very likely come at a higher cost, but it delivers predictable spend and removes the hidden fees and surprise add-ons that often inflate the total cost of ownership over time.
On-Premises v Cloud Archiving: Choosing the Right Deployment
Choosing the right deployment option for data archiving requires balancing data regulation needs, access needs, scalability, IT team capabilities, and budget considerations.
Bluesource has extensive experience in helping organizations navigate both tactical short‑term decisions and longer‑term strategic planning related to data governance and archiving. With the changes to Arctera and Enterprise Vault, any upcoming renewals are an opportune time to evaluate options. Bluesource specializes in Arctera products and Enterprise Vault, alongside our Microsoft expertise, and partnership with Cloudlocker.
Our team is ready to help navigate the Arctera and EV changes, assess renewal risk, explore optimization opportunities, and evaluate the pros and cons of on-premises v cloud archiving.