Preservica 2023: A Year of Innovation and Collaboration

In 2023, Preservica saw firsthand how innovation and collaboration became the driving forces behind the dynamic Digital Preservation landscape. Innovation and collaboration fueled our growth and success and profoundly shaped our newest products and user experiences.

Our year has been full of innovations! We debuted Preservica’s new Local Government application, which includes pre-built templates and digital workflows for local government records management.

We launched the game-changing Preserve365® that seamlessly embeds Active Digital Preservation™ archiving in the Microsoft 365 experience.

Most recently, we announced a brand-new generation of our Enterprise edition, purpose-designed with powerful new capabilities for government, corporate, academic archives, and libraries.

Our collaborations were equally impactful. During our three global Preservica user events, we had the opportunity to work collaboratively with our user community to share insights and ideas, discuss Digital Preservation tools and build long-lasting bonds through customer engagement.

We also enhanced user collaboration by hosting two major working groups, our Early Access Group for Preserve365 and the Local US Government Application Working Group, which helped support two of our 2023 product launches.

Beyond product launches, 2023 marked the initiation of our Starter Grant Program, designed to assist underfunded archives in embarking on their Digital Preservation journey. Selected applicants who outlined significant projects with a clear vision for the future of Digital Preservation at their organizations were awarded a fully funded account for two years!

Preservica also strengthened partnerships within our international vendor community, fostering greater adoption and implementation of Preservica. Simultaneously, we welcomed new partners who are poised to support their customer base with the newly available Preserve365.

Join us as we celebrate Preservica's 2023 highlights—a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration for our 2023 Digital Preservation achievements.

Preserve365®

It was a transformative year with the launch of new products and applications, taking Digital Preservation to new heights! We were excited to launch Preserve365® – turning traditional information archiving on its head by embedding Preservica’s Active Digital Preservation archiving technology directly into the Microsoft 365 experience. This innovative breakthrough eliminates the need for additional information archiving tools to be used with Microsoft 365. It’s a revolutionary solution that streamlines the automation, governance and archiving of data at scale, bringing forth a new era of efficiency and integrity for valuable digital assets within the entire Microsoft ecosystem and its user base.

Through our partnership with Microsoft, Preserve365 is now transactional on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

New generation Enterprise edition

Developed in collaboration with the global community of Digital Preservation, archival, and records management professionals, Preservica unveiled the latest generation of its Enterprise edition in Active Digital Preservation™ archiving.

This new release features a user-friendly interface and powerful capabilities such as enhanced security, fully automated Digital Preservation, advanced metadata management, high-performance ingest, and seamless integration with AI and Machine learning tools. It also tackles compliance, security, integration, and scalability needs, bringing simplicity and automation to the challenge of ensuring the long-term accessibility and authenticity of critical digital assets.

But that's not all - the new Enterprise edition is now available on shared hosting, offering tiered pricing options for organizations of all sizes. Alongside dedicated Private Cloud hosting on AWS or Azure, this provides flexibility to suit different needs. The package also includes personalized guidance from Preservica's team of archiving and digital preservation experts.

Preservica for Local US Governments

Preservica's Local US Government application is simplifying records management with its user-friendly interface and ready-to-go templates. This innovative solution not only makes tasks more efficient but also replaces cumbersome legacy systems and paper-based processes. Now, departments and citizens alike benefit from easy, secure self-service, streamlined interactions and better accessibility and efficiency in local government operations – reducing records request times from days to mere minutes.

Starter Grant Program

This past year, we proudly announced our inaugural Starter Grant Program, which is a unique opportunity for underfunded archives in various sectors to initiate their Digital Preservation projects. Each year, four institutions will be selected to receive a fully funded Starter Plus (250GB) account for two years, empowering them to kickstart their Digital Preservation journey and gain traction with stakeholders. This initiative underscores Preservica's commitment to democratizing access to cutting-edge preservation tools and safeguarding against long-term data loss.

See the list of 2023 recipients and stay tuned for more information on how to apply this year!

In a year marked by milestones and achievements, here are a few of our customer’s triumphant stories and some collaborations that have defined our journey over the past year.

Customer Success Stories

Boston City Archives: Preservica was proud to contribute to Boston City Archives' mission of preserving the democratic process and transitioning to Digital Preservation. This involved allowing archivists to focus on curating and sharing crucial government records and historical voting documents instead of managing local IT servers and multiple tools.

Greene County: Preservica supported Greene County by expediting records request handling, automatically maintaining records in readable formats and offering a user-friendly platform for effortless records search. Additionally, it facilitated straightforward bulk upload and departmental submission of both digitized and born-digital records.

Moore College: Preservica aided Moore College in modernizing its preservation approach by offering a solution that consolidates legacy systems, enabling the external maintenance and centralizing of its digital collections. This helps the College with secure and immediate access to valuable long-term digital assets from any location.

Lawrenceville Boarding School: Lawrenceville Boarding School leveraged Preservica to preserve its rich history. This involved safeguarding invaluable digital assets to ensure compliance with regulations and facilitating the private and public sharing of school-related records, which carry administrative, legal, fiscal and historical significance.

User Groups

This year we had the opportunity to host the Preservica International User Group, the North America User Group and the Preservica Dutch Summit. In total, 300 Preservica users attended these signature events. We were thrilled to see our users sharing insights, learning from each other and fostering new connections.

These events served as valuable opportunities for users to connect, exchange ideas and engage with the Preservica team. Attendees gained insights into the latest product direction, strategy and announcements, participating in industry-focused groups and roundtable discussions on key topics such as Digital Preservation best practices, file format identification, user interface evolution, API utilization and metadata management.

Preservica is devoted to engaging and collaborating directly with our user community. We demonstrate this commitment through initiatives that promote ongoing learning and collaboration, ensuring they stay updated on the latest developments and strategies in Digital Preservation.

Working Groups

Two dedicated working groups played instrumental roles in supporting the launch of Preserve365 and the US Local Government Application.

Preserve365 Early Access & Preview Group

Over 300 forward-thinking practitioners within the records and archives community formed the Preserve365 Early Access & Preview Group. Hailing from diverse organizations globally, these members actively contributed to the development of capabilities that automatically archive and maintain long-term Microsoft 365 records, fostering expertise and advocating for digital preservation. Their insights helped lift the lid on the changing records landscape​ and the day-to-day complexities​ archivists and records managers face when it comes to managing Microsoft 365 records over the long term.

US Local Government Application Group

Preservica collaborated with another working group, consisting of records managers and archivists at the town, city, and county level to shape the US Local Government Application. Helping users get started in the system more quickly, the configured application supports a wide variety of record types with long-term and permanent retention at the local government level. Learning from our customers has helped us to better understand government workflows so we can support the work of preserving electronic records efficiently for many years to come.

Perhaps most noteworthy though is our launch of Preserve365 in collaboration with Microsoft. Our partnership with Microsoft also means that Preserve365 and Preservica Enterprise are now available through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace and can count toward an organization’s Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC).

The launch of Preserve365 has also allowed Preservica to expand its partner network. The list of Preserve365 partners includes global and regional partners like Infotechtion, Proventeq, Gimmal, and Van Kaliber with more names to come in 2024.

Events

In 2023, we participated in 20 worldwide events where we had the privilege of engaging with a diverse audience of industry thought leaders, solution partners and various practitioners from the archiving, records management, information governance and government community.

As members of industry organizations around the world, we also participated in various conferences, webinars and industry panels led by associations such as ARA, AIIM, DPC, IRMS, MER, NAGARA, RIMPA, CoSA, ARMA and SAA.

What Do You Preserve Campaign

Preservica proudly held its second annual What Do You Preserve Campaign, a dynamic initiative during October’s Archives Month that invites the archiving community to highlight the diverse and impactful ways individuals and organizations contribute to digitally preserving the world’s cultural heritage.

Through compelling stories shared on our platform, we showcased the unique efforts of our community in safeguarding valuable digital assets. Our pledge to preservation aligns seamlessly with the campaign's mission, emphasizing the importance of preserving our shared history and culture for future generations.

Explore the inspiring stories and insights from the #WhatDoYouPreserve campaign on our blog here.

World Digital Preservation Day

November 1 marked World Digital Preservation Day (WDPD), a significant occasion for the Preservica community and the wider digital preservation field. It is a day dedicated to celebrating all aspects of digital preservation and serves as an opportunity to reflect on the impactful work happening within the Digital Preservation community. The theme for 2023, "Digital Preservation: A Concerted Effort," underscored the collaborative and collective endeavors aimed at ensuring the longevity and accessibility of the world’s digital heritage.

As part of Preservica’s dedication to data sustainability, our Sustainability Charter Blog on WDPD further underlines our commitment to responsible and eco-friendly practices in the realm of Digital Preservation with seven key sustainability principles. In a second blog, Preservica Chief Innovation Officer, Jon Tilbury, dug into the evolving relationship and collaboration between Digital Preservation vendors and researchers.

Our Deepest Thanks

Innovation, fueled by collaborative efforts, defined our accomplishments in 2023. These collaborations resulted in the creation of cutting-edge products, offering enhanced value to the greater archiving community. As we reflect on the past year, our mission remains steadfast in ensuring a thriving future for Digital Preservation.

Looking ahead, we are poised to achieve even greater milestones through ongoing and new collaborations, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have been integral to this journey, and we look forward to your continued partnership in shaping the future of Digital Preservation.