Ransomware-proof backups and 167% ROI: How the Salvation Army Switzerland transformed data protection with DE&C + Scality ARTESCA

As a Veeam Accredited Service Partner (VASP), Digital Education & Consulting (DE&C) helps Swiss organizations protect mission-critical data in a market where 99% of companies have fewer than 250 employees. Cost-efficiency, simplicity, and strong ransomware defense are essential.

One long-standing customer is the Salvation Army Switzerland, which relies on DE&C for infrastructure and backup services to support its humanitarian mission. The Salvation Army Switzerland began seeking a more centralized and future-ready approach to protecting growing volumes of Microsoft 365 and VM data.

The existing tape infrastructure had reliably served its purpose for years, but new goals around ransomware resilience and recovery speed prompted a modernization. Backup volumes were growing, and the manual nature of tape consumed valuable IT resources.

Improving recovery times was also a key objective. DE&C set out to identify a next-generation solution that would be both affordable and enterprise-ready — able to provide immutable, ransomware-proof backups without adding complexity.

In Scality, DE&C found a partner aligned with customer realities: modern ransomware defense, simplicity, and scalability without enterprise-level overhead.

For the Salvation Army Switzerland, DE&C deployed Scality ARTESCA S3 object storage as the central repository for both Veeam Backup & Replication and Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365. Data is written directly to ARTESCA over S3, with immutability and Scality's CORE5 cyber-resilience capabilities safeguarding it from the moment it's created.

The solution integrated seamlessly into existing Veeam workflows — no custom parameters or added complexity required. This ease of deployment enables DE&C to deliver immediate value to clients while future-proofing their backup environment.

Scality ARTESCA S3 object storage

Veeam Backup & Replication

Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365

20 TB single node, scalable to petabytes

Customers can start small — with as little as 20 terabytes on a single node — and scale seamlessly to petabytes as needs evolve. This flexibility is especially valuable for organizations like the Salvation Army Switzerland, which expect continued data growth over time.

Automation also plays a key role. Backup and restore processes now require no manual intervention, and testing is performed automatically every week. In rare cases where a full metadata resync is required, ARTESCA's performance ensures recovery time objectives (RTOs) stay short — an important safeguard for mission-driven organizations. Throughout the process, DE&C has been able to rely on Scality's expertise to address customer needs and ensure smooth deployment.

$1.67 saved for every $1 invested

Immutable, ransomware-proof backups end to end

With ARTESCA in place, the Salvation Army Switzerland has modernized its backup environment, moving from labor-intensive processes to fully automated, policy-driven protection. Admin time has dropped by 96%, freeing IT staff for higher-value initiatives that directly support the organization's mission.

The financial outlook is equally compelling. By streamlining operations and reducing infrastructure overhead, the Salvation Army Switzerland is projected to achieve 167% ROI over five years — returning more than one-and-a-half in savings for every franc invested.

For DE&C, the project reinforced their ability to deliver best-in-class solutions to customers across Switzerland. And for the Salvation Army, success also came from having the right technology paired with the right expertise: the combination of Scality's local team working alongside DE&C ensures they have a ransomware-resilient solution that is both reliable and tailored to their needs.

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