100x Faster Restores and Zero Hassle: Why Included Health Uses Druva for Google Protection

Included Health delivers personalized, all-in-one healthcare to millions nationwide, providing virtual and in-person care, system-wide navigation, and 24/7 support. Their comprehensive approach aims for better care, better outcomes, healthier days, and lower overall costs for their members.

Included Health, a fast-growing healthcare technology firm, encountered significant challenges in safeguarding its data, particularly within its expansive Google Workspace environment. Before adopting Druva, the company relied solely on Google's native tools, which involved tedious and inefficient processes like exporting zip files for backups. This ad-hoc solution was not only time-consuming but also prone to delays and lacked the robustness and reliability needed to secure sensitive healthcare data effectively.

Jay Chiu, Senior Systems Engineer at Included Health, shed light on the challenges of their previous system: "We depended on Google Vault, but every time a user was terminated, we had to manually export their zip files—a process that was both messy and inefficient." This labor-intensive method not only slowed down data restoration but also jeopardized data integrity and business continuity, creating unnecessary operational delays.

Additionally, Google’s native tools lacked the robust capabilities needed for retention, litigation holds, and eDiscovery—essential for meeting strict compliance standards like SOC2 and HITRUST. Without an automated, hands-off solution, the team was forced to rely on constant manual intervention, draining valuable IT resources.

Included Health sought a modern, efficient, and compliant data protection solution and found the perfect fit with Druva. Their top priority was a reliable backup system for their Google Workspace, which stores vital and sensitive data. Druva's comprehensive platform impressed with its user-friendly design, seamless integration, and advanced capabilities that exceeded standard backup requirements.

"We needed a solution that seamlessly integrated with our existing tech stack, and Druva was the clear choice," said Chiu. During the proof-of-concept (POC) phase, Druva stood out for its unmatched ease of implementation compared to other vendors. Although the initial setup required some scripting in a GCP environment to automate user provisioning and deprovisioning, the process quickly became more efficient and evolved into a largely hands-off workflow.

Druva’s comprehensive protection for Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar was a crucial factor for Included Health, particularly given their need to safeguard PHI and PII. Its robust compliance features stood out as essential, seamlessly aligning with the company's SOC2 and HITRUST audit requirements. "Druva is in compliance, perfect one and one, and exactly what we need to safeguard patient data," noted Chiu.

One standout advantage emerged during a Google Workspace consolidation. Druva proved indispensable in recovering lost files during the process. "We had two Google instances to merge, and some files in Google Drive were lost. The challenge was, we didn’t know many of the file names. Luckily, Druva’s keyword search allowed us to locate and recover them." This scenario underscored Druva’s powerful search and recovery capabilities, even in complex situations. Additionally, Druva’s cloud native approach to protecting data in both AWS and Azure stood out as Included Health has data in all of the major public clouds.

With Druva, Included Health transformed its data protection strategy, achieving unparalleled efficiency, reliability, and compliance. The transition from makeshift solutions to Druva's automated platform has been a game-changer, particularly for managing their Google Workspace environment.

100x Faster Restores:
One of the most notable advantages has been the dramatic improvement in restore speeds. As Chiu explained, "With Druva, we can re-provision the same user, same email, and Google Drive in just seconds... it’s saved us an incredible amount of time." This efficiency is a significant leap forward from the tedious and time-consuming manual zip file exports previously required. The ability to quickly restore entire user accounts, including Gmail and Google Drive data, ensures seamless business continuity with minimal disruption.

Enhanced Compliance and Legal Hold Capabilities:
Druva played a critical role during Included Health's audit seasons. "Druva became essential for our audits, reinforcing the need for a robust backup system," explained Chiu. The platform’s litigation hold and eDiscovery functionalities have been invaluable to their legal team, offering a dependable and compliant solution for data retention and retrieval.

Automated and Hands-Off Operations:
Automating the provisioning and deprovisioning of users has greatly reduced administrative burdens. "The simplicity, the user interface, and especially the automation of provisioning and deprovisioning—those were the game-changers with so many users," Chiu noted. This streamlined, hands-off process ensures that every user, including C-level executives, is consistently backed up without the need for manual effort or concerns about missing data.

Scalability and Reliability:
Druva effortlessly scaled alongside Included Health's rapid expansion, especially during a merger that doubled their user base. "We definitely increased our licenses," Chiu noted. The platform's built-in redundancy guarantees successful backups, even when initial attempts fail, serving as the "ultimate safety net" for their critical data.

Comprehensive All-in-One Solution:
Included Health selected Druva not only for its backup capabilities but for its robust and comprehensive toolset. "Druva offered more within its tool stack compared to other vendors, without adding extra costs," Chiu explained, highlighting the value of an integrated solution that removes the need for multiple expensive point products.

When asked, "What would happen if Druva was no longer available to your team?" Chiu's response was clear and direct: "Chaos—no backup, no redundancy." He elaborated further, explaining, "Without Druva, we’d be forced to explore not just one, but likely several different platforms to replicate its functionality. We needed an all-in-one cloud solution, and that’s exactly what Druva provides."