Arlington, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- Info-Tech Research Group has named Google Vault, Bloomberg Vault, and Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving as Champions in its 2026 Data Archiving Data Quadrant Report, with Google Vault topping the category at an 8.9 Composite Score.
Google Vault scores 8.9 on quality features, leading the Champion tier
Bloomberg Vault followed with an 8.6 Composite Score, earning top marks for granularity, while Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving posted an 8.5 score, recognized for ease of data integration. The rankings draw on verified end-user feedback collected through Info-Tech's SoftwareReviews platform rather than analyst opinion or vendor input.
Rising data volumes push compliance and storage costs to the forefront
The report evaluates how archiving tools move inactive data from primary systems into long-term storage while preserving retention, compliance, and recovery access. Evaluated features include data encryption, retention and policy management, automation, e-discovery, storage optimization, access controls, and deletion controls.
Info-Tech warns unchecked AI logging creates legal liability
Justin St-Maurice, technical counselor at Info-Tech Research Group, said organizations are logging every prompt, AI interaction, and user session without a defined purpose, calling this practice "a liability waiting to happen" rather than an archiving strategy. He argued that retained data becomes a usable asset only when organizations define its purpose, retention period, and access controls in advance, such as using interaction data to fine-tune models.
Composite Scores combine recommendation likelihood with vendor capability ratings
Info-Tech's Data Quadrant methodology aggregates user inputs on likelihood to recommend, feature rankings, net emotional footprint, and vendor capabilities into the Composite Score that determines Champion placement. The firm states its rankings rely entirely on authentic user reviews from IT professionals with direct procurement, implementation, and maintenance experience.