As cloud storage platforms evolve, so do the responsibilities of institutions that rely on them at scale. In response to significant changes announced by both Google and Microsoft, UD Information Technologies (UDIT) launched Phase I of the University’s Google and M365 Storage Project to proactively manage growth, reduce institutional risk, and ensure long-term sustainability of cloud storage services at UD.

This work represents a shift from an era of effectively unlimited storage to one focused on intentional data management, equitable allocation, and financial stewardship.

Why this project was necessary

In 2021, Google announced the end of unlimited storage for higher education, with enforcement beginning in late 2024. Microsoft followed with changes to its higher education licensing model in August 2023, impacting Microsoft 365 storage allocations in mid-2024.

Without intervention, continued growth in cloud storage would have resulted in increased costs and operational risk. Phase I of the Storage Project was designed to address these challenges early and deliberately.

What Phase I delivered

Phase I established clear, affiliation-based storage limits while preserving flexibility for academic and business needs.

The Phase I implementation included:

• Default Google storage limits by affiliation

  • Active faculty, staff, and students: 50 GB

  • Alumni: 15 GB

  • Retirees: 50 GB

• No-cost storage increases available within defined thresholds for active faculty, staff, and students

• Disabling Google Photos and allowing people temporary access to transfer or delete their photos

• Paid storage options for shared entities with larger needs, such as Shared Drives or Teams/SharePoint sites exceeding standard allocations

• New Services (e.g. Azure Archive) provide lower cost alternatives for long-term storage

• Federal Grant Applications resulted in the creation of additional research storage options

• Annual Digital Storage Cleanup Campaign to encourage data reduction

• Immediate controls on Microsoft storage growth, including temporary limits implemented in early 2024

• New Microsoft 365 service defaults include:

  • Exchange email: 25 GB

  • OneDrive: 100 GB

  • Teams and SharePoint sites: 50 GB

• In many cases, storage can be increased up to 500 GB at no charge, with paid options available for shared storage beyond that.

Note that prior to this project, Google and M365 were growing at a rate of 200 and 57 TB/year, respectively. At the pre-project growth rate, UD's cloud storage bill would have increased by $31 thousand per year.

Key outcomes of Phase I include: 

• 1,195 TB storage reduced

• 3,224 total accounts archived

• Google institutional storage was reduced from 2,355 TB to 1,197 TB

• M365 institutional storage was reduced from 307 TB to 280 TB 

• Sustainability: Successful Google and M365 contract renewals

Supporting responsible data management

Phase I also emphasized data lifecycle awareness by encouraging users to manage their data by deleting outdated or duplicate files and reviewing shared content ownership. 

UDIT has supported this effort through targeted outreach, documentation, and direct communication with users approaching or exceeding limits.

A True Team Effort

Phase I was made possible through collaboration across multiple UDIT teams, including:

• Cloud & Platform Services – Designing and implementing storage policies across Google and Microsoft platforms

• Identity & Access Management – Aligning storage limits with affiliation and account lifecycle

• IT Support Center & Service Management – Supporting users through changes, requests, and exceptions

• Communications & Change Management – Developing clear, timely messaging to guide the campus community

• Finance & Vendor Management – Ensuring alignment with licensing models and cost recovery strategies

This cross-functional effort ensured that technical changes were paired with thoughtful communication and support. Additional support was provided through direct conversation with nearly every Unit across campus. 

Special recognition goes to College and Unit IT professionals who worked diligently with faculty and staff to provide governance, end-user support, solution testing, and the development of processes and documentation.

Looking ahead

Phase I established formal storage quotas, implemented enforcement procedures, and secured a foundation for future phases of the Storage Project, which will continue to focus on sustainable growth, improved visibility into usage, and refined processes for requesting and managing storage. Long-term governance efforts are now transitioning to ongoing operations and Phase II.

By adapting proactively to vendor changes, UDIT is helping the University navigate a shifting cloud landscape while continuing to support teaching, research, and operations.