In this first half of 2019, we have completed several “emergency” Office 365 migrations. Some of these were existing customers and some were completely new customers that came to us in a state of panic. Ransomware had hit their system and brought their business to a complete standstill. One client did not have email for 3 full days… they estimate this cost them about $40k.

Email is essential to every single modern business. There is not one business today that could operate without it. It is how we communicate with clients, coworkers, and vendors. Sure, we can pick up the phone and call but it’s our sole source of exchanging documents. We can all agree a day without email would make your job almost impossible. Yet, it is surprising how many organizations are playing Russian roulette with their email systems. Whether it’s outdated infrastructure, unsecure passwords, lack of user education on phishing scams, or a missing disaster recovery plan, a lot of organizations are unprepared for a major event when it comes to their email system.

Office 365 Offers Peace of Mind

Office 365 is widely used by small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike. One of the major reasons’ companies transition to Office 365 is for peace of mind. Remember the companies I referenced that performed an emergency migration? The IT Manager at one company worked until 4 am trying to get email back online. Having Office 365 means that will never happen. Email will always be working for your users.

Office 365 also gives you the ability to administer your environment from an easy admin portal and deploy more security features. Using Advanced Threat Protections, InTune (mobile device management), and Cloud App Security allow you to take control of your environment and prevent future attacks. Features in Office 365 actually allow you to test mock phishing attacks on your users. From there, you can see who is susceptible and put them in a training program, so they aren’t a target for a real attack. InTune allows you to separate work from personal on mobile devices, so you can prevent a malicious attack from the outside getting in.

Move Mission-Critical Applications to the Cloud Now

Moving mission-critical applications to the cloud, like email, should be top of mind for all IT departments and business leaders. Whether it’s hosting your Microsoft Dynamics system on the Azure platform, migrating to Office 365, or deploying backups to Azure, you need to have a plan and timeline in place for these moves.

The best way to go about this would be to engage a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). They can help you determine the best license for your needs, assist in email migrations, and (depending on skill set), set up your Azure tenant. When looking for a CSP you should look for a partner that has a skill set that fits your unique needs, as not all CSPs are the same. For instance, almost all CSPs sell Office 365 and perform migrations, however, not all are skilled in Microsoft Azure.

KTL is unique in that we have skills in Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics. Consider the areas you are looking to start with and where you would like to expand to help choose the right CSP. Do not be afraid to reach out to several or contact Microsoft and have them recommend someone. The Microsoft Inside Sales department is directly linked with the top partner and can help identify the right one for you. If you’d like to try working with KTL Solutions, you can contact us here.

June 6, 2019 by KTL Solutions

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