A Complete Guide to Migrating Over to Microsoft Office 365

A Complete Guide to Migrating Over to Microsoft Office 365

1 in 5 Corporate Employees Are Using an Office 365 Service. Why? Because It Enables Them to Work Smarter and More Productively…

Realistically, virtually all employees require a range of services to perform their duties, including text processing, planners, calendars, email, spreadsheets, and other tools designed to organize information and keep in communication with others. Microsoft Office 365 is rapidly becoming one of the most popular cloud-based solutions to enable access to all of the above at any time, from any location. It makes sense given most organizations are moving towards a mobile workforce.

Why Embrace the Concept of a Mobile Workforce?

Whenever we speak about cloud services, it’s important to understand the concept of a mobile workforce. In the past, a central physical location was relied upon for employees to meet, work together, and accomplish their day-to-day duties. Nowadays, a mobile workforce keeps employees connected via computers, smartphones, and other mobile devices from any location. By 2022, it’s expected that the mobile workforce around the world will reach 1.87 BILLION workers.

But why embrace the concept of a mobile workforce? The answer is simple… Workers can perform the same tasks and responsibilities from the field, home or any other location as they would accomplish at an office. This means that businesses can:

1. Find talent regardless of location as it can be difficult to hire the right person at the right cost when you’re limited in terms of geography.
2. Reduce operating costs as you no longer need to maintain a large office with a ton of equipment to grow your staff.
3. Enhance employee satisfaction as employees who can work remotely are better able to balance their work/life and feel more trust from the organization.
4. Improve customer service as anytime, anywhere access to information means customers don’t have to wait until an employee is in the office.

This is only the beginning. A mobile workforce eliminates restrictions that are brought on by a traditional office environment.

How Does Office 365 Enable a Mobile Workforce That Can Work Smarter and More Productively?

Office 365 is a cloud-based collaboration platform filled with many of the most beloved tools and productivity features available on the market. Office 365 gives you access to cloud storage, alongside the following applications that can be utilized from any device or location:

1. Outlook
2. Word
3. Excel
4. PowerPoint
5. Access

Plus, there are various services included depending on the edition you choose to purchase.

1. Office 365 Business includes all of the applications above, as well as OneDrive.
2. Office 365 Business Premium includes all of the applications above, as well as OneDrive, Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams.
3. Office 365 Business Essentials includes the web and mobile versions of the applications above, as well as OneDrive, Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams.

Essentially, employees can access the files, spreadsheets, contacts, etc. they need at anytime while collaborating with one another on important projects. They can edit, alter or share documents and information in real-time as needed.

There are various benefits that can be achieved through migrating to Office 365, including but not limited to:

• More cost efficient as you pay a low-cost per month for access to the desktop, mobile, and cloud-based applications you need. This tends to be less expensive with no upfront costs. Plus, upgrades are automatically released so there’s no need to pay for new software.
• Greater integration with third-party tools as the solution supports various third-party tools with minimal technical configuration required – meaning it’s simple to migrate, secure, and monitor the platform of applications and tools as needed in a user-friendly manner.
• More data security measures than traditional, on-premises alternatives as Microsoft takes security seriously with data loss prevention, mobile device management encryption, advanced threat analytics, and more features designed to ensure the confidentiality of information.
• Greater ability to recover from outages whether they’re planned or unexpected, such as a natural disaster, as employees can simply pack up and head home – accessing their data and applications via the cloud. This means you’re always able to keep working as needed.

Is Office 365 Truly Secure Enough to Protect Confidential Information Against Theft? What About Data Loss?

Office 365 provides a high degree of security with over 180 MILLION users trusting the platform for communication and collaboration. Microsoft has a proven track record for optimal performance, and although there are many data security features included, we do recommend having a separate backup solution that our team can help choose and configure. Why? Microsoft keeps your data as safe as possible, but there are a few scenarios where a third-party backup solution comes in handy:

• Accidental file deletion as the recycle bin only protects you for a limited amount of time.
• Ransomware attacks as version history can be time-consuming and doesn’t always protect you against older files being held hostage.
• Compliance efforts as industry-specific regulations may require you to have specific backup processes in place.

However, you can rest assured that for the standard organization, the features included in Office 365 will likely be enough to keep you safe and compliant, including:

• Version history
• Legal holds
• Retention policies
• Recycle bins
• Azure information protection
• And more

Sysoft addresses third-party backup for Office 365 on a case-by-case basis to ensure each and every client we migrate over has exactly what they need.

Ready to Migrate to Office 365? Call (416) 410-7268 to Get Started with the Leading Toronto IT Services Company.