Blog Archives | Page 8 of 20

Our Azure Expert, Jeff Field, took the stage at Future Decoded 2019 to talk around Securing your Azure Environment. With security at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we thought we’d share a rundown of what Jeff covered.

Microsoft invests over $1 Billion per year in cybersecurity and has a global team of over 3,500 cybersecurity experts working to protect and secure the physical data centres and Microsoft Cloud environments. The Microsoft cloud is built on a secure foundation which consists of; Physical security, Operational security and Global cloud infrastructure that runs the Microsoft Cloud Services.

Microsoft has some of the world’s best physical security to provide secured data centre building environments and within those buildings, secure server environments which run the cloud systems. All-access to buildings and systems is fully audited and logged and operates with the most restrictive access.

Operational security is continually tested by Microsoft to make sure that any new vulnerabilities are found before exploited. You may have heard of the red and blue Microsoft security teams? The red teams are tasked with attacking Microsoft production resources and the blue team are tasked with detecting and preventing the attacks. This is ongoing work to constantly secure the environment you are working in.

Microsoft also analyses billions of data points every month from things such as cloud authentications, scanned emails and web pages. The output of all of this is used for Microsoft’s Intelligent Security Graph which is then utilized across the environment to add additional protection to cloud services

So Microsoft has a massive ongoing security investment, but it is down to you, the customer, to secure the resources you deploy on the platform. Let’s have a look at some of the options we have to do this…

Identity, Access and Governance

Jeff then went on to discuss the best practices for Identity, Access and Governance:

It is generally best practice to sync on-prem Active Directory to Azure Active Directory using AAD Connect. You can then use Azure Active Directory as a single identity source across your Azure subscriptions.
It may sound obvious but, only allow access to the Azure portal for specific users that need it. If they don’t need access for their role, don’t give it to them.
Enable MFA for users that have access to the portal for an additional level of security and configure conditional access policies as required.
Privileged Identity Management (PIM) is also available which requires users to request Just-In-Time (JIT) access for privileged permissions for Azure Active Directory and Azure roles. To access this, you require Azure AD P2, EMS or Microsoft 365 M5.
Identify different user groups and duties within teams such as support and then use security groups to apply permissions for these specific roles at Management Group or Resource Group levels. This will allow you to effectively manage who has access to what.
Azure Policy has a large number of pre-configured policies which audit and prevent certain deployments or configuration within the Azure environment. You can prevent resources from being deployed in regions, audit storage accounts which allow access from all networks. You’ll also have the ability to create customer policies.
Use Azure Blueprints to deploy Resource groups, RBAC roles, ARM templates and policies in a repeatable manner – allowing you to speed up processes moving forward.

Azure Network Security

Azure Network Security is the process of protecting resources from unauthorized access or attack and applying controls to network traffic. The aim of Azure Network Security is to ensure only legitimate traffic is coming through. Jeff presented some of the options available to secure your Azure network.

Storage, Data and Encryption

Storage at rest is enabled by default for Azure storage such as storage accounts and virtual machine disks using encryption keys which are managed by Microsoft.

For additional security of Azure VM disks, you can encrypt disks using Bitlocker for Windows or DM Crypt for Linux machines. You encrypt the disks using an encryption key which you then store in Azure Key Vault. These keys can then only be accessed by you and not Microsoft.

Azure SQL / Managed Instance / Data Warehouse databases encrypted with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) by default.

With a general move towards DevOps methodologies for the deployment of application and infrastructure, it is very important to be careful with what is being put into your code.

Beware of using credentials, secrets or SAS tokens in code stored in repositories. Public code repository being trawled by bots harvesting this information!!

Instead, use Azure Key Vault to store keys, certificates and passwords and make sure it is secured appropriately. These secrets can then be referenced programmatically directly from Key Vault at deployment time.

Azure Kubernetes Service Security

Jeff introduced Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) and the importance of keeping AKS deployments secure. More businesses are taking an interest in Azure Kubernetes Service and Container Technology and have been exploring their capabilities.

Azure Kubernetes Service is Microsoft’s fastest growing Azure technology. Ever.

It’s important to make sure that your AKS environment is secured appropriately. By default, the Kubernetes API server is published on a public IP address. The API server is the single connection point for requests to perform actions within the cluster, therefore it is important to secure access to this. Azure Active Directory authentication can be integrated with your AKS cluster to provide the same central source of identity. Role-based access control and groups can then be created to assign permissions to the AKS cluster or specific namespaces – ensuring people have the access they need.

By default, traffic can flow between pods within Kubernetes – Consider the use of network policies to restrict this traffic flow by referencing labels or namespaces. Use Kubernetes secrets to store sensitive information such as DB connection strings or passwords. Secrets can then be referenced at deployment time without having to put plain text in manifest files. Updates to Kubernetes are frequent and it is best practice to regularly update the nodes in your cluster as newer versions are released as constant improvements to security and functionality are being made.

Azure Sentinel

Azure Sentinel is a security information event management (SIEM) and security orchestration automated response (SOAR) product which is currently running in public preview. Sentinel collects data from a variety of resources in Microsoft Cloud, other Clouds and on-premises via the use of agents and data connectors.

Sentinel allows:

The collection of security data at scale
Detection and investigation of threats using Microsoft’s analytics and AI technologies
Rapid response to incidents with built-in orchestration and automation

It is important to note that Sentinel is not a replacement for Security Center it is an additional product to expand the security of your cloud and on-premises environments and enables you to detect and respond to security threats and anomalies.

If you would like to find out more about how you can start utilising the tools available to Secure your Azure Environment, simply get in contact with our experts today.

By the end of 2020, an important first step in the digital evolution of the architecture, engineering and construction sector will nearly be complete. It’s at this point nine out of ten firms say they will be using Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the planning, design and construction of their projects.

Today, according to the 2019 National BIM Report, just over two thirds (69%) of firms are using BIM. And although not every firm is using it on every project right now, the government’s Digital Built Britain policy is transforming the way this sector operates.

Ultimately every firm in the construction supply chain from design to build and maintenance will work with BIM, in some way.

Digital construction: bigger than BIM

While BIM has been a catalyst to introduce a better, more tech-enabled approach to the planning and construction lifecycle, it represents just a small part of the potential technology which will power digital construction now and in the future.

According to the Construction Industry Training Board in its 2018 research ‘Unlocking Construction’s Digital Future: A skills plan for industry’ unless the industry leaps forward in its adoption of digital technology, firms will fail to remain competitive. Leaving them ripe for disruption by businesses who can put new tools to good use.

The key technologies beyond BIM include:

Artificial intelligence: the use of machines to interrogate data, learn and solve problems. By looking at past projects AI can help eliminate waste and reduce costs in construction.
Augmented reality/virtual reality: allows users to simulate and interact with real-world environments. Useful for remote inspection and visualisation of building models.
Automated vehicles, robots and drones: un-manned objects which can be deployed to do repetitive tasks or survey dangerous environments.
Internet of things: so-called ‘smart’ devices which are connected and able to capture and share data.
Productivity and planning apps: software which captures data that supports better project planning, risk monitoring and workflow management.
Wearable technology: worn items which contain electronic sensor which can capture data from the building environment.

While some of these technologies may appear outlandish or even irrelevant to construction, engineering and architecture firms today, the way they are used and the data they capture will have an impact on every business.

Every business is a digital business

What this means is that in now and in the future, every firm involved in the design, planning and construction of built projects is now a digital business.

That doesn’t simply mean using technology to improve workflows but putting digital workflows at the heart of the way the firm works to:

Better collaborate: with clients, supply chain partners and internal teams.
Improve accuracy in planning and design: reducing waste of material optimising resources
Introduce new ways of working: enabling mobile working so that data, designs and other information can be accessed when and where it is needed.
Work more efficiently: reducing the time taken on individual projects, freeing up resources and capacity
Win new business: take advantage of the emerging generation of ‘digital by default’ clients and supply chain partners who only want to work with firms who have a strong capability in digital construction.
Harness future technology: ready to embrace and adapt emerging technology to improve the way projects are conceived, planned and managed.
Attract talent: bring on board the right people with the right digital skills to support future business growth.

For every leader or senior manager in an engineering, architecture or construction firm, the ability understands and adopt technology for digital construction is as therefore as critical as the core professional skills which are critical to their job.

New IT for a new breed of firm

Based on our conversations with firms across the sector, many understand the opportunities around digital construction – the need to shift from ‘traditional’ ways of working to new ones which leverage technology. While there is no lack of a digital mindset, the issue which is holding back many is having the right digital tools to do the job:

Data held on servers, which limits where and how people can work on projects, impacting productivity and the ability to work on client sites.
Security and other technical issues mean that working outside of the business or remote working is impossible, limiting the opportunity to collaborate with partners.
The cost of new desktop PCs and associated IT infrastructure, standing in the way of businesses who want to scale and grow.
Legacy IT is a disconnected collection of hardware and software tools running on a combination of server, desktop and in the cloud.

The key challenge for every firm is to put the right IT platform in place which can solve these problems, providing a springboard for future growth.

Reach for the cloud

For nearly every firm in the architecture, engineering and construction sector, the only way to keep up with the working practices demanded by a digital construction sector, will be to move to cloud IT.

Cloud IT can give any business, regardless of size, the ability to store and manage limitless amounts of data, work on client sites or on the move and the capability to test new technology and applications that boost productivity. Whether your IT is managed in house, by a senior manager or an IT specialist, it’s unlikely you’ll have all the current skills and knowledge to audit and plan your IT needs for the future. Moving part or all of your business to the cloud requires knowledge of which tools are right for your business, a roadmap to get you there and technical support along the way. This is where a specialist like CloudDirect can help. Our experience of working with firms like yours means you can benefit from our experience and chart the best route to the cloud. We can also help you manage costs, performance and security, allowing you to get ahead in the race to seize the opportunities which are already available in digital construction.

Today in the legal sector, technology is one of the biggest drivers of disruption and change.

LegalTech businesses which were mere start-ups a few years ago are now redefining the way law firms work: automating tasks which were previously done by lawyers, managing workflows which were managed by their support teams and at the leading edge, using AI to inform the advice they give.

Conditioned by their digital experience as consumers, clients now expect new standards of service based around the effective use of digital tools to collaborate and deliver work at speed.

Technology is also redefining the reach of all law firms, removing geographical boundaries, allowing them to compete in cities or across industry verticals which would have been impossible before now.

The future of law couldn’t be further from the profession which entered this century still reliant on paper bundles and elbow grease.

Despite that, many law firms – even larger ones – are still built around old ways of working with old technology and systems underpinning the way the business runs.

For firms who want to get fit for their digital future, cloud computing can provide the foundation they need to compete effectively in this fast-changing market.

Cloud is where your clients and competitors are

One of the most compelling reasons law firms to consider moving to the cloud is because that’s where your clients, competitors and the legal sector are heading.

According to research from the Cloud Industry Forum, 88% of UK businesses now use cloud-based IT, making it a trusted, mainstream technology.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice is migrating to a cloud environment as has HMRC with the Courts & Tribunals Service starting its own cloud deployment.

Smaller and newer law firms typically take a cloud-first approach to technology and for larger law firms, 2019 marked a tipping point which saw the slow death of on-premise IT.

This means that firms who aren’t working in the cloud will fall behind the rest of the sector.

A secure foundation

A major factor behind the move to cloud IT is that it solves many of the operational challenges that law firms face. Chief among this is security.

Client confidentiality and the exchange of data and documents are at the core of every law firm’s business. Keeping correspondence and casework secure is critical but in an environment when data breaches are commonplace – 43% of organisations suffered one in 2018 according to the Government’s Cyber Security Breaches survey – this is increasingly a hard task. Add to that the punitive fines being levied by the Information Commissioner’s Office and reputational damage caused by security lapses, this means that every firm should be seeking out best-in-class protection for their IT systems.

We frequently hear people make the case that owning and managing their own servers and IT infrastructure on-premise is the best approach to security. But this isn’t the case anymore.

With research showing that around 60% of security breaches are caused by lack of routine maintenance and timely patching of vulnerabilities, this is not the case. Most businesses don’t have the time and resources to stay on top these tasks, particularly in an environment where people need access to your systems through multiple devices, in and outside of your office.

Rather than relying on your IT manager or IT team –if you have one –with cloud IT you benefit from the billions of investment that the likes of Microsoft put into ensuring client data is protected and kept secure in real-time.

Put simply, in an environment where understanding and managing security is increasingly complex, cloud simplifies the challenges, minimising the risk to your business.

As well as increasing resilience, cloud storage also gives every law firm the peace of mind that in case of a business disaster they will be able to access or recover the resources they need to continue operating.

Flexibility for your firm

A second challenge for every law firm today is to ensure their people have the right tools to work effectively.

The ability to work remotely or on the move, reducing paper – for reasons of security as much as any other consideration – collaborating and sharing data are all basic operational necessities for any law firm now.

Equally, as firms expand – whether that is by opening a new office or renting space in serviced accommodation – or move, they need IT infrastructure that can flex around their needs.

The pay-for-what-you-use nature of the cloud allows you to add or subtract IT resources depending on your need.

By taking away the need for hardware, there’s no more big-ticket capital investment needed to support growth or for when servers reach their end of life. Cloud IT guarantees that your productivity apps, storage and security are always up-to-date.

Boosting productivity and profits

With every billable hour of each member of staff making the difference between profit and loss on client work, one of the biggest most important challenge for every law firm to ensure everyone in the firm is as productive as possible.

A business which is built around the axis of filesharing via email is one which is working ineffectively by failing to use the new generation of productivity apps which allow teams to collaborate and manage their workflow.

With many of these apps automating everything from design to invoice creation, the chances are also that your people are doing jobs which could be done at the push of a button.

This means there isn’t just the risk that you become uncompetitive in the eyes of your clients because you’re charging too much for your work.

Your firm also faces the prospect of becoming unattractive to current and prospective employees you need to compete in the future.

Stepping onto the cloud

While partners and managers may be sceptical about the risks and benefits of cloud adoption, what many don’t realise is that every law firm will be using the cloud in some way. This could be filesharing through Microsoft Teams, using webmail or simply the cloud-based software that helps your business function daily, such as Office 365.

This demonstrates two important points about cloud adoption. The first is that this unwitting adoption will most likely have happened by stealth, rather than in a planned way, considering what will best suit your firm. The second is that moving to the cloud doesn’t have to happen with a big bang: it is typically phased in line with the needs of the business.

Knowledge that counts

Whether your IT is managed by one of the partners, an operational manager or an IT specialist, it’s unlikely you’ll have all the current skills and knowledge to audit and plan your IT needs for the future.

Moving part or all your business to the cloud requires knowledge of which tools are right for your business, a roadmap to get you there and technical support along the way.

By working with a specialist like CloudDirect you can benefit from our experience of helping firms like yours chart the best route to the cloud. We can also help you manage costs, performance and security, allowing you to do what you do best: winning new clients and growing your firm.

Technology is turning the financial services sector upside down.

In this highly regulated market, which for so long resisted new ways of doing business, around one in five wealth management, asset management and insurance firms will see their core business model at risk as a result of technology by next year.

This was the prediction PWC made a couple of years back in its report, Financial Services Technology 2020 and Beyond, and the swathes of fast-growing new businesses which have emerged into the sector in recent years are clear evidence no firm in the sector can rest on its laurels, providing the same old customer service.

The changing (and challenging) consumer

The defining challenge for any financial services service business is how to win and retain a viable client-base.

By 2020, over half of the workforce will be the generation born between 1980 and 2000.

The so-called millennial cohort is the force that drives demand for financial services and their influence will only grow. This generation, which has grown up with search engines and social media, has very different expectations around the services they will pay for and the kind of business they want to do business with.

Because they are digitally self-sufficient, they are happy with self-service, placing less of an emphasis on the need for human interaction or traditional ways of doing business.

The way they look for financial services is different. Instead of asking family and friends for advice, more millennials are looking to influencers on social channels and online reviews to inform their choices.

With barriers to signing up and switching service providers lower than before, they are less loyal and also less forgiving of what they perceive to be poor service.

And it goes without saying that the phone is the device which is at the centre of their world: the home to their wallet, their bank and all of the apps which help plan and manage their lives. Mobility and multi-channel consumption is a given.

Technology gives a competitive edge

The firms that are doing well in this new market are the ones who understand how these expectations set the agenda for the financial service firms and deploy technology to do things differently, meeting their expectations. For example:

Starling bank lets you sign up for an account with a video and a copy of your ID and through open API, it encourages others to develop complementary services for its customers which can access them through its app marketplace.
On revolut, you can sign up either to be an influencer or an affiliate, so powering its social marketing strategy while being paid.
The financial advice firm Hatch uses financial planning technology to reduce the cost of financial advice.
A growing number of so-called HR tech start-ups are targeting consumers through their employers, offering loans, financial education and other services.

This is just a handful of examples and there are many more firms like these. Taken together, with customer bases stretching into the millions – and growing – these are no longer small players with niche services but the ones directing the future for the sector, setting the standards for customer service and the use of tech.

The tech tidal wave is coming

The thing is, we are only really at the beginning of this shift to new delivery models for financial services. Beyond 2020 industry watchers predict:

The rise of open banking – the proliferation of new businesses which use open banking data to help consumers find financial products and services which are best suited to their needs.
The mainstreaming of AI and robotics – technology will allow for greater task automation, financial modelling and assisted financial advice as more sophisticated tools emerge.
The rise of new service channels – in the same way you can book and connect to medical advice with services like netdoctor, you will be able to get live financial advice and support instead via video. Remoting browsing will allow banks and advisers to help you fill forms and share planning tools.
“Pick and mix” consumption – instead of using one provider for all their products, consumers will aggregate and switch between different financial service providers for different services with little regard for established brands.

As a result of all this change, today and in the future, the combination of good financial knowledge and high-quality service is no longer enough to compete effectively for customers. Every firm must become a business which understands and has a plan for how they will deploy technology.

A tech platform for growth

The first priority for every financial services firm is to ensure that it has a technology platform which will allow it to deliver the new generation of services that tech-savvy millennials and their increasingly sophisticated elders expect.

In its Financial Services Technology Report, PwC said that cloud computing would become the dominant IT infrastructure in the sector by 2020, this prediction which has quickly come to pass.

For data, the public cloud is now trusted as the place to keep records and stay in line with changing security and data protection regulation like GDPR.

Cloud software now allows firms and clients to share data, forms and manage their affairs remotely and securely, wherever they are.

Cloud technology is the platform that underpins the new ecosystem of financial tech services and apps. It is also what powers and connects most the sales, marketing and CRM tools you need to win and retain customers.

Tech strategy is a business strategy

The reality for financial services is that technology has to be as much more than something which gives you the tools to help your business run smoothly. Going forward, your technology strategy and your business strategy are fully intertwined.

The tech operating model you choose – the software and services consume – will be critical to accessing the AI and robot services and tools which you will need to offer in the future, if you aren’t already offering them today.
Your legacy IT systems and the decisions you make to maintain, simplify or them will directly shape your cost base and therefore your competitiveness.
The extent to which you invest in developing and testing new fin tech products will define your ability to win your share of the newly tech-savvy mass market.
The skills and knowledge you have today and the capability you need to succeed in a digital-first sector need to be identified and addressed.

In our experience, few mid-sized financial services firms will have the knowledge and skills in-house to map out their path from their current IT infrastructure to the cloud.

This is where the skills of a specialist company like CloudDirect comes into play.

We can work seamlessly with the leaders of the business and the in-house IT team to identify the changes you need to make and the technical skills to get you there. We can help you with the migration and then with as little or as much support as you need to manage costs, performance and security.

Be leaving the technology to us, you can focus on shaping your firm so it is ready for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in financial services.

What do M&S, Heathrow and RAC have in common?

The obvious answer is, of course, that they are household names in the retail, airport and automotive sectors in which they operate.

Less obvious is the fact that today each of these venerable old businesses with such a pedigree of serving their customers well in the past, are putting cloud IT at the heart of their business to make sure they are able to do so in the future.

Prepare for a digital future

To be clear, we’re not simply talking about updating day-to-day productivity tools or replacing servers. What these companies are doing is using cloud IT to fundamentally change the way they do business.

The RAC is using data from telematics boxes to predict when vehicles break down. Heathrow uses real-time data on everything from weather to cancelled flights to manage its workforce and passenger experience. M&S is bringing data together from every part of the business to change the way it operates.

Each business is creating a new digital business model.

Get an unfair advantage

If you operate away from the consumer frontline in business or professional services, it’s easy to think you don’t have much in common with such big companies.

The truth is that whatever your sector or size if you aren’t thinking about how technology can help you collaborate more effectively, interrogate data or automate tasks, a competitor will soon do so and start scooping up your clients.

Just as M&S has to face down competition from born-digital companies like ASOS – as well as the rest of the high street – so will you.

The good news is that the unfair advantage that disruptive digital companies enjoy is one that you can take advantage of too.

Whether you are a long-established name in your sector or a relatively new kid on the block, a small business or one with a national or international footprint, you can use cloud IT as a platform for growth and competitiveness.

Free up resources to grow

The business case works out on a number of levels. The first is that by moving to cloud IT such as Azure, you put your IT infrastructure in the hands of experts who can keep your business secure and running.

At the same time, you can think about how the people who were previously tied up in ‘keeping the lights on’ can do more productive, strategic work for the business.

Finally, you can ensure that you have the tools and resources you need to compete effectively when you need them.

Get it right, first time

At Cloud Direct we’re an Azure Expert MSP. This means we are one of only a handful of the 30,000 Microsoft Gold Partners globally with the right experience to set-up and migrate you safely and securely to the cloud.

Whether you have built your business case for the cloud and are ready-to-go or need some help planning your move, we are the people to help you.

You can take one step closer by calling us today or download our guide to understand how businesses like yours are using the Azure cloud to grow.

We’re delighted to announce that as a leading Microsoft Cloud partner, we have signed up to the Partner Pledge. The Partner Pledge will help us share our vision and passion for helping the UK prepare for the challenges of the future.

Explore the changes we’re making to prepare the UK workforce for the technology of tomorrow.

Closing the digital skills gap

We’re working alongside Microsoft to develop the digital skills needed that will help the UK prepare for the challenges of the future. The UK is currently facing a skills crisis, and we don’t have enough people entering the workforce with the technical and digital skills needed. New technologies are evolving and becoming a part of everyday business, and we need to prepare for the changes.

How? We’re launching a Technical Apprenticeship Academy to help the talent of tomorrow become the talent of today.

Technical Apprenticeship Academy

To ensure we are closing the digital skills gap, we have taken on several apprentices over the years and have taught them the technical skills as well as soft skills. Many of them have moved up the career ladder and have become Technical Engineers and Software Developers. This year, we have decided to put more focus on Technical apprenticeships as we know that certain technical skills are hard to come by these days. Therefore, we’ve launched a dedicated Technical Academy to support young people to develop the skills they need to prepare for the future. We’re partnering up with UTC and Firebrand who will be teaching our apprentices the Microsoft and Cloud skills they need for the real world.

To succeed, we’re looking for people who are determined to learn, grow and willing to take any challenge they may face. We’re looking to share our knowledge and expertise with a generation ready to learn. And will transform them from the aspiring talent of today into the industry leaders of tomorrow.

Say goodbye to the IT gender gap

The IT sector has always struggled to be diverse. Why? Many people think it’s because companies don’t want to employ females in tech. Wrong. It’s because there aren’t enough women signing up to these roles. Over 25% of women say at a young age they’ve been put off a career in tech as it’s too male-dominated. But it doesn’t have to be.

We’re working hard to encourage more women to follow their dreams and pursue their career in technology. We are shaking things up to bring out the brightest female talent within the tech industry by writing more appealing job adverts, working with technical colleges and presenting at local schools/colleges.

We’re trying to make a difference. We’ve now got the right partnerships in place to make the changes needed to the UK workforce. All we’re looking for now are people who want to grow with us on this journey. Take a look at our job openings today.

Everyone knows what Office 365 is, but are you aware of all the benefits of having it in place? Office 365 is more than just Word on the go. It’s a full suite of cloud-based applications to help you increase productivity and collaboration within your business.

Businesses that operate in the cloud will typically see a 33% increase in revenue. Discover how as we explore eight benefits of Office 365.

1. Over 150% ROI

Everyone likes to see a return on investment, right? According to Forrester’s, businesses that implement Office 365 are likely to see more than 150% ROI. Office 365 can provide your business with the ability to save on technology, mobility, compliance costs by eliminating hardware. Say goodbye to servers and you’ll see an instant decrease on energy and the server cost. Whilst moving to the cloud costs money, you’ll see a much higher ROI. There’s never been a better time to move your office online.

2. Have all the tools your business needs to work more efficiently

Office 365 sets your business up with the tools it needs to achieve fearless growth.

Some of the tools included:

Office suite. This compiles of some of the best Microsoft applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Skype for Business and OneNote.
Exchange online. This will include your email and calendar.
SharePoint. An online web portal for your business to store, share and collaborate on documents within different teams.
Yammer is your one-stop-shop for company social networking.
OneDrive is a cloud file storage solution for your business.
Power BI is a business intelligence tool that will provide you with new insights to make smart decisions.

3. Access your office anywhere, anytime

You can now take your office with you wherever you go, when you’re on the move, out of the office or at home. Office 365 lets you log in and connect to your office anywhere. Microsoft Office 365 is completely cloud-based, meaning you can access your files, email and Office programmes on your mobile, laptop or desktop wherever you like. You’ll have the ability to edit your documents from any location on any device with employees that are out the office or with a client that’s halfway across the world. With current workplace changes taking place, such as remote and flexible working, it’s never been easier to collaborate.

4. Easily scalable

Office 365 applications gives you the opportunity to scale your business. You can create custom solutions for different departments within the business to help maximise productivity. But what about when the company grows and you employ more staff? No need to worry, you can easily add and remove licenses with a couple of admin clicks.

5. Cross-collaboration has never been easier

Does your team work together on tasks or documents? Office 365 comes with plenty of features that will allow you to work better, together.

One of Microsofts growing collaboration tools, that’s on track to be the number one business chat application by 2020, is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is your hub for business collaboration with it’s calling features, file storage system and instant messenger. Plus, many more. You’ll be able to carry out your daily huddles, department meetings and work with your colleagues on documents from any location. Sounds good, right? But there’s more.

SharePoint is your one-stop shop for sharing documents with colleagues. Within SharePoint you can store any files you want to share with the rest of your organisation, for example, brand guidelines, process templates or your latest team project. SharePoint is accessible from any device, meaning your employees will be able to access their files anywhere, on any device.

Microsoft has now made it easier than ever for you to collaborate with your colleagues. Within Word, Excel and PowerPoint you’ll have the ability to share documents and edit them in real time with other employees or even external people such as partners.

6. Stay updated

Do you get FOMO? No fear with Office 365, as Microsoft will always keep you up to date with the latest product optimisations and security patches. Because Office 365 is in the cloud, you’ll benefit from always be on the latest version. At no extra cost. Microsoft automatically rolls upgrades to all users – meaning your business can avoid any compatibility issues as all employees will be on the latest version.

7. You’ll always be secure in Office 365

Many people still have the impression that the cloud isn’t secure. But this isn’t the case. If anything, it’s more secure, if your cloud environment is built correctly. It’s all about how you use the features available and what security measures you put in place. Some of the security features you can benefit from in Office 365 are:

Message encryption, which enables you to send encrypted emails that will not allow anyone other than the recipient to open them.
Advanced Threat Analytics will allow you to identify any suspicious activity in real time, reducing the risk of any damage. This will empower your business to quickly detect any threats, reduce false positive fatigue and easily plan your next steps to protect your business from any suspicious activity.
Mobile Device Management allows you to manage Office 365 on your employees’ mobile devices. Within this feature, you can manage device security policies, view device reports and can remotely wipe a device if it’s ever stolen.
Data Loss Prevention helps prevent any sensitive information from leaving your organisation. DLP will help you identify, monitor and protect any sensitive information in your Office 365. When DLP is enabled it will scan for sensitive information e.g. credit card details, passport information or social security numbers.

8. Have the flexibility to mix and match

Office 365 has a variety of plans available for you to find the one best suited for your business needs. What’s best is you’ll have the flexibility to change your plans and users with ease. Meaning you only pay for what you use. If you purchase your Office 365 licenses through a CSP, you’ll have the ability to increase or decrease licenses as required due to its flexible model. What’s best is there’s no multi-year commitment. We’re leading the cloud industry with our PROVIDE portal that allows your business to manage your Office 365 subscriptions in a few clicks.

We’re proud to be a Microsoft CSP, and if you would like to find out more about our flexible Office 365 licenses, then our team would love to provide you with further information.
Want to find out more about the benefits of Office 365, and what your business could achieve in an online office? Get in contact with one of our experts to discover more.

Cloud Direct are proud to have achieved G-cloud status for the seventh year, with all services submitted and accepted across all three cloud categories – hosting, software and support.

The 11th iteration of the UK government’s Digital Marketplace went live this week to continue to drive digital transformation in the public sector. This cloud procurement framework has been established to prove best practice and accredited suppliers, to give customers confidence in developing their public cloud adoption.

With almost a decade of experience as one of the earliest adopters of G-cloud, our 21 technologies, consultancy and support services have been expertly designed to support local and regional governments.

Organisations that benefit from G-Cloud 11 include central and local government, health services, education services, devolved administrations, emergency services, defence and not-for-profit organisations. They can now buy the following cloud services from Cloud Direct, under our legal name On Direct Business Services Limited:

Brett Raynes, CEO of Cloud Direct, says:

“We work with several government organisations who enjoy the increased level of security and accreditation G-Cloud 11 awards us. Our business and the services we provide are all about enabling transformation and as we expect to grow, we plan to increase our customer base amongst public sector organisations. The stringent G-Cloud framework shows our continued commitment to provide first class service and support to our clients.”

Cloud Direct is proud to be recognised as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP) for the second year running. Cloud Direct has not only passed its second annual audit but is one of the first Azure Experts to successfully re-audit.

The Azure Expert MSP programme was set up in 2018 by Microsoft to promote only the most capable and experienced partners. Among the 30,000 partners delivering Microsoft solutions worldwide fewer than 50 have achieved this standard. So being one of them is a huge achievement. In fact, it puts us in the top 0.07% of Microsoft partners globally.

Brett Raynes, Cloud Direct Chief Executive Officer, says:

“The Microsoft Azure Expert MSP program is one we are immensely proud to be part of. For our customers, it provides the confidence that Microsoft has done the due-diligence for them. By working with a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP, that is independently audited and accredited by Microsoft, they know they are working with a partner that provides the security, governance and optimisation required for a successful Azure project.”

In June, the Cloud Direct team spent time with an external auditor as part of the vigorous annual audit. This is a chance for Cloud Direct to show how it’s meeting the ongoing requirements to keep up with the ever-evolving technology standards. But it didn’t stop there. Cloud Direct had to demonstrate their skills, customer successes and the ability to deliver Microsoft Azure managed service offerings at scale. This includes skills to migrate and support infrastructure, data and applications in Microsoft Azure.

But what does being an Azure Expert MSP mean for our customers?

We’ve always been about empowering businesses to achieve ‘Fearless Growth’. We want to help ambitious organisations adopt the cloud and reap all its benefits. As an Azure Expert MSP, we can do so much more for you.

Better service. It’s simple, really: when you work with an expert, you get expert-level service. Microsoft has made it easier to verify the best partners by awarding this rigorous accreditation to a select few top performing partners. Every service that we offer, every customer interaction, is held to a higher standard. We love raising the bar because it makes us up our game and hop right over it.
Broader offerings. Whatever your business needs, we can deliver it. Keen on IaaS, PaaS or SaaS? We can advise you. Ready to adopt mobile working or the Internet of Things? We know all about it. Need help with app migration, security or compliance? We have experts in all areas.
Closer partnerships. Being one of the few Azure Expert MSPs in the UK brings us much closer to Microsoft. Our already close partnership is now much stronger, and all the benefits that come our way get passed directly on to you, our customers. Picture this: Microsoft’s capabilities and software paired with our expertise and skills, all working to better your business. The possibilities are endless.

Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner at Microsoft Corp, says:

“We are pleased to recognize Cloud Direct as an Azure Expert MSP. This new recognition offers our customers certainty that an organization provides excellent services on Azure.”

Cloud Direct is focused on helping businesses achieve their growth goals through the adoption and optimisation of the Microsoft Cloud. Leading the industry as one of the first Azure Expert MSPs to pass the annual audit for the second year running. This is key to helping our customers have the confidence that they can achieve their business objectives with us.

If you want to know more about how Microsoft Azure can help your business innovate get in contact with one of our experts.

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