Here’s the why, how, and result of moving one of our clients to using Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)

Initial problem

For this client with five users, updating ageing and mismatched systems was the name of the game, with the main objective being to limit reliance on legacy servers and bring IT spend under control.

First steps

Who could’ve predicted the pandemic that was just around the corner? Certainly not us, but this project was especially well-timed. Microsoft Office 365 is cloud-based, making working from home a breeze, something it absolutely would not have been with their old system and physical, office-based servers.  We started the process back in December 2019, with a phased plan to ensure minimal disruption.

Discussion

The perceived level of disruption that making such big server-related changes might cause is something people often worry about – and this case was no exception. When carrying out a project like this, we don’t rush at it like a bull in a china shop. We discussed the phases with the client, put their minds at ease with regards to the small amount of downtime they would experience and when that was likely to be so that they could plan for it, and were able to carry out most of the ‘heavy lifting’ of the project outside of working hours to completely minimise any negative impact.

As one example, for the email migration aspect of the project we copied the emails across from their old system and then made the real-time change when we were ready. If you have big IT issues you’ve been putting off because you’re not sure you can spare the downtime based on past experience, it’s so worth talking to your chosen IT provider – they might be able to put your mind at ease.

Solution

Our solution for this particular client, was Microsoft Office 365. It’s cloud-based, agile and flexible. What does that mean in human terms? Well, Microsoft 365 is actually made up of lots of different apps. From Outlook for email, Teams for communication, and apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to SharePoint for file storage and sharing, and so many more.

There’s no such thing as a one-size fits all solution across businesses, and any system that’s put in place needs to be flexible enough to deal with whatever comes your way. This case study is a great example, because at the beginning of talks with this client they had absolutely no need for Microsoft Teams with only five of them in the office – it didn’t make sense for them to utilise this part of their Microsoft 365 subscriptions. But then the pandemic hit, and all of a sudden, Teams has absolutely come into its own for them.

From a security point of view, it’s really easy to configure multi-factor authentication for accessing emails and documents, setting user permission levels so only the people who need access to certain information have access (reducing the risk of compromised business data in the event of a hack, or a device being lost or stolen), and creating an offsite cloud back-up, which means that isn’t reliant on the state of a physical server.

At the core of Office 365, it’s all about encouraging and maintaining great communication among your team, and equally as importantly, with your customers.

The result

We’re really pleased with how this turned out for our client, but not nearly as pleased as they are – here’s an email they sent us which, with their permission, we wanted to share:

“Team Crosstek – this is just to say a big thank you for getting us set up with 365 and the rest of the improvements when you did.  Jon and Peter in particular you sensibly pushed me quite hard to get on with it, although it always felt like friendly encouragement rather than anything else.  Very glad of it now that we are all working from home and the communications are purring along (unlike everything else of course!)”

Happy customer, happy Crosstek! If you’ve got an IT project you’ve been worried about, or you’re experiencing problems you’ve been ignoring because you’re concerned about the disruption fixing them might cause – give us a call on 01732 617788 or drop us an email to [email protected]. We’ll be happy to have a chat about your concerns.