If any company understands the challenges businesses face, it’s Microsoft.
They’ve been in the game for decades and are still number one in the global software market (source). One reason is, they never stop supporting an end-of-life product without first offering a stronger, more secure one.
Names change, but the feeling of familiarity stays the same.
The latest Microsoft business solutions continue to include three key components: email, identity, and endpoint.
Microsoft 365 (replaces Exchange)
If you’re familiar with Microsoft Office, then you likely already know about Microsoft 365, a suite of products and services that includes the now-subscription-based Office, along with OneDrive cloud storage. The really good stuff, however, is in the details:
- hosted email,
- your own business domain (e.g., mybusiness.com),
- shared calendars,
- shared storage and files,
- video and audio conferencing, and
- real-time collaboration through Microsoft Teams (source).
None of that matters, however, if it’s not secure. Thankfully, Microsoft takes cybersecurity very seriously. A 365 subscription includes Exchange Online Protection, a “cloud-based filtering service that protects your organization against spam, malware, and other email threats.” 365 users can also create “security groups and custom permissions,” meaning you control who has access to your data (source).
Azure Active Directory (replaces Domain Controller)
Microsoft 365 is dynamic enough to work in tandem with many other Microsoft products, including Azure Active Directory, or AD.
AD is a “cloud-based identity and access management service” that replaces on-premises domain controllers (source). It provides “single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and conditional access to guard against 99.9% of cybersecurity attacks” (source). And it’s free with your 365 business subscription.
Intune/Endpoint Manager (replaces Group Policy Object)
Microsoft ties these products together with Intune, an endpoint management solution for mobile devices and apps.
Modern businesses are increasingly mobile, and GPO isn’t agile enough to secure devices once they’re off-prem. Microsoft’s Intune was created to fill that void, allowing administrators to manage the security of mobile business devices—from laptops to smartphones to tablets—with customizable controlled access, app authentication, and security rule creation (source).
If it sounds complicated, it isn’t. As part of Microsoft’s Endpoint Manager, Intune gives you complete control through a simple, easy-to-understand central admin center (source). It also pairs seamlessly with 365, allowing businesses to “secure, deploy, and manage all users, apps, and endpoint devices without disrupting existing processes” (source).
Familiarity feels good, and bringing your company up to date doesn’t mean leaving that feeling behind. The best products ease your business into modern computing, with all its myriad benefits.
We have extensive experience with Microsoft products in many types of business environments, including manufacturing, utility, healthcare, financial, and retail.
This means that when you have a question or an issue crops up—no matter how large or small—WYRE is just a call, text, or email away. We offer 24/7/365 emergency support, so anytime (and every time) you contact us, our support team immediately investigates and responds to your issue.
Of course this means less downtime for your business and a potentially enormous savings in cost. But what it really means is peace of mind.