With changing customer demands, businesses need to adapt quickly to the dynamic nature of the market. Collaboration is the key. Here are a few reasons why efficient collaboration is required for any business to succeed:
- Exchange ideas and strategies among teams
- Share knowledge, expertise, and capabilities with stakeholders
- Gain more visibility
- Improve brand awareness
Businesses that promote collaborative working are 5 times more likely to be high performing. – Gitnux
Despite such advantages, often companies find it difficult to choose from tools and technologies that help them collaborate effectively. Organizations that don’t prioritize collaboration face challenge, such as: wasted time, low productivity, and disengaged workforce. Microsoft 365 addresses such issues by providing workplace efficiency, productivity and connectivity.
Many companies have started realizing the benefits of M365 collaborative tools. However, some organizations find it difficult to migrate their existing system to Microsoft 365. Let’s explore some of the key challenges businesses face with migrating to M365 and address them one at a time.
Planning and preparation
Inadequate planning may lead to project failures. Hence, businesses must emphasize on careful consideration and investment in cloud.
According to an IDG study, many companies are still in the cloud migration planning phase, and only 39% of companies surveyed have carried out at least one cloud migration project thus far.
How Softweb Solutions can help
Our certified Microsoft consultants ensure a successful Microsoft 365 (O365) migration with meticulous planning. This involves thorough assessment of your current infrastructure, identification of potential roadblocks, and creation of a comprehensive migration strategy that addresses every aspect of the process.
Suggested: Drive business growth with Microsoft tenant-to-tenant migration
Maintaining hybrid environment
This IT infrastructure model involves a mix of public and private cloud or on-premises infrastructure. Here are some reasons why organizations might choose this model:
- Enhanced security of private cloud
- Regulatory compliance requirements that necessitate having critical data on premises.
- Insufficient internet bandwidth
Managing a hybrid environment can be cumbersome. Directory synchronization, ensuring seamless access to both cloud-based and on-premises data, and maintaining consistent security policies across both environments are all challenges that require careful consideration during the planning phase of your migration.
How Softweb Solutions can help
Being one of the leading Microsoft consulting services providers, we leverage the following services to ensure security:
Directory synchronization
Implement Azure Active Directory Connect (Azure AD Connect) to synchronize identities and access controls between your on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory. This ensures users can sign in to both cloud-based and on-premises applications with a single set of credentials.
Selective migration
Identify and prioritize the data that needs to reside in the cloud versus what needs to stay on-premises. Migrate workloads that will benefit most from the cloud’s scalability and accessibility, while keeping sensitive data or data with strict regulatory requirements on-premises.
Data governance
Establish clear policies and procedures for managing data in both the cloud and on-premises environments. This includes data classification, access controls, and retention schedules.
Network connectivity
Configure a secure and reliable connection between your on-premises network and Microsoft 365. This ensures optimal performance and minimizes latency when users access data in both locations.
Data security
Security is one of the biggest concerns for businesses thinking to migrate to the cloud. Here are some common data security challenges in cloud computing:
- Data breaches
- Lack of visibility
- Access control
- Data transmission
- Compliance
- DDoS attacks
Source: Hosting Advice
How Softweb Solutions can help
We leverage a suite of migration tools offered by Microsoft to ensure security. For example, Azure Data Factory provides access controls to regulate who can access your data, and data loss prevention (DLP) helps prevent sensitive information from accidentally being leaked or shared. We follow security best practices, such as:
Data classification:
Microsoft 365 integrates with Azure Purview Information Protection, which allows you to define labels and policies to automatically classify and protect your data.
Auditing and logging:
Microsoft 365 audit logs offers valuable insights into user behavior and helps identify suspicious activity.
Data encryption:
Microsoft 365 utilizes encryption at rest and in transit to protect your data throughout its lifecycle.
Multi-factor authentication:
This adds an extra layer of security with two-step authentication. The second layer is an addition to entering username and password that requires either one-time password (OTP) or an Authenticator application.
User adoption
Microsoft 365 (Office 365) migration implies winning half the battle. The challenge, thereafter, lies in training users to maximize the benefits of the cloud platform. Often, users resist change, which leads to reduced productivity and increased frustration.
According to a 2023 Statista report, the biggest challenge to cloud adoption is the lack of qualified staff. – Fortinet
How Softweb Solutions can help
Our certified Microsoft consultants promote proactive communication and comprehensive training programs are essential. We explain the advantages of Microsoft 365 migration and provide ample resources to help users adapt to the new tools and workflows.
Managing costs
Migrating to the cloud can be expensive, especially when you have zero visibility on the expenditures and spendings. Keeping track of costs across various user licenses, storage space, and additional services can be complex.
How Softweb Solutions can help
We leverage Microsoft Cost Management tools within the Microsoft 365 admin center. This empowers you to efficiently monitor your spending, identify trends, and optimize your cloud resource allocation.
These tools provide detailed insights into your Microsoft 365 usage patterns, enabling you to make informed decisions about licenses and services to optimize your costs.
Leverage our Microsoft 365 migration services for better collaboration and productivity
Softweb Solutions, a trusted Microsoft partner, stands ready to navigate you through every aspect of your Microsoft 365 migration. Our team of experts possesses the technical expertise and experience to overcome these hurdles. Contact us to start your journey to the cloud.
