We are empowering our customers to make their business more safe and resilient in the digital realm.
Transitioning to the cloud is not a move that should be taken lightly; moving from an established infrastructure to a cloud-based environment is one that requires planning and new processes. However there are a wealth of benefits that are on offer in doing so, and that’s why here at Microbyte, we are committed to moving those customers with fewer than 500 network users to the Microsoft 365 Cloud Exchange.
First – let’s just recap some of the benefits of moving to a cloud-based infrastructure;
- They are easily scalable and often come with ‘on demand’ solutions.
- The need for onsite hardware reduces capital expenses.
- They create opportunities for flexible or remote working, opening up the talent pool for businesses, enabling employees to create their ideal work/life balance scenario and boosting productivity.
- Data backups can be carried out at intervals as regularly as every 15 minutes, minimising data loss in disaster situations.
All in all, the dynamic nature of a cloud infrastructure has enormous benefits on the efficiency and agility for those businesses using web-based applications, processing big data or running on demand development systems.
365 Cloud Exchange allows users the benefits of previous Exchange Servers without the cost associated with deploying it ‘in house’. There is flexibility when it comes to user mailboxes; mailboxes up to 25GB are supported, and the personal archive facility provide even more storage space!
I’m sure you will agree that the level of resilience can be a concern along with business continuity planning. Exchange Online have catered for this in a big way; users can restore deleted items – including those that have been deleted from the deleted items folder! Yes, you read that right – even items that have been seemingly discarded forever can be recovered by enabling the ‘Single Item Recovery’ option. If this didn’t provide you with enough peace of mind already – there is more… Should a user be deleted (in either anger or error!) the administrator can recover the mailbox for 30 days after its initial deletion.
While the route to connect to Exchange Online usually includes Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010, users can also connect via Outlook Web App over any of the common web browsers. However, for those of you who favour a browser, considered an ‘alternative’ or have an old favourite – there is a light version that supports these browsers. If we touch upon Outlook 2007 and 2010 again; there are a number of beneficial features available.
Outlook Anywhere allows Outlook clients to make a secure connection to their mailbox from remote locations without the use of a VPN. In a world where the traditional office is being reshaped into one that knows literally NO boundaries – this provides the flexibility required. Connecting via Outlook 2010 sees users lavished with features that include MailTips, personal archive along with conversation view and ignore.
Many modern offices are now using Macs instead of PCs – particularly those working in the creative and design realm. Mac users are also able to take advantage of the Exchange Online benefits by using Microsoft Entourage 2008 Web Services Edition; POP and IMAP access is also supported along with Exchange Active Sync for a vast range of mobile devices (Windows, Apple, some Android and Nokia).
As briefly mentioned earlier in this post, data backups are a high priority for every business, regardless of size, stature or industry. So much so, that is it now an operational requirement; in an age where cybercrime is a very real threat, it’s critical that the method that you choose provides the highest level of reliability.
It is reported that 63% of businesses are backing up their business data using local servers and hard drives that are vulnerable to physical damage and cyber threats. 34% of companies do not test their data backup methods, and if they did, many businesses would be shocked to find that the current solution didn’t fulfil their needs. It is for this reason that we are urging all of our clients, without exceptions to move onto Intronis Cloud Backups.
The Intronis System is renowned for being a comprehensive solution when it comes to combining data back up and digital security. It also allows the expert, us (!) to proactively manage it on our customer’s behalf – leaving them safe in the knowledge they are in expert hands and fully supported, both day to day and when they need it most.
The Intronis Cloud Back Up solution offers an incredibly secure service; business data is encrypted before being stored on a remote server. Your business data can be backed up as often as you need, and the management system allows the team at Microbyte to drill down into individual accounts and computers to ensure all configurations are working as they should. For extra resilience, data can be backed up locally as well as remotely. The amount of storage available is…unlimited, which means that data can be archived by weeks, month and even years.
Should a disaster situation occur and your data needs to be recovered? The Intronis system means that we could restore all of your business data, from archived data to daily snapshots of files and folders. Even in the case of extremely large data restoration, we can request a hard drive to be securely sent to implement a more efficient data recovery process.
The cost of the solution is one that is extremely cost effective, and when weighted up against the damage that can potentially be caused if the data was lost – it’s a solid business investment. Put it this way – you wouldn’t leave your physical business assets vulnerable by leaving the door unlocked, or using a flimsy lock would you?
By choosing a system that is 100% managed by Microbyte, you are choosing to have disaster recovery and business continuity options that are encrypted, tested, developed for disaster management; allowing you to focus your attention on gaining clients and growing your business.