This is Part II of my 10 Myths About Microsoft Office 365 Debunked Series. You can see Part I, here.
As I had mentioned before, most clients agree they need flexibility and want the cost savings that come when moving to the cloud. As a Microsoft Certified CSP (Cloud Solutions Provider) Partner, KTL Solutions has these types of conversations with our customers every day. One of the key Cloud Solutions that our customers are exploring is Office 365. We have found an overwhelming amount of incorrect information and myths that exist about moving to Office 365. I want to continue debunking these top 10 myths starting with Myth 4:
MYTH 4: I must move everything to the cloud. It is an all-or nothing scenario.
FACT: You can move to the cloud at your own pace, or use a hybrid approach.
While some early cloud supporters advocated for moving your entire business to the cloud all at once, this isn’t a process that needs to happen overnight. Most implementations start with a hybrid approach—moving a single workload, like email, and growing from there.
As many companies move their productivity workloads to the cloud, the path for each workload is different, and the time it takes for those migrations varies. We can help you move workloads such as file sync-and-share or email first, and then help you figure out the right long-term plan for more difficult or larger projects.
MYTH 5: Cloud migration is too much for my business to handle.
FACT: KTL Solution is here to help every step of the way.
When you start considering how to move massive amounts of data, email accounts and history to the cloud, it’s easy to see why some people think “going cloud” is too big a challenge for IT departments and staff. We’re not going to tell you it’s simple, but you really can get Office 365 up and running quickly.
KTL has experience managing these migrations, and in most cases, you can use your existing tools and processes throughout the migration, so day to day work won’t be disrupted.
MYTH 6: Corporate spies, cyber thieves, and governments will have access to my data if it is in the cloud.
FACT: It’s your data, not anyone else’s.
This is a top fear about the cloud among many businesses, but it is unfounded. Your IT team manages access, sets up rights and restrictions, and provides smartphone access and options just like they do with your On-Premise systems. Further, your company remains the sole owner: You retain the rights, title, and interest in the data stored in Office 365.
When safeguarding your data, Microsoft operates under several key principles:
- Microsoft does not mine your data for advertising or for any purpose other than providing you with services that you have paid for.
- If you ever choose to leave the service, you take your data with you.
- Privacy controls allow you to configure who in your organization has access and what they can access.
- Extensive auditing and supervision prevent admins from unauthorized access to your data.
- Customer Lockbox for Office 365 leaves customers with explicit control in the rare instance a Microsoft engineer may need to access customer content to resolve an IT issue.
Strict controls and design elements prevent your data from mingling with that of other organizations, and Microsoft’s data center staff never has unprivileged access to your data.
Visit the TRUST CENTER for more on how Microsoft is putting security front and center.
MYTH 7: We must learn all new tools to manage SharePoint Online.
FACT: SharePoint Online abstracts maintains the infrastructure, without changing anything else.
All your hard work learning how to manage SharePoint is not lost! 0SharePoint Online shares the same familiar administration and management tools, whether your deployment is in the cloud, on location, or in a hybrid of the two. Although your customizations aren’t populated to the cloud, all the administrative controls remain the same.
When moving to SharePoint Online, you no longer need to bother with controlling the workload implementation—instead, your IT team can focus on controlling its configuration. With the convenient, one-time, expert-led implementation that SharePoint Online handles, your IT team can reallocate time they used to spend on implementation and can concentrate on building strong, strategic tools for the business. SharePoint Online simply abstracts the infrastructure, enabling you to focus on the solution.
Source: https://resources.office.com/rs/microsoftdemandcenter/images/10-myths-about-moving-to-the-cloud-ebook.pdf
STEPHEN REID | Account Manager
Stephen Reid is a business development representative at KTL Solutions, a full technology consulting firm. Steve will work with new and existing clients to identify areas where they can better utilize technology to improve processes and increase efficiencies in their organizations.
As a consistently top-performing sales executive, Steve has built a successful career around his ability to assess and anticipate customer needs, identify unique alternatives, and develop and implement long-term solutions. Throughout his more than 25 years of B2B strategic sales and marketing leadership, Steve maintains a genuine commitment to ongoing client service and satisfaction which has allowed him to grow strong, sustainable partnerships.
