Article How Modern MSPs use Microsoft 365 to Connect Business
By Insight UK / 12 Dec 2022 / Topics: Operational efficiency Microsoft 365
By Insight UK / 12 Dec 2022 / Topics: Operational efficiency Microsoft 365
The MSP business of today is all about connectivity, collaboration and communication. That is only logical as the digital transformation is progressing and cloud infrastructure becomes more fragmented and complex. Different expertise is needed to manage and support these environments. Therefore, the modern MSP is not just a helpdesk with some general IT staff. It has architects, engineers, administrators, and security experts. They all have their own interests but need each other to make their solutions work. Only by exchanging knowledge, close collaboration and teamwork, new MSP services and solutions are realised.
What goes for IT professionals also goes for the technical solutions they create: they all need to connect to make the entire IT environment work, and that doesn’t happen by chance. Anyone who has tried integrating software from different vendors knows how hard it is. Despite high promises about open standards, flexible middleware and easy-to-use APIs, it is a major challenge to integrate different applications and systems into one happy ecosystem. Connecting various platforms and solutions, always takes more time, money and effort than you had thought. Yet, it has to be done, because you don’t want to end up with a patchwork of stand-alone tools, double data entry, inefficient workflows, and suboptimal business results.
Information technologies have transformed the working place, but why do we make it so complicated? As an MSP, it is your first priority to provide your customers with the digital facilities to do their jobs efficiently. To reduce security risks and to ensure the continuity of their business. To do so, we advise you to start with the basics and a solid foundation: Microsoft 365 has everything you need to create a user-friendly, efficient workplace for your customers.
Everyone who is slightly familiar with a computer, knows the classics like Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, but Microsoft 365 has much more to offer. One Note, Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, Power BI, and essential services like security and compliance. Furthermore, there are countless lesser-known apps to add more features to Microsoft 365. To put it simply, all ingredients are there to create the perfect solution. Just mix them well and your customers will love you for it.
The best part of Microsoft 365 is that all apps and services, are meant to communicate with each other. They are designed for connectivity and work seamlessly together. This brings the perfect workplace within reach for every company, team and employee. Your own personalised portal with your agenda, mail, applications and documents you are working on. All secure, well-structured and within reach. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
Personalised portals, online meetings, sharing files, collaborating on documents, intuitive workflows to support your business. It is all possible with Microsoft 365. What more is there to wish for? Well… There is life outside the Microsoft 365 family! We started this article with a critical note on the challenges of system integration. Still, once you have experienced how easy the different Microsoft 365 tools work together, it’s time to explore the options to integrate with other well-known solutions like Projects, Dynamics, Azure, Dynamics or SQL.
The digital transition urges companies to streamline their processes and work more efficiently. Microsoft 365 will enable your customers to utilise the power of the cloud fully. They get access to familiar Office applications, advanced collaboration tools and an integrated platform to build custom software that exactly matches their needs.
Yet, they will need your advice and support as an MSP to make Microsoft 365 work for them. They need your expertise to make the right design choices, to find their way around in the cloud and to take care of the implementation.
If you need advice on how to use the power of the cloud and contribute to business transformation? We at Insight have worked with partners like you across Europe for many years. We help them to find ways to optimise efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks and maximise revenue by providing valuable time, knowledge and support in many (hybrid) cloud scenarios.
Contact one of our cloud specialists to find out how we can support you in securing your cloud ambitions in line with your business goals, whether you are designing your first workloads in the cloud or work entirely cloud-based.
Follow our blogs on cloud adoption or read our client stories to find out what others say.
