Tips and tricks for Office 365 migration

 Office 365 migration can be highly beneficial to businesses, whether it is small or big. Although the process can seem a bit daunting to administrators, here we've mentioned some valuable tips and tricks that help you migrate and make things easier once you have them.

Outlook Web Access offline mode

Migration can support OWA in the offline mode, provided you are using Chrome 18, Internet Explorer 10 or Safari 5.1. Think of it as being similar to running an Outlook client in cached mode. Offline mode allows the contents of your mailbox to be downloaded to your computer, improving overall performance and allowing access to your mailbox while offline.

Recover deleted items

Once an item has been deleted, it moves automatically to the 'deleted items folder. These usually remain for 30 days before being systematically purged. However, your deleted mail item can still be recovered 14 days later when you apply the 'Recover Deleted Items' feature.

Office 365 has one 'recover deleted items' bin, so regardless of the folder you want to recover the deleted items, it shows a single list for all the messages that Outlook can still heal for the whole mailbox.

Shared mailboxes

Your business may utilize shared mailboxes for various reasons, such as equipment scheduling or room calendars. Others may be used for communications intended to be sent via a departmental email address rather than that of an individual. Not to mention those who allow their assistants or team leaders to manage their calendars or other vital communications as part of a team. Shared mailboxes are worthwhile and can often make communications much easier between different departments.

Online archive

Office 365 email archive is like a second mailbox, only hosted on Exchange online, providing more centralized storage of email items, folders, attachments, calendar items and contacts. You'll find them appearing automatically in Outlook (2010+) and in OWA, reminiscent of how a.PST file would appear when enabled by the server administrator. They provide easy access via the Exchange server, although many businesses opt for third-party archiving software that recognizes more file types.

Need help migrating your business to office 365? You can contact Server Consultancy through email at contact@serverconsultancy.co.uk or call us at 0203 727 2000.

Distinctions between Office 365 and SharePoint Online

 Most of you might be familiar with Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems like SharePoint or document management. Also, you might have heard that SharePoint Online and Office 365 are used interchangeably.

However, some people believe that Office 365 and SharePoint Online are one of a kind, but that’s not true. SharePoint Online and Office 365 might have similar capabilities, as both are Microsoft products. But, there are many distinctions between these two collaborative platforms.

Explaining Office 365

As per Microsoft, Office 365 is considered a subscription-based plan consisting of many Office productivity applications and services that can be accessed over the internet.

With applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the business plans of Office 365 also offer e-mail services, audio, video, and web conferencing infrastructure, and internal communication platforms while allowing you to share and store data files on the cloud.

What’s with SharePoint Online?

SharePoint Online, also available with Office 365 subscription, is a collaborative platform integrated with Microsoft Office. SharePoint Online allows businesses to store, share, search, retrieve, manage, and track internal documents.

Although you can access it as a cloud-based Office 365 subscription component, SharePoint Online is also available as a standalone product.

The few functionalities that make SharePoint Online and Office 365 similar include the ability to store and share documents with other users. However, choosing between these platforms depends on your business needs and usage.

When to choose Office 365?

• When you need file-based storage for ease of use, which can be availed with Office 365’s OneDrive
• When collaboration between teams is not much complicated – Office 365 Teams is your best bet here
• When users need personal file management across devices – OneDrive serves best here.
• When users need to email larger files – again, OneDrive is an excellent choice for it.

When to use SharePoint Online?

• In case of highly complex collaboration, tight security, and maintenance
• When you need to configure data types
• You need advanced security measurements for certain types of content
• When a custom workflow is required for content management

Based on these criteria, you can decide which platform best suits your needs. If you have a small organisation or business, then Office 365 is your best bet. On the other hand, if you have a large enterprise, there is no better solution than SharePoint Online. 

You can contact IT support services company to help you in having access to both Office 365 and Sharepoint subscription.

Microsoft Office 365 Contributes To Growing Cloud Adoption In Europe!

 The search engine giant – Google had broken the connection with Microsoft's cloud-based productivity suite – MS Office; however, now it looks like Google is at the edge to lose from Microsoft.

As per research, in the last year, the implementation of Office 365 by Microsoft in European countries has amazingly increased, being more than double. So, now it looks as if Microsoft is growing its share in the cloud-based MS Office suite market against the G Suite of its rival tech giant – Google.

What Bitglass Report Found About The Adoption Of Office 365 In Europe

The research by a company, namely Bitglass, a data protection firm, was based on a thorough analysis of eight thousand mail servers to ensure the adoption of cloud apps in businesses. This report found that in Europe, Microsoft Office 365 had grown from 16.4 per cent in 2015 to 35 per cent this year. Conversely, the G Suite of Google adoption also increased from last year as it was 7.2 per cent last year, and now it has reached 18.7 per cent this year.

Only in France implemented Microsoft Office 365 rose from 22.4 per cent last year to 49.8 per cent this year. Though in Germany, the adoption was grown from 16.2 per cent to 40 per cent. The adoption of G Suite in France has also risen from 14.5 per cent to 32.3 per cent. In Germany, the G suite adoption had increased from 6.3 per cent to 23.3 per cent.

From the industry sector perspective, Google has received great victories in various media companies, with significant businesses like News Corp as its early adopters. So, in media, Google enjoys a powerful position with a 31.7 per cent share, and in the tech field, it enjoys a 24.9 per cent share. However, Microsoft's cloud-based MS Office Suite displayed a more significant stake in adoption within varied sectors.

Research also reported that 49 per cent of companies with over one thousand employees had adopted Office 365 suite; however, only 20 per cent of organisations have used the G Suite of Google.

If we compare the private and public organisations, the research revealed a higher usage of the cloud in large-sized public organisations compared to small or medium enterprises. Moreover, the rate of adoption of the Office 365 suite had been observed to be higher as compared to G Suite.

Year after year, MS Office 365 adoption has risen 9 per cent among public organisations to 55.4 per cent, though the deployment of the G suite has grown but at a slow rate of speed in private and public organisations. The disparity between G Suite and Office 365 narrates the issue Google has faced. These issues include one in which several European companies prioritised data privacy favouring the Microsoft product – Office 365. The second issue was the openly stated plan of Microsoft to move its present customers over cloud products.

Considering these points and facts, Microsoft emerges as the clear winner in the cloud market with its Office 365 suite
beating Google behind.

Any issues related to office 365, migrating work to office 365, IT Support Services contact Server Consultancy through email at  contact@serverconsultancy.co.uk.

7 Tips to Organise Your Work-Life Balance for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, especially people in the IT sector. After the pandemic, it has become mandatory for employees to work from home, which completely disturbed their work-life balance. Whether working in an IT firm or any other sector, it is crucial to maintain a work-life balance to have a healthy life.

Most people quickly achieve this goal while working from an office, but working from home has made everyone challenging. Staying up-to-date with your team members while keeping the house environment in mind is not that simple as it looks. Moreover, people are working more than ever after the pandemic, which has even worsened the condition.

According to Forbes, it is noticed that small business owners work more than 50+ hours per week, while more than 80% of individuals work on weekends as well. Though there is nothing wrong with being passionate about your work, maintaining the work-life balance is crucial for nourishing life. As a business owner, you can change things for your employees to maintain a work-life balance.

Challenges of Working from Home

• Work from home does provide many advantages, but many challenges make it more complicated.
• Difficulty in monitoring employees’ performance and activities
• Lack of communication among team members, which decreases the team efforts
• Increase in telecommunication costs, as you will have to spend more on the internet connection
• House distractions due to family members, kids, phone calls, pets, etc.

Tips for Better Work-Life Balance

We have created a list of some of the best tips to manage your work-life balance effectively.

• Set SMART Goals

Without having a goal in mind, it is often impossible to finish your tasks daily. If you organise yourself and understand what needs to be done when? It will become more comfortable for you. Thus, it would help if you had SMART goals every day – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound (SMART).

If you start keeping SMART goals for every day, then you will be able to execute your tasks timely while keeping track of your activities.

• Set Deadlines for Specific Tasks

Every organisation uses project management tools to manage its tasks and projects while working remotely or from the office. Thus, setting specific deadlines for your projects will help you understand how your employees are performing. You can even assign a deadline for each project to stay on track, but make sure it does not affect your employees’ life.

If you are using any project management tool, you should opt for one, which can be immensely helpful. You can even get a project management tool with your Microsoft 365 Subscription.

• Understand Your Priorities

Every day take out some time to analyse what is most important to you in your life. For instance, you can even make a list of top priorities at work and at home. After making a list, create a timetable to execute those tasks accordingly. This way, you will be able to make the most of your time and focus on your projects.

• Use Spreadsheet to Automate Tasks

As a team manager, you might need to run reports for clients or other projects, which often takes a lot of time. However, you can easily automate your data entry operations by creating macros in spreadsheets. Macros allow you to automate data entry operations effectively. Besides, it even allows you to automate canned responses for emails, quote marks, etc.

• Use Effective Communication Channels

Most employees find it challenging to communicate with their team members due to the lack of communication channels. Effective communication is critical to lead your business to success. Using practical communication tools like Microsoft Teams, you can collaborate with employees and other team members effectively. MS Teams is an excellent application that even allows you to schedule meetings and share information with others.

• Batch Small Tasks

One of the best ways to recover productivity in your team members is to keep the day flowing. If you have multiple small tasks to execute, find a specific time for them and execute them all at once. For example, if you must respond to emails, schedule meetings, update social media, order supplies, etc., then work on them at a specific period. This will help you prevent task switching and improve productivity while focusing on projects.

• Use Cloud Management Tools

While working remotely, it is challenging to keep track of employees’ activities and collaborate effectively. However, all this can be managed if you use a cloud platform like Microsoft 365. Though moving to the cloud is a big decision and the migration process is not one day task. But moving to Microsoft 365 will not affect any of your existing operations.

You can move to Microsoft 365 even when your employees are working from home. The migration process will not disturb any of the existing operations in your organisation. However, if you find it challenging to move to Microsoft 365, you can always contact Server Consultancy to help you with the migration process.

Apart from the above tips, it is recommended to take breaks during work hours no matter where you are working. For example, you can take a lunch break, tea break, a walk, or any other activity that keeps you productive. This way, you can keep yourself healthy and focus on your work with more confidence and energy.

All-in-All

Maintaining work-life balance is not a new thing; most people struggle with it. But the pandemic has made it even more complicated and stimulating for individuals. We have become so lazy in working from home that we have forgotten to focus on our health, affecting our productivity and work life. This article has covered some of the most useful tips that can be used to maintain work-life balance for the upcoming years.

Are You Getting Most Out of Office 365 Subscription?

Every enterprise, whether small or large, is adopting Office 365 to streamline its operations. But many businesses are still not utilising all the tools offered by Office 365, which often affects productivity. For instance, most companies only use OneDrive, Outlook, and other essential Office 365 apps.

According to a report, only one-third of the employees use Office 365 applications in any organisation. There could be various reasons behind this, but it is for sure that businesses aren't using Office 365 to get the most out of it.

This informative article will discuss how you can make the most of your Office 365 subscription to boost productivity, lower your IT cost, and improve your working experience.

• Know the Tools Offered by Office 365

You might be familiar with the most common tools of Office 365, such as OneDrive, Outlook, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, but it comes with a myriad of tools that can make the work easier. Besides, the tools are categorised based on your organisation's activities, such as communication, collaboration, business intelligence, data sharing, etc.

Office 365 provides multiple tools for each activity or task, such as you can opt for Yammer, Skype for Business, or MS Teams for effective communication. Similarly, for business intelligence, it provides Power BI and Azure.

• Use the PowerApps

The PowerApps offered by Microsoft is pretty incredible to create custom apps without writing any code. It allows you to develop an application quickly to resolve a complex business problem or specific data need. Moreover, it provides you with pre-built templates with an established connection with your system. The app developed by PowerApps can be published for both the web and mobile devices.

• Use the Clutter Feature

Not everyone knows of this excellent functionality offered in Outlook by Microsoft. Clutter is a feature available in MS Outlook that enables you to clean your inbox automatically. After enabling this functionality, Microsoft starts paying attention to emails that you read and ignore. Based on your preferences, it will start sorting the unread or ignored messages to the clutter folder.

• Organise Documents with SharePoint Views

If you have to work with a lot of documents daily and store them in SharePoint, you can organise those documents in a better way with the custom SharePoint views. SharePoint Views gives you the freedom to organise and manage your documents with various parameters like geographic regions, orders of priority, and other factors. Using these parameters allows you to view the documents that are relevant to you.

• Take Advantage of Anywhere Access

Office 365 applications are also accessible via mobile phones or tablets, which means you're not limited to using your desktop to access any data or use any Office 365 application. The apps can be downloaded on every mobile platform, including Android, iPhone, iPad, Tablet, etc. Although it entirely depends on your subscription, it is a flexible option for employees to keep up with their work.

With access to work from anywhere with Office 365 apps, you can offer a flexible work environment for the employees to improve their productivity while keeping track of their activities.

• Simplify the IT Management

Utilising Office 365 in your organisation will simplify IT management to a more significant extent. It eliminates in-house IT management while reducing the resources and overall management costs. For instance, you don't have to track new versions of the software to install on your system, as you get automatic updates with Office 365. Moreover, the saved time and resources can be utilised for some other activities in your company.

Leveraging Office 365 and its application is no big deal, but most companies don't even realise what they have been offered with their Office 365 subscription. Thus, having specific knowledge of the applications and tools provided is crucial for every business. However, if you find it stimulating to select an Office 365 subscription for your business, then Server Consultancy experts can help you in your quest. Whether you want to move to Office 365 or understand the various subscription plans, our technical experts will assist you with everything.

Wrap Up

Office 365 has turned out to be one of the best cloud platforms that offer flexibility, reliability, security, and enhanced productivity to enterprises. Thus, utilising it to meet your business expectations and requirements should be your responsibility. The above article focuses on helping you how you can make the most out of your Office 365 subscription plan.

Compare Office 365 Business Plans

 

Compare Office 365 Business Plans with Server Consultancy 

In this article, we will compare Office 365 Business Plans from Microsoft. We will compare Office 365 Business subscriptions and give you an understanding and comparison of unique features from the business plan of Microsoft Office 365. Most people do not know the difference, and this information is essential in using Office 365 services. 

Since its inception in June 2011, Microsoft Office 365 has enjoyed unmatched fame as the top choice for all businesses as their business productivity suites. Microsoft has crafted the Office 365 business plans to suit the needs of small and medium size companies with up to 300 users. Our comparison of the Office 365 business Plan brings a unique set of Microsoft office 365 support services that can cater to a particular business needs model. And it is the availability of choices that often leads to confusion and raises the inevitable question – which Office 365 plan fits you? Should you go for the Microsoft office 365 business premium or stick to the Standard or Business basic? 

As of now, Microsoft has three office 365 business Plans. All these three Plans are available on three different following subscriptions model. 

Microsoft Office 365 Business Plans 

• Microsoft Office 365 Business Basic 
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Standard 
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium 

Compare Office 365 Business Plan Payment Commitment 

Payment Terms Compare Office 365 Business Plans 

• Annual Commitment annual prepayment. You prepay for the entire year and get a discount from Server Consultancy – No Cancellation or refund.  
• Annual commitment monthly payment - Annual Subscription commitment and pay monthly with no option to reduce numbers or cancellation. Usually, no discount from Server Consultancy. 
• Monthly commitment monthly payment. Monthly commitment and monthly prepayment. Usually, 20% more expensive, but you can cancel the subscription with 30 days' notice.  

Here is a table that clearly shows the feature comparison of 3 different Office 365 Business Plans 

Office 365 Business Plans Comparision

Features	Office 365 Business Basic Plan	Office 365 Business Standard Plan	Office 365 Business Premium Plan
Per user per month, the retail price in GBP (with an annual commitment and monthly prepayment) excluding VAT (Value Added Tax)	£4.50	£9.40	£16.60
Install Microsoft 365 Apps on up to 5 PCs/Macs + 5 tablets + 5 smartphones per user		included	included
Multilingual user interface for Office applications.		included	included
Office Mobile Apps – Create/edit rights for commercial use of Office Mobile apps.	included	included	included
Create/edit rights for online versions of core Office apps (Office for the Web)	included	included	included
Microsoft Exchange Online	Plan 1 (50 GB)	Plan 1 (50 GB)	Plan 1 (50 GB)
SharePoint Online	Plan 1	Plan 1	Plan 1
Microsoft Teams	included	included	included
OneDrive for Business storage	Plan 1 (1 TB)	Plan 1 (1 TB)	Plan 1 (1 TB)
Yammer Enterprise	included	included	included
Microsoft MyAnalytics	included	included	included
Microsoft Forms	included	included	included
Microsoft Graph API	included	included	included
Microsoft Planner	included	included	included
Microsoft Shifts	included	included	included
Microsoft Search	included	included	included
Microsoft Stream	included	included	included
Microsoft Whiteboard	included	included	included
Microsoft Sway	included	included	included
Microsoft 365 Groups	included	included	included
Microsoft Kaizala Pro	included	included	included
Microsoft To-Do	included	included	included
Microsoft Bookings		included	included
Power Apps for Microsoft 365	included	included	included
Power Automate for Microsoft 365	included	included	included
On-premises Active Directory sync for SSO	included	included	included
Mobile Device Management (MDM) for Office 365	included	included	included
Microsoft Intune			included
Shared computer activation			included
Microsoft Audio Conferencing	included	included	included
Content Search	included	included	included
Core eDiscovery (incl. Hold and Export)			included
Advanced eDiscovery
Basic Audit	included	included	included
Advanced Audit
Apply sensitivity labels or retention labels manually			included
Azure Information Protection			Premium Plan 1
Office 365 Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for emails and files			included
Endpoint DLP
Email archiving			included
Basic Office Message Encryption			included
Microsoft Cloud App Security
Conditional Access			included
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1
Windows 10 Desktop Operating System Upgrade			Business
Windows Defender Antivirus, Device Guard, Windows Information Protection, BitLocker, and BitLocker to Go			included
Windows AutoPilot, Windows Hello for Business			included
Azure Active Directory Premium			Plan 1

Compare Office 365 Business Plan after December 2020. Microsoft rebranded  

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, formerly known as Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection 

• Microsoft Defender for Identity, formerly known as Azure Advanced Threat Protection 
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365, formerly known as Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection." 

For larger businesses with more comprehensive needs, the Enterprise packages (E1, E2, and E3, E5) can accommodate unlimited numbers of users and offer tailored features. E1 is the most basic package, whereas E2 includes the popular desktop applications. E3 is Microsoft's all-inclusive package, including everything from mobile apps and Business Intelligence to Enterprise Voice. 

What does Office 365 business include?

Please see our comparison above, where we have provided information to choose the best office 365 subscription for your business.

Is Office 365 worth it for small businesses?

Yes, Microsoft Office 365 is one of businesses' most commonly used plans. It is cost-effective compared to buying a Server on-premises and integrates very well with day-to-day business apps.

What is the difference between Office 365 and Office 365 business?

Office 365 is the name of the online services provided by Microsoft, whereas the office 365 business is the subscription from Microsoft 365 services.

What are the different Office 365 plans?

Please see above compare the Office 365 Plans table.

Still, confused about which Office 365 plan to buy? 

If you are still indecisive and do not know which option to take, try consulting the experts at Server Consultancy, who can assist you in walking through this comparison of Office 365 Business plans and making the right decision on which will fit your needs. With support from the right London IT Support company near you, you do not have to worry about anything. Whether choosing the best Office 365 business plan or migrating to a different Microsoft office 365 business plan from your current system, Our Microsoft Office 365 Support Experts will take care of everything. 

So, investigate the present and the future, take help if required, and select the right Office 365 Business plan to escalate your business' efficiency after reading our Office 365 Business Plans article.

Choosing an IT Support Company for SME

 

How to choose an IT support company for SME

It is crucial to choose a small business IT support London company that can meet the needs of your business. There are several ways to go about this, but there are several things you should consider. One of the most important is the size of the organisation. Many Managed IT support companies will claim to be fast, but that does not mean they are. Make sure to find out how many employees they have and how long they have been there. You are unlikely to receive personalised service if they have a large staff.

Customer References

Another thing to look for is the customer service of an IT support company for SME. You want to deal with a company that is responsive and dependable. Ask for references from clients and check their Google My Business page. Ask for their connections to ensure they can offer a satisfactory level of service. If possible, talk to their customers in the same industry as yours. This way, you can make sure the company you choose will provide the support for your business needs.

It is essential to look for annual contracts with your IT Support Company for SMEs. While many modern companies now offer this model, some still do not. IT Support reactive companies, fixing broken printers or email issues, will make up a large part of your needs. These companies should be flexible enough to fit your IT support budget. However, when choosing your IT support company for SME, consider the costs and benefits of each option.

Cost of IT support for small Businesses

An IT support provider will charge a monthly fee for its services. This fee is calculated based on the number of users and devices or server / IT infrastructure. IT support providers use different service models, and prices may vary widely. Understanding the difference between the other service models and their costs is essential. The basic retainer model is the most common, and it allows a business to pay a certain fee each month for a set number of support hours. For example, a 40-person company may pay £1200 per month for ten support hours, while a more comprehensive retainer model might charge £125 an hour.

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) looking for IT support services should consider the type of service they require. A technician can perform basic tasks, but more complex problems require an IT consultant. In-house computer technicians can perform simple tasks, while consultants can develop modern technology solutions. If you do not need comprehensive IT services, a managed service provider will provide you with a fixed monthly fee. The cost of IT support services will depend on how many employees you need, the type of work you need, and your experience level.

The average cost of IT support services varies wildly, depending on the complexity of your systems and the number of technicians you require. However, you can hire a computer technician for as little as £65 an hour, though experienced technicians might charge upwards of £100. Of course, hiring an individual technician is not always ideal, especially if you are not sure you can keep up with the rising costs. Fortunately, there are many other benefits to hiring an IT support company for SME.

Value of IT support services

IT support services have many benefits. They help businesses solve complex problems, improve hardware, and provide high-quality displays. They also help streamline work processes. Companies can research data and information and plan for scalability. These benefits are just a few reasons to hire IT support services. In addition to improving customer satisfaction, IT support services provide companies with valuable insights into their customers' behaviour.

Today's businesses use many different technologies to conduct their operations. Since much of commerce uses computers and other types of technology, effective IT support services are crucial to the success of any business. Whether an SMB or large enterprise, effective data management and storage go together. Companies hire highly skilled IT personnel to ensure a reliable data backup system and protect sensitive data from theft.

Privacy

There are several critical factors if you consider onboarding an IT support for small business UK. Data privacy is important to protect user data, including your contact information, browsing history, financial information, and location. Privacy is also crucial for employers who hire remote workers because they must ensure that their employees' data is confidential. Data privacy has several main elements, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability. You can search for small business it support near me to find an IT Support company for SME.

Server Consultancy Ltd. is one of the IT support companies that has been proven and tested to be one of the companies that offers quality services to their customers since they have been in the industry from 2004 up to the present. It provides IT support services that effectively help you avoid these types of fraud and to maintain easier collaboration within your teams and departments while keeping your data encrypted, we also offer teams phone system migration services with an exclusive teams phone with calling plan to ensure smooth and safe activity.