Measurable productivity and ROI are key deliverables for any business looking to invest in information technology. As the demand grows for IT solutions to deliver improved business productivity, we are seeing an ongoing release of solutions to the market.
Treated as standalone solutions, businesses will gain immediate benefit, though it’s unlikely they’ll maximise their investment or extract the full potential. However, combining these solutions through partnering with an established end-to-end partner will ensure users reap the full benefits.
Microsoft Office 365 and Datacom is a prime example
Microsoft’s cloud based Office 365 offers businesses the office applications of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher and OneNote, file storage and sharing of 1TB per user, along with world class email, calendar and contacts. Skype, IM, HD video conferencing and corporate social networks combine with digital storytelling tools to deliver a true ‘solution in a box’.
But how does a business transition its IT needs and migrate to a cloud based solution with confidence and without loss of productivity? The complexity often felt by organisations is the ability to seamlessly integrate new and improved technologies that deliver tangible benefits.
The solution is to work with a respected partner with a proven history in the software and integration business – such as Datacom.
A recent white paper created by Datacom found that many respondents who had migrated parts of their workload to public cloud, using their own in-house expertise, said they had found it hard to quantify savings. In particular, those who had undertaken programmes to move substantial portions of their IT estate to public cloud found it a costly and time-intensive exercise. Almost all of their IT systems needed to be replaced or transformed.
Datacom’s key recommendation is that any move to public cloud needs to be approached in a strategic, planned and methodical manner. Before organisations go to a public cloud, they should take a step back, conduct due diligence and evaluate which platform is best suited to their current and future needs, and from there, make an informed decision. Evaluating Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a critical first step.
So what should customers look for in a partner to maximise their investment on Office 365?
Office 365 demonstrations and consultancy
- The ability to rapidly demonstrate to your business the value of Office 365
Assessment services
- The ability to review your infrastructure and business to ascertain its readiness for Office 365.
Integration and migration track record
- Proven experience in delivering migration to Office 365 without loss of productivity for the client
- Experience in transition services for Exchange, Lync and SharePoint.
Design Consultancy
- A partner with the ability to tailor Office 365 to your organisation’s needs.
Managed Services Experience
- Experience in administering and maintaining your Office 365 tenancy, allowing you to get on with your business.
For further information on how to unlock the power of Office 365, visit datacom.com.au/Office365.