As remote work becomes more common, and the hybrid workplace becomes the new normal, growing enterprises need collaborative platforms that enable seamless communication. Some organizations use a mix of different vendors’ apps and solutions to collaborate, which brings inherent security risks.
How can IT professionals support collaboration and optimize employee productivity while keeping both on-site and remote workers secure?
Good news: Mobility and security don’t have to be mutually exclusive. An all-in-one platform with built-in security, such as Microsoft 365, can increase your organization’s flexibility while minimizing risk.
Keep reading to discover four benefits Microsoft 365 offers companies seeking to make hybrid work safer and easier.
A platform for communication and collaboration
Microsoft 365 makes seamless communication secure through an all-in-one platform that includes the ability to chat, meet and call. Employees can host online meetings, video conferences and chat sessions from their desktops or mobile devices, remotely or on-premises, using Microsoft Teams.
Securely sharing content, data and files is easy, too. Users can create team sites to share information with SharePoint; limit access to only those users with appropriate permissions; and sync and access files on PCs, Macs and mobile devices to get work done anytime, anywhere. Multiple users can even edit and annotate files simultaneously in real time for smoother collaboration.
Support for bring your own device
Bring your own device (BYOD) isn’t going away. Some 95% of organizations allow employees to use personal devices but the security controls used to protect company assets and systems on remote or BYOD devices often make those devices less responsive, which frustrates users and reduces productivity.
Additional time is wasted when users must physically leave their devices with technicians for hours while IT enrolls, configures or updates them. Administrating and monitoring multiple systems eats up valuable IT time that could be spent on higher-value work.
Microsoft 365’s zero-touch provisioning allows IT teams to provision, reset and repurpose laptops and mobile devices remotely and automatically with minimal infrastructure and process overhead. Instead of going hours without their devices, employees need to wait only as long as it takes the upgrade or update to run.
IT professionals can manage all endpoints, whether company-owned or personal, on-premises or remote, desktop or mobile, with equal ease. Users’ devices run better, improving employee productivity and satisfaction.
Zero trust security
Both on-site and remote employees need to access your company’s on-premises and cloud-based data, applications and resources. Microsoft 365’s Conditional Access App Control, powered by Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and natively integrated in Microsoft Endpoint Manager, uses continuous assessment and intent-based policies to let users securely access corporate resources.
Whether employees use company-issued or personal devices, Azure AD helps protect user credentials and connect employees securely to the apps they need to work effectively from any location. With Conditional Access App Control, IT professionals can limit access to approved (modern authentication capable) client apps. Azure AD supports thousands of prebuilt integrations with the software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications your employees already use.
Learn about RSM’s Cybersecurity Rapid Assessment®, A cost-effective, quick diagnostic tool leading to improved security effectiveness and regulatory compliance
Compliance visibility
Is hybrid work complicating compliance at your organization? Microsoft 365 can simplify things. Microsoft Compliance manager, an end-to-end compliance management solution that’s part of Microsoft 365, gives companies the tools they need to streamline compliance and reduce risk.
Using pre-built and custom assessments, Compliance Manager clearly explains complex regulations, standards and company policies, and offers detailed guidance on steps your company can take to improve compliance and satisfy regulatory requirements. Use the dashboard to monitor your company’s risk-based compliance score and measure progress toward compliance goals.
Learn more about RSM’s Technology Risk Consulting practice, a unique approach to holistic and flexible risk management.
Empowering employees for the new world of work
Nearly three-fourths (73%) of employees want the option to keep working remotely, while 67% crave more in-person interaction, according to Microsoft’s 2020 Work Trend Index Report.
To attract and retain the best workers, companies must strike a balance between remote and on-premises work by giving employees secure, streamlined access to the tools they need to excel, wherever they choose to work.
Consulting an experienced advisor can help ensure your organization gets the most from your Microsoft 365 implementation. As a National Microsoft Partner with more than 750 business and technology professionals in a consulting field of over 3,000 employees, RSM’s vast industry experience combined with our insights into your unique needs can help you select and implement the right solutions to achieve your organizational goals.
