Hybrid work is the new norm—are you set up for success

It should come as no surprise to any organisation, that the key to business success today and for the future is the ability to adapt to the changing work climate and create a flexible and remotely accessible workplace. Regardless of how you feel about this new reality, it’s here to stay and those organisations who embrace it will thrive in an ever-changing work climate. Employees are looking for flexible roles within organisations that provide the opportunity to work remotely. The reality is that most workplaces will have to navigate lockdowns, families juggling online learning and other restrictions at some point.   

The benefits of hybrid working for business owners and IT professionals are clear. There is the ability to hire and retain workers who are unwilling or unable to relocate which increases the pool for hiring the best staff from almost anywhere in the world. It reduces worker commuting which in turn increases productivity time and provides a better work life balance for employees.  

From a financial point of view, costs of hiring office space and providing office supplies is greatly reduce if not completely erased.  

So, is Microsoft 365 and Modern Device Management right for your organisation?  

Here are some more benefits specific to Microsoft 365: 

Stay connected from anywhere in the world and at any time. Your employees can access Cloud-based services and data in your Microsoft 365 subscription. Along with organisation resources. 

Secure sign-ins with multi-factor authentication (MFA). This includes built-in security features in Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 that protect against malware, malicious attacks, and data loss. Your hybrid worker’s devices can be managed from the cloud using Modern Management tools like Microsoft Intune with security settings, applications, device compliance and system health / analytics all managed remotely. 

The Teams app allows your hybrid workers to be as productive as on-premises in a highly collaborative way with online meetings and chat sessions. Employers can also set up and monitor shared tasks and workflows to divide up the work and get things done. 

What do you need to enable Hybrid working? 

Move your data to the cloud – With the correct Information Architecture in place, moving your data to SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business will enable secure collaboration and sharing of data with required team members. 

Access to Applications – There is a move to SaaS based applications. This trend will continue to evolve. For those on-premises applications you will still require a secure connection. Assessing your internal network needs utilising a VPN or utilising a virtual device or Application presentation are all options to evaluate 

Modern Management – Enabling remote management of devices will make it easier for organisation to manage a remote fleet. Legacy management required on premise connectivity or use of a VPN. Enabling Internet based management allows greater flexibility and control. Laptops can be shipped direct from factory to home enabling a quick device setup and no more IT involved, patch deployments can be controlled without internal access, remote support is available, Applications are accessible for installation, compliance checks are performed, and we can still proactively resolve issues with use of analytics. There are so many advantages with Modern Management that will delight your employees. 

Virtual machines – With the release of Microsoft Windows 365 there are now multiple options for accessing Virtual devices. Using Azure Virtual Device gives you the ability to consume compute when you want to with devices stored in your Subscription. Using W365 gives you the ability for certainty with pricing with less to manage with the devices stored in a Microsoft Subscription. The move away from on premises virtual devices is a trend and gives more flexibility to scale up or down as required quickly to meet demand when you want it. 

Zero Trust – Any connectivity to an organisations environment / data must be setup in a way to assume a breach. You need to earn the trust before access. With the Hybrid working solutions available, we can ensure you have the right solution that meets your requirements for a Zero Trust adoption. 

Even once the threat of COVID is long gone, it is hard to imagine a return to the old, on-site style of working. Hybrid work is here to stay. If you are interested in understanding more how this can be achieved, reach out to us today.