Microsoft 365 Services

Microsoft 365 is a suite of cloud-based applications that enable businesses to work more efficiently and productively. Whether you need to create documents, collaborate with your team, communicate with your customers, or manage your data, Microsoft 365 has a solution for you and Espria is here to help with adoption of these services in the most efficient way for your business. 

Email Migration

Moving your existing email data from an on-premises or hosted server to the cloud-based Exchange Online service can help you reduce costs, improve security and access your email from anywhere. 

 

Espria has extensive experience of migrating business email into Exchange Online, from on-premises servers and other cloud services, while minimising any disruption to your business.  

 

This is a relatively low-risk migration process with minimal impact on staff that can be performed over a period of time to ensure the business is ready and full testing has been performed and completed before the on-premises server is decommissioned.   

SharePoint QuickStart

Typically, the next step in a business’ cloud journey, after migrating email, is the adoption of SharePoint Online for file storage and collaboration, but due to the highly flexible configuration permutations and options, many IT teams are unsure how best to start this project to gain the most benefit to the business without jeopardising future capabilities.   

 

This is where the Espria SharePoint QuickStart service can help. 

Following a number of years working with our clients to understand their initial SharePoint requirements we have noticed a common theme within the majority of projects. These requirements generally include the following: 

  • A branded central area for company news and information 
  • Access to company resources, such as HR forms and benefits information  
  • Access to external links such as payroll and expense applications. 
  • A clear document library structure which is easy to navigate 
  • Training to ensure administrators and staff can make the most  of SharePoint.

Espria has developed SharePoint QuickStart to perform this initial configuration, to provide a foundation for businesses to quickly benefit from SharePoint and associated technologies. 

Data Security - IAM, DLP, Retention and Encryption

Stay secure and compliant. Microsoft 365 provides advanced security and compliance features to protect your data and devices from threats and risks. 

 

With Microsoft Purview, you can discover, catalogue and classify your data sources, track data lineage and create a business glossary. Microsoft Purview helps you comply with data privacy and security regulations, optimise data quality and usability while empowering your staff with trusted and relevant insights. 

 

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) facilitates Single Sign-on (SSO) using secure cloud credentials to M365 and other SAML aware SaaS applications along with Conditional Access policies to verify genuine login requests. 

Espria will help you to understand the capabilities and use of Microsoft security tools such as Entra and Purview to secure and manage your data, ensuring that it doesn’t get into the wrong hands. 

Teams IM, Collaboration and Telephony​

Microsoft Teams is a market leading, all-in-one business collaboration hub. Its key features are Instant Messaging (IM), meetings, workspaces for groups known (somewhat confusingly) as “teams” (typically used for team or cross-departmental collaboration) and an ecosystem of Microsoft and third-party embedded apps for almost any use case.

Teams is licensed on a per user basis and is included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions but can also be bought separately.

 

  • Instant Messaging and Presence

IM is a feature of Microsoft Teams that allows users to exchange instant messages with their colleagues and collaborators. IM is integrated with other Teams functionalities, such as voice and video calls, file sharing, and co-authoring. Teams IM enables users to communicate quickly and efficiently, without leaving the Teams app. Users can send and receive text messages, images, files, emojis, GIFs, and stickers in one-on-one or group chats. Users can set their presence status automatically from their calendar or manually to indicate if they are available, busy, away, or do not disturb.

 

  • Meetings

Teams meetings are online meetings that allow users to collaborate and communicate with colleagues, clients and partners. Use Teams meetings to share your screen, present slides, chat with audio and video features. Teams meetings are easy to schedule and join, and they integrate with other Microsoft 365 apps and services. Teams meetings help you stay productive and connected, no matter where you are.

 

  • Teams Rooms

Teams Rooms are standards-based devices such as cameras, microphones, speakers, and touch screens that allow participants to join and interact with Teams meetings with a consistent experience. Microsoft Teams rooms from various vendors have models that are suitable for most spaces such as small huddle spaces, medium-sized conference rooms, or large auditoriums. Microsoft Teams rooms enable seamless and engaging meeting experiences for remote and in-person attendees.

 

Espria can specify and implement the right Teams Rooms solution for your business, including licensing, management and support.

 

  • Teams Collaboration & Apps

Create teams for different projects, topics, or interests, and invite people to join. Within each team, you can create channels to organise your conversations and files. Channels are like subgroups within a team, where you can chat, share documents, and have video meetings. You can also customise your channels with tabs, apps, and bots to enhance your productivity.

 

Teams Apps are web-based applications to enhance the functionality and user experience of Microsoft Teams. They can be created by Microsoft, third-party developers, such as Espria, or your own organisation with a little training. Teams Apps can include tabs, bots, message extensions, and more. They can be personal or shared with others in chats, channels, or meetings. Teams apps will help you to access your tools and data, collaborate with your colleagues, and automate your workflows within Teams.

 

  • Security & Governance

Security and governance in Microsoft Teams are essential for ensuring that your organisation’s data and communications are protected and compliant. Espria will help and recommend best practice approaches to adopting these inbuilt tools, including workshops and training sessions.

 

Teams Telephony

Some M365 subscriptions include Teams Phone (also available as an add-on such as Teams Phone Standard or Teams Phone with Calling Plan) and enable making and receiving calls to and from landlines and mobile phones on the PSTN.

 

These options provide a cloud-based phone system in Teams with features such as hold, blind and safe transfers, and reporting features for professionals who manage calling solutions. Teams Phone can be augmented with services such as compliant Call Recording or third-party Contact Centres.

 

Teams’ telephony solution can be configured in a variety of ways according to use case, and Espria can deliver all three options – Call Plan, Operator Connect and Direct Routing. Espria can also provide Professional and Managed Services for Teams Telephony.

Intune – Autopilot, MDM, MAM, device patching

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based client management solution hosted in Azure. Intune uses policies to secure and control client devices, allowing lockdown, customisation, application management and patching. Intune can manage Windows 10/11, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android operating systems.

 

Windows Autopilot is a set of technologies in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Intune to allow cloud driven provisioning of new devices. By pre-registering devices in Windows Autopilot, an IT administrator can perform all of the configuration in Microsoft Intune, to achieve the following:

 

  • Automatically join Azure AD

  • Automatically enrol in Intune

  • Customise out-of-box-Experience

 

This allows devices to be delivered directly to an end-user, automatically configured when the user signs in. This can save a lot of time compared with a manual process. Updating of images will no longer be required once Windows devices are managed with Intune.

 

The actual control of the user experience is configured in Intune, where machines can be locked down, managed and joined to the on-premises Active Directory. This will also allow Windows Updates to be managed, removing the requirement for on-premises solutions such as WSUS.

 

MDM – By using Intune for managing the mobile devices, you will be able to leverage much greater conditional access control, which can be configured to provide a smoother end user experience without compromising security.  Intune can also be integrated with Apple specific technologies such as Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager to enable Automated Device Enrolment.

 

MAM – Policies can be created to configure Mobile Application Management including App Protection Policies for both Microsoft and non-Microsoft apps. The App Protection Policies enable the protection of data within managed apps and can also manage apps on non-enrolled (BYOD) devices.

 

Microsoft Intune can deliver granular control of all aspects of the endpoint by allowing the creation of separate policies for each required configuration. These policies can be assigned to different groups of machines to allow easy testing and the appropriate controls applied to machines used by different teams.

 

Espria can create and configure Intune Policies to control and maintain Windows, Apple and Android devices, including the following areas:

 

  • User Experience

  • Lockdown

  • Application Deployment

  • Patch management

Cloud Backup

As Exchange Online and other Microsoft 365 services are used more we highly recommended a Cloud Backup solution be investigated to enable recovery of data in the event of an outage or corruption.

Although a cloud solution provides highly available, globally accessible services and removes the requirement to manage and patch local file and application servers it does not provide backup protection for your data in the event of corruption or deletion. Therefore, a backup for Microsoft 365 is highly recommended to protect any data migrated into the cloud, by backing up a copy of your data to an alternate location.

 

Espria SaaS2Cloud (powered by CloudAlly) provides a simple, automated daily Microsoft 365 backup service for Exchange mail. This business email backup software ensures you can both quickly recover data (email backup, calendar, contacts and tasks) from any point in time as well as export your archives for local storage.  SharePoint Backup protects all your SharePoint sites, Teams, and OneDrive data with automated daily SharePoint/OneDrive backup, to secure Amazon S3 storage.

 

The restore process is non-destructive, allowing you to recover data without overwriting existing information. Drill down through backups by date or keyword search to quickly locate and recover individual items, or restore an entire site for a complete point-in-time recovery. Data can be restored to the original site or another preferred site. With a single click, archives can be exported for onsite storage if required.

The Espria Managed Device as a Service is built around Microsoft Intune – utilising your existing set-up to manage your staff devices and remediating discovered issues remotely. Our customers have found the service invaluable. It enables them to focus on driving business strategy forward rather than spending time resolving device related issues. 

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IT Support in other regions

Our IT Support services are available across the UK.
Find out more about how we can help your business locally:

London

IT Support services in London from Espria. Find out more about outsourced IT support and how it can help your business locally.

Kent

IT Support services in Kent from Espria. Find out more about outsourced IT support and how it can help your business locally.

Milton Keynes

IT Support services in Milton Keynes from Espria. Find out more about outsourced IT support and how it can help your business locally.

Aylesbury

IT Support services in Aylesbury from Espria. Find out more about outsourced IT support and how it can help your business locally.

Hampshire

IT Support services in Hampshire from Espria. Find out more about outsourced IT support and how it can help your business locally.

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Case Studies

IT Services

Vercity – Ensuring Business Continuity & Security into the Future

Vercity provides a range of financial management & consultancy services, and they required an IT vendor to provide industry insights and help keep their data secure.

IT Services

Team17 – Using Power BI to Improve Reporting & Business Decision Making

A multi-award-winning video game development company got in touch with Espria to discuss improving their reporting and utilisation of their data.

IT Services

The Development Bank of Wales – Managing a Laptop Refresh Project

The Development Bank of Wales is a public sector finance company employing almost 300 people based in Wales. Espria were engaged to manage a laptop refresh project.

IT Services

National Association of Head Teachers – Managing a Move to the Cloud

Following the pandemic, NAHT was able to expedite its long-term plan to go fully cloud-based and complete the move from their bricks and mortar head office to the cloud in 2023.

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Our Other Services

Cloud Services

Accelerate your performance and agility with cloud services that enable your business to benefit from maximum uptime and no disruption.

Communications

Cloud-based communications, keeping your teams collaborating seamlessly and securely.

Managed Print Solutions

Evolve your workplace technology, maximise uptime, and eliminate the burden of your document and printing environment.

Hybrid & Remote Working

Wherever they work, your teams are supported with seamless IT solutions.