In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. One significant shift in the IT realm is moving from traditional on-premises domain controllers to cloud-based solutions like Azure, Entra and InTune. Let’s delve into why this migration can be a game-changer for your business.
Understanding Microsoft Azure, Entra and InTune
Entra is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service, helping employees sign in and access resources. InTune, on the other hand, is a cloud-based service focused on mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM). Azure is Microsoft’s replacement for on-premise hardware, virtual machines, backups, networks and so much more. All together, they offer a comprehensive solution for managing your business’s devices and applications securely.
Benefits of Migrating to Azure, Entra and InTune
1. Enhanced Security: One of the most compelling reasons to move to Azure AD and InTune is the increased security they offer. With features like multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and secure single sign-on (SSO), you can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches.
2. Cost Efficiency: Maintaining on-premises hardware is costly. By migrating to Azure, Entra and InTune, you eliminate the need for physical servers, reducing hardware and maintenance costs. You also benefit from a scalable subscription model, paying only for what you use and gaining the ability to easy scale down your ‘hardware’ performance or if you’re an online retailer for example, the ability to quickly scale up ten fold for a Black Friday Sale about to start so your site can handle the thousands of extra visitors.
3. Ease of Access and Collaboration: Entra facilitates easy access to a plethora of cloud apps like Office 365, Cloud CRMs, Cloud Storage, and more. This seamless access improves collaboration and productivity, as employees can securely access what they need, whenever they need it, from any device.
4. Simplified IT Management: With InTune, managing devices and applications across your organisation becomes much more straightforward. You can enforce security policies, deploy apps, and even wipe data remotely on lost or stolen devices, all from a single console.
5. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: The cloud offers inherent advantages in terms of data backup and disaster recovery. With Azure, you’re not reliant on a physical server that could be compromised by hardware failure, natural disasters, or power outages and you can even have hot backups of the same server in different datacentres so should anything happen at the primary, the secondary takes over with maybe a very minor interruption in service.
6. Remote Working and Flexibility: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of remote working capabilities. Azure, Entra and InTune facilitate this by enabling secure remote access to work resources, essential in today’s work environment. Entra also allows for powerful logging and identity management so its much easier to ensure everyone has the correct level of access they should have.
Addressing Common Concerns
1. Migration Complexity: Transitioning from an on-premises setup to the cloud can seem daunting. However, Forefront IT can assist in any of these migrations as we have done countless of them including the setup of InTune and for Mac users, the setup of InTune and an MDM like Jamf Pro.
2. Training and Adaptation: Change can be challenging, but Azure, Entra and InTune are user-friendly and intuitive. Plus, Microsoft has extensive documentation online and Forefront IT offer extensive training on specific areas a business wants to up-skill in.
3. Data Sovereignty and Compliance: Azure, Entra and InTune comply with major industry standards and regulations, ensuring your data is handled lawfully and by default, your data will be on Australian soil. If you’re in an Industry where Data Sovereignty is critical, Forefront IT if setting up, will ensure it is on Australian soil or if performing an audit or taking over your IT, will check that it is and if it isn’t, have it moved to Australian soil.
Migrating your on-premise domain controller to Microsoft Entra and InTune and other servers to Azure is a strategic move that aligns with the modern digital era’s demands.
It provides enhanced security, cost savings, improved accessibility, extreme levels of scalability and simplified IT management, all crucial for the growth, security and sustainability of SMEs. Embracing these technologies not only streamlines your operations but also positions your business for future scalability and success in an increasingly cloud-centric world.
As a business owner, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve, and moving to Azure, Entra and InTune is a forward-thinking step in that direction. Right now, many businesses are having trouble deciding as the next five years is a difficult step. In many ways, those that move to Azure, Entra and InTune now are early adopters, but ripping the bandaid off now, will have its rewards in the future when you’re ahead of all those that decided to wait. So don’t wait. Contact us today and find out how much is involved in moving your specific environment to the Microsoft Trio.