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6 Ways Microsoft is Empowering Your Remote Employees
Due to the threat and spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), U.S. state governments and businesses across the country are mandating that their employees work from home. With the increasing prevalence of a mobile and digitized workforce, taking such measures to equip employees can be fairly seamless and offers a negligible impact on conducting “business as usual.”
If you’re a business leader, you might be thinking through:
- What are the resources my employees will need to access remotely to perform critical job functions?
- How will they access these resources remotely?
- Do I currently have the mobile solutions in place to enable and empower my workforce to operate off-site?
- By working remotely, can I ensure my customers’ experience and worker productivity doesn’t diminish?
Industry leading technology companies, like Microsoft, are recognizing the growing and immediate need for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to adopt IT solutions that will deliver the mobile capabilities to enable a remote workforce. Microsoft is taking proactive measures to ensure businesses are aware of the cloud capabilities available to them through Azure and Microsoft’s cloud-based tools. Using these solutions in a secure manner is always a concern and Microsoft has security procedures in place to protect your Microsoft assets. Microsoft is also offering virtual education opportunities, so individuals understand how to fully utilize their solutions.
So, what are some of the most popular Microsoft cloud-based tools available and how do they support your business?
Here is some general information about commonly used Microsoft cloud-based tools for running your business in the cloud and Microsoft security protocols:
Microsoft Cloud-Based Tools
Office 365 Business
This cloud-based subscription service enables users to access resources and share files with Office apps across the web, mobile, and desktop, storing their content in the cloud by default. There are different subscription levels available, and basic business packages include:
- Get desktop & cloud versions of Office apps: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and more
- Store and share files with OneDrive cloud storage
- Automatically update your apps with new features and capabilities every month
- Receive Assistance anytime with around-the-clock phone and web support from Microsoft
SharePoint
Need employees to collaborate on work files and projects away from the office? SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform that is typically bundled with Office 365 packages. SharePoint is primarily leveraged as a document management and storage platform, ensuring consistency and easy collaboration amongst employees. Businesses can also take advantage of the highly configurable features for different business initiatives and projects.
OneDrive
Businesses can save their files to the cloud in OneDrive and can access them from any device, in any location with an internet connection. If you lose your device or it gets damaged, rest assured because your files are saved on OneDrive and can be easily accessed on another device.
Microsoft Teams
Teams is Microsoft’s communication platform that enables employees to make calls, chat, create groups, conduct meetings, video conferencing and virtual collaboration. Teams also has useful features like background blur to block out potential distractions (like kids or pets) and the ability to record and share meetings.
Microsoft Security Protocols
User Identity and Access
You may have different business stakeholders who need to access various applications within your corporate network; employees, partners, suppliers, etc. Every user who needs to access your corporate network can receive a primary account synced to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and can be denied access to applications that may be sensitive or not pertinent to their job function. This will strengthen your security posture and mitigate the risk arising from access abuse and make smart access decisions based on machine learning.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security system that verifies a user’s identity by requiring multiple credentials. Microsoft gives you the ability to set up MFA in order for employees to access corporate Microsoft resources, and an Authenticator app can be installed on a mobile device. Enabling MFA ensures your accounts are up to 99.9% less likely to be compromised.
Do you want to learn more about cloud-based Microsoft solutions to empower a mobile workforce? NexusTek is a Microsoft Gold Partner and ranks in the upper echelon of all Microsoft partners. Our Microsoft experts and technology consultants have numerous Microsoft certifications, and can help you decide what Microsoft solutions would be best for your business. Contact NexusTek today.