Case study
Emerald Research: Secure, Collaborative Microsoft 365 for a Remote Team
How we helped a five-person Agri-Tech business replace scattered file sharing and outdated email with one secure, reliable and fast system - in two weeks.
The client
- Industry
- Agri-Tech
- Team size
- 5 people
- Location
- Office in Hartpury, Gloucestershire, plus remote workers across the UK and one in France
- What we did
- Microsoft 365 migration, remote set-up for each person and offsite backup
- Ongoing
- We manage their Microsoft 365 and backups, and also manage, monitor and configure their Microsoft Azure infrastructure
The situation
- Files in too many places: the team shared files across several different platforms and often fell back on emailing documents to each other. That meant multiple versions of the same document, inefficient workflows, and a constant headache keeping every service in sync with the latest changes.
- No single source of truth for backups: although several online file sharing services were in use, there was no single, reliable offsite backup of the business's data.
- Outdated email: email ran through regular IMAP/POP3 mailboxes, which were slow and outdated and did not allow for better security options such as multi-factor authentication and enhanced email filtering protection.
How we helped
Over a two-week period we helped the team move to a secure, reliable and fast IT system, and showed them how to use it. Some of them had used SharePoint in previous roles, so very little help was needed there.
Step 1
Set up each person remotely
The team works remotely across the UK, with one person in France, so getting everyone together was going to be a challenge. Instead we contacted each person separately and got them set up remotely.
Step 2
Moved to Microsoft 365
We migrated the business into Microsoft's cloud-based ecosystem, using Microsoft 365 services for email and document management.
Step 3
Secure working from anywhere
The team can now work securely from anywhere in the world, and edit files together in a more collaborative environment.
Step 4
Offsite backup for peace of mind
We put a robust offsite backup solution in place for all of their SharePoint files and emails, so the business can rest easier.
In the client's words
“We've been using [IT Consultancy, Services & Solutions] and Paul's services for many years. Solid, reliable, secure, methodical - and always willing to go the extra mile.
If your business depends on secure, available data or you need any form of IT service ... highly recommended!!”
Simon Fox
Director & Founder, Emerald Research Ltd
Could we help your business?
We support businesses from one-person operations up to teams of around 50, in any sector. If you recognise some of this - files scattered across different services, outdated email, or no single reliable backup - take a look at our Microsoft 365 support,data backup solutions and advanced email protection, or find out more about our business IT support. You can also read what A Plus Training say about working with us, or browse all our case studies.