60% of small businesses say they lack the skills to deal with security issues - Microsoft 2024
CSG often discusses the latest benefits of Microsoft 365 Business Premium with our customers to understand its benefits to different sectors. We can then use this information to provide suggestions and further solutions to businesses when they sign up for the service. Recently, the need to have the right tools at business owners’ fingertips so that they can feel in total control has become a requirement for small and medium-sized businesses.
What makes Microsoft 365 Business Premium an investment that gives back instantly is the in-class productivity capabilities, from comprehensive security and management features which help safeguard your business’s data and assets across different devices. We had a chat with our customers to find out what their thoughts were on the benefits of Microsoft 365 Business Premium…
Intune for Device
All Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscribers are licensed to use full Intune capabilities for iOS, Android, Mac and other cross-platform device management. Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based unified endpoint management solution that helps CSG’s customers manage and secure their devices. The key features of Microsoft Intune include device management, application management, policy deployment, compliance and reporting, integration benefits, self-service features and a robust solution for managing and securing corporate data across various devices and applications.
Device Compliance Management
Microsoft Device Compliance Management, through Microsoft Intune, provides a robust set of features to ensure that devices within an organisation meet security and compliance needs. If your organisation struggles to find a baseline for how compliance policy works in your Intune environment then this is an effective way to strengthen your overall security strategy within your organisation.
You can keep an eye on actions that are noncompliant to your organisation through alerts which further allows you to safeguard your data on noncompliant devices, offering more control when people are working from multiple devices. For those users who don’t follow the rules, the feature can be combined with Conditional Access to block the people who aren’t following the rules in your organisation, meaning you can track who is and who isn’t to provide support for those who need it.
Mobile Device Management
Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides a comprehensive solution for managing mobile devices in the workplace. Here’s how you can use it to help manage mobile devices:
- Device Enrollment:
- Enrol devices to be managed through Intune, which is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
- Use Windows Autopilot for setting up and pre-configuring new devices, making them ready for productive use.
- Application Management:
- Deploy and manage applications across a variety of devices, ensuring that employees have the necessary tools for their work.
- Utilise Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to provide access to Office apps on mobile devices.
- Policy Implementation:
- Apply security policies to help protect work data on company-owned and employee devices.
- Control access to company data, ensuring that it stays within approved apps and devices.
- Threat Protection:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Microsoft Defender for Business to help protect devices from threats like ransomware, malware, and phishing.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM):
- Use the built-in MDM capabilities to manage and secure mobile devices, tablets, and computers.
- Manage device features and settings, enforce compliance policies, and remotely wipe company data if necessary.
- Admin Mobile App:
- Utilise the Microsoft 365 Admin mobile app to manage your subscription and perform administrative tasks on the go.
By leveraging these features, you can ensure that mobile devices used for work are secure, compliant, and equipped with the necessary tools for your employees to be productive.
Azure AD ID management
Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Azure AD identity management capabilities, which are part of Microsoft Entra. Here’s how you can use these features for identity management:
- Single Sign-On (SSO):
- Provides seamless access to multiple applications with a single set of credentials.
- Multifactor Authentication (MFA):
- Enhances security by requiring multiple forms of verification to prove identity.
- Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR):
- Allows users to reset their passwords without IT assistance, reducing support costs and improving user productivity.
- Conditional Access Policies:
- Set up and enforce access policies based on user, location, device state, and application sensitivity.
- User and Group Management:
- Create and manage user accounts and groups within Azure AD from the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
- Directory Synchronization:
- Integrate on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to synchronise user accounts and passwords.
- Privileged Identity Management (PIM):
- Manage, control, and monitor access within your organisation, providing just-in-time privileged access to resources.
By utilising these features, you can effectively manage identities and access within your organisation, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive resources and data.
Comes with Defender for Email Filtering
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Defender for Email filtering, helping to protect your organisation against various cyber threats. Here are some key advantages:
- Protection Against Advanced Threats:
- Provides robust zero-day protection against unknown malware and viruses.
- Safeguards against harmful links in real-time with features like Safe Links.
- Phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) Defense:
- Offers comprehensive protection from attacks such as credential phishing, BEC, and ransomware.
- Utilises advanced machine learning and a massive database of threat signals for effective detection.
- Email Security Integration:
- Seamlessly integrates with Office 365, providing a native user experience that is easy to use.
- Minimises processing overhead without compromising security.
- Employee Training and Awareness:
- Includes built-in phishing simulation training to educate employees and decrease the chance of real-world attacks.
- Allows SecOps teams to customise simulation training based on detailed insights into organisational knowledge gaps.
- Enhanced Email Security Service:
- Recognised as the Best Email Security Service of 2023 by SE Labs, reflecting its high-quality protection standards.
By leveraging these features, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 helps ensure that your organisation’s email communication is secure, reducing the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.
FAQs
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans?
Microsoft 365 Business Standard is geared towards small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seeking essential productivity tools, Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers enhanced security and device management capabilities. On the other hand, Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans cater to larger organisations with more complex requirements, providing comprehensive security, compliance, and customisation options.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard:
- Core Features: Microsoft 365 Business Standard includes essential productivity tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, all accessible through desktop, web, and mobile apps.
- Cloud Services: Users also get access to cloud services like OneDrive for Business (with 1TB of storage per user), SharePoint, and Exchange for email hosting.
- Business Collaboration: It fosters collaboration within teams and across the organisation through features like SharePoint team sites, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer.
- Business Applications: Offers access to business applications such as Microsoft Bookings, MileIQ, and Outlook Customer Manager.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium:
- All Features of Business Standard: Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes all the features of Business Standard.
- Advanced Security: Enhanced security features like Intune for device management, Azure Information Protection for data encryption and rights management, and Advanced Threat Protection for email and file protection.
- Device Management: Provides additional capabilities for managing and securing devices, ensuring compliance with organisational policies.
- Mobile Apps: Offers mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) capabilities for securing access to company data on mobile devices.
- Azure AD: Includes Azure Active Directory (AD) for identity and access management, enabling single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans:
- Scalability: Designed for larger organisations with more complex needs, Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans offer scalability and customisation options.
- Comprehensive Security and Compliance: Enterprise plans provide advanced security and compliance features such as Azure Advanced Threat Protection, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Compliance Manager.
- Advanced Analytics: Includes advanced analytics capabilities with Power BI Pro and Microsoft MyAnalytics.
- Voice Capabilities: Offers enterprise-grade voice capabilities with Microsoft Teams, including calling plans and audio conferencing.
- Advanced Deployment and Management: Enterprise plans provide advanced deployment and management options, including automated deployment tools and centralised management consoles.
What should I know before using Microsoft 365 Business Premium in my organisation?
Quite simply, all customers who wish to use Microsoft 365 Business Premoim in their organisation must be running Windows 11 or Windows 10 Pro* on their desktops for the service to manage their PCs. This is where CSG can help ensure that you are Business Premium Ready to reduce any risks of wasting the features when you employ them.
For any company who are looking to reduce their daily costs and only use subscriptions that they use every day, CSG is your strategic IT partner that can help you save money.
What is the best way to deploy Microsoft 365 Business Premium in my organisation?
Microsoft strongly recommends partner-assisted deployment of Microsoft 365 Business Premium (microsoft.com). Contact the team at CSG to set up your subscription the right way today. “Your partner can help you understand your options and will make the best recommendations for deploying Microsoft 365 Business Premium in your organisation.” – Microsoft.com.
Can I combine Microsoft 365 Business Premium with other Microsoft subscription offerings?
Yes, you can combine your Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription with plans and add-ons from Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365.
Is everyone in my business supposed to get a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription?
CSG only ever suggest products and services that are tailored to your individual needs – not everyone needs a Microsoft 365 Business Premium Subscription, however, the security and management benefits are available only to customers using devices managed with a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription. So if you are looking to implement security measures throughout your organisation, it’s suggested to strengthen everyone’s security through their devices.
“Standardising an IT environment helps reduce maintenance and security costs over time and to ensure the best protection of sensitive business data and consistent collaboration experiences, deployment to all users is recommended.” – Microsoft.com.