The global pandemic and economic downturn have impacted the SMB sector and created a need among SMBs to enable work from anywhere, reduce cost and manage risk. Microsoft 365 with Microsoft Teams is a cost-effective and integrated solution for collaboration and communication that enables secure remote work.
To start to figure out how to achieve your goals, ask yourself these questions:
- What tools do I use for business communication, collaboration, and security?
- How do I protect my business data and devices?
- How am I maximizing remote work productivity?
What to look for in these tools to reduce cost and manage risk:
Communication, collaboration and security should:
- Lower your overall cost by using one integrated solution and reduce the number of vendor licenses
- Simplify your billing with only one bill from a trusted technology partner
- Streamline IT setup and management with fewer admin centers and tech support relationships
- Simplify the user experience with an integrated solution minimizing learning curves and training
Business data and device protection should:
- Be customizable to increase security protection as needed
- Simple to deploy, manage, and mitigates risk
- Enable you to focus on managing your business, not IT
- Be from a trusted provider
What can maximizing remote work productivity do for your bottom line?
- Save on travel and entertainment expenses with online meetings and events
- Save time and money with improved business processes like digitizing paper workstreams and automating manual processes
Other opportunities to reduce cost and manage risk
Vendor license cost consolidation
Consolidate with a single platform vs. buying standalone solutions for different capabilities
Save on automation and process improvements
Transform business processes and save by using workflows, dashboards, and AI while increasing employee productivity
Physical and travel cost displacement
Reduce hard costs including real estate, utilities, travel and entertainment through secure remote work
Reduce total cost of risk
Reduce the likelihood of breaches and enhance privacy and remediation with better security. Help reduce risk through improved compliance
Capex to Opex cash flow
Optimize cash flow management by changing upfront license payments to operating expenses
FAQ
I’m not sure we can afford to start using a new tool in this changing market landscape.
This changing market landscape is an opportunity to adopt solutions that can help you operate efficiently and securely and stay productive. There are many third party tools available, but Microsoft 365 offers an integrated solution with a full suite of productivity and collaboration tools.
I’m not sure that the costs of a security breach warrants the expense of new software.
In a 2020 report, Forrester Research shows 50% of small businesses have experienced an attack in the past year. It has also been reported, that the average cost of an attack is $149,000 2 . It’s understandable to be wary of new expenses, however the cost of a cyber attack or a data breach can far outweigh the additional expense of the robust security features included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
I’m concerned about the subscription based price compared to the one time expense I’m used to. I’m not sure I want a monthly subscription or an annual contract.
Microsoft 365 plans are often less expensive and easier to manage than a comparable collection of tools from other vendors. Any Microsoft 365 plan provides an all in one solution for collaboration, communication, and security. In fact, our subscriptions start at $5/user/month (with an annual commitment) with Microsoft 365 Business Basic.
And even with Microsoft 365 Business Premium which includes advanced security features at a cost of $20/user/month, businesses can save because the estimated cost of similar third party solutions is closer to $40/user/month 5 . You also get more value from subscription based cloud services than you do from locally installed software including regular updates with the latest capabilities, billing options both monthly or annually (the subscription fee doesn’t require access to credit).
Contact Responza today learn more reducing your IT costs and managing risk
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