Protected Trust Blog

Today’s digitally-driven, inter-connected, and modern workplace environment looks a whole lot different than it did in past generations.

Today’s digitally-driven, inter-connected, and modern workplace environment looks a whole lot different than it did in past generations.

So, what workplace trends are affecting companies nationwide? What new technology in the workplace is needed to help stay on top of them? We’ve broken down three major trends affecting the modern workplace environment, and how Microsoft tools can help you stay successful and efficient in this ever-changing business world.

Remote Working is the New Norm.

“Work from wherever policies” are not just a trendy fad—they’re here to stay. 3.9 million Americans now work from home at least half the time. Of those remote workers, 90% plan to keep doing so for the rest of their career. This means a modern workplace environment doesn’t just include your office—it also includes your employee’s homes, coffee shops, airports, client’s offices, and virtually any other location.

As remote office policies become more commonplace, unique issues and modern workplace trends will arise as well. New technology in the workplace that allows employees to work efficiently and stay on the same page, even when they aren’t working from the same place, is popping up left and right.

For example, if a remote employee does not have reliable, high-speed internet, they won’t be able to pull up files, make uploads and downloads, or access the cloud-based apps they need to get their job done. Microsoft Surface with LTE devices were designed to help solve this problem by using radio frequency communications (similar to how cellphones work) to connect to LTE network towers. This allows remote employees using these devices to access the internet and any apps they need to do their job from anywhere they can get a cellphone signal.

Additionally, remote work can hinder an employee’s ability to communicate with their coworkers and feel like part of the team—unless your business utilizes the right tools. Microsoft Teams is a workplace collaboration cool to transform the way a modern workplace environment functions. On one shared and easy-to-use workspace, team members are empowered to chat, hold video or audio conferences, share files, and work within seamlessly integrated business apps—quickly and from any location.

“Bring Your Own Device” Policies are on the Rise.

Many employers realize they can’t keep up with technology as nimbly as their employees can, especially the tech-savvy Millennials that now make up the majority of the labor force. That’s why more and more companies are adopting “bring your own device” policies (coined BYOD) that allow employees to use their personal devices rather than company-issued ones.

While employees being able to work on the devices they prefer can lower your operational costs and improve morale, it also raises new security concerns. However, your employees can experience increased data security when communicating through Microsoft Teams with region-based data residency and data encryption (both at rest and in transit). This way, your confidential business data can be secure no matter where employees are working from and what devices they’re using.

Office 365 Business Premium software also boasts robust security measures. As long as the user can connect to the subscription-based business enterprise software’s server, they will always have the latest security patch for the software. On this version of the subscription software, users also get enforced multi-factor authentication, region-based data residency, and phishing email protection in the Outlook tools.

However, even the basic Office 365 for Business subscription tier boasts five layers of security and proactive monitoring for increased privacy and data protection. No matter your budget, an employee’s location, or their connectivity method, you can always have peace of mind that the devices your business relies on are secure—even though they aren’t actually your devices.

A Larger Emphasis is Being Placed on Company Culture.

According to a study by Columbia University, the likelihood of job turnover at an organization with high company culture is only 13.9%—but it skyrockets to 48.4% in low company cultures. Companies and their leaders are beginning to take notice and make strides to ensure their modern workplace environment is one that possesses a strong culture.

What does this have to do with workplace technology trends? More than you might think. With so many employees working remotely, it’s important to keep them in mind when working to enhance your company culture. After all, even though they may not always be physically in your office, they are still part of your team that makes up your culture. Furthermore, they certainly do take notice when they don’t feel like they are a part of it—according to Buffer’s 2018 State of Remote Work Report, loneliness was the biggest struggle to working remotely, and 21% of remote workers have concerns about communication and collaboration.

The right collaboration tools can help combat these issues and go a long way in making your remote staff feel heard, connected, and like a true part of your culture. With Microsoft Teams, multiple users can simultaneously collaborate on one file, adding comments and making edits in real-time that are then automatically synced. This can make remote employees feel like they’re working cohesively with their coworkers even though they aren’t side by side.

Beyond just collaborating on work efficiently, Teams also helps with the social aspects of your culture that can be especially difficult for remote employees to take part in—if they don’t have the right tools. With the ability to chat and meet through clear, high-quality audio or video conferencing, your modern employees can still be part of that brainstorm, team meeting, or company-wide update, or just catch up with a coworker—minus technical difficulties or having to send lengthy, messy email chains back and forth.

The Key Takeaway Here? Business Mobility is More Vital Than Ever Before

What do all of these trends have in common? They make business mobility more essential for success than ever before. Business mobility is a term often applied to remote working, workplace trends, and business practices that allow employees to conduct work from modern workplace environments—which you’ve probably gathered is no longer a traditional office setting.

While it may feel overwhelming to make the shift to a modern workplace environment at first, all you need is the right tools to help you enhance its benefits and combat its challenges. With Microsoft Surface devices, Teams, and Office 365, you’ll be equipped with the technology you need to experience true business mobility and get ahead of these trends rather than being defeated by them. 

Today’s digitally-driven, inter-connected, and modern workplace environment looks a whole lot different than it did in past generations.

So, what workplace trends are affecting companies nationwide? What new technology in the workplace is needed to help stay on top of them? We’ve broken down three major trends affecting the modern workplace environment, and how Microsoft tools can help you stay successful and efficient in this ever-changing business world.

Remote Working is the New Norm.

“Work from wherever policies” are not just a trendy fad—they’re here to stay. 3.9 million Americans now work from home at least half the time. Of those remote workers, 90% plan to keep doing so for the rest of their career. This means a modern workplace environment doesn’t just include your office—it also includes your employee’s homes, coffee shops, airports, client’s offices, and virtually any other location.

As remote office policies become more commonplace, unique issues and modern workplace trends will arise as well. New technology in the workplace that allows employees to work efficiently and stay on the same page, even when they aren’t working from the same place, is popping up left and right.

For example, if a remote employee does not have reliable, high-speed internet, they won’t be able to pull up files, make uploads and downloads, or access the cloud-based apps they need to get their job done. Microsoft Surface with LTE devices were designed to help solve this problem by using radio frequency communications (similar to how cellphones work) to connect to LTE network towers. This allows remote employees using these devices to access the internet and any apps they need to do their job from anywhere they can get a cellphone signal.

Additionally, remote work can hinder an employee’s ability to communicate with their coworkers and feel like part of the team—unless your business utilizes the right tools. Microsoft Teams is a workplace collaboration cool to transform the way a modern workplace environment functions. On one shared and easy-to-use workspace, team members are empowered to chat, hold video or audio conferences, share files, and work within seamlessly integrated business apps—quickly and from any location.

“Bring Your Own Device” Policies are on the Rise.

Many employers realize they can’t keep up with technology as nimbly as their employees can, especially the tech-savvy Millennials that now make up the majority of the labor force. That’s why more and more companies are adopting “bring your own device” policies (coined BYOD) that allow employees to use their personal devices rather than company-issued ones.

While employees being able to work on the devices they prefer can lower your operational costs and improve morale, it also raises new security concerns. However, your employees can experience increased data security when communicating through Microsoft Teams with region-based data residency and data encryption (both at rest and in transit). This way, your confidential business data can be secure no matter where employees are working from and what devices they’re using.

Office 365 Business Premium software also boasts robust security measures. As long as the user can connect to the subscription-based business enterprise software’s server, they will always have the latest security patch for the software. On this version of the subscription software, users also get enforced multi-factor authentication, region-based data residency, and phishing email protection in the Outlook tools.

However, even the basic Office 365 for Business subscription tier boasts five layers of security and proactive monitoring for increased privacy and data protection. No matter your budget, an employee’s location, or their connectivity method, you can always have peace of mind that the devices your business relies on are secure—even though they aren’t actually your devices.

A Larger Emphasis is Being Placed on Company Culture.

According to a study by Columbia University, the likelihood of job turnover at an organization with high company culture is only 13.9%—but it skyrockets to 48.4% in low company cultures. Companies and their leaders are beginning to take notice and make strides to ensure their modern workplace environment is one that possesses a strong culture.

What does this have to do with workplace technology trends? More than you might think. With so many employees working remotely, it’s important to keep them in mind when working to enhance your company culture. After all, even though they may not always be physically in your office, they are still part of your team that makes up your culture. Furthermore, they certainly do take notice when they don’t feel like they are a part of it—according to Buffer’s 2018 State of Remote Work Report, loneliness was the biggest struggle to working remotely, and 21% of remote workers have concerns about communication and collaboration.

The right collaboration tools can help combat these issues and go a long way in making your remote staff feel heard, connected, and like a true part of your culture. With Microsoft Teams, multiple users can simultaneously collaborate on one file, adding comments and making edits in real-time that are then automatically synced. This can make remote employees feel like they’re working cohesively with their coworkers even though they aren’t side by side.

Beyond just collaborating on work efficiently, Teams also helps with the social aspects of your culture that can be especially difficult for remote employees to take part in—if they don’t have the right tools. With the ability to chat and meet through clear, high-quality audio or video conferencing, your modern employees can still be part of that brainstorm, team meeting, or company-wide update, or just catch up with a coworker—minus technical difficulties or having to send lengthy, messy email chains back and forth.

The Key Takeaway Here? Business Mobility is More Vital Than Ever Before

What do all of these trends have in common? They make business mobility more essential for success than ever before. Business mobility is a term often applied to remote working, workplace trends, and business practices that allow employees to conduct work from modern workplace environments—which you’ve probably gathered is no longer a traditional office setting.

While it may feel overwhelming to make the shift to a modern workplace environment at first, all you need is the right tools to help you enhance its benefits and combat its challenges. With Microsoft Surface devices, Teams, and Office 365, you’ll be equipped with the technology you need to experience true business mobility and get ahead of these trends rather than being defeated by them. 

Today’s digitally-driven, inter-connected, and modern workplace environment looks a whole lot different than it did in past generations.

Microsoft Office 365 can be an incredibly useful and convenient tool for enhancing productivity and collaboration throughout your company. Employees with Office 365 business licenses can freely access a suite of software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams when they need them. Moreover, with 365 Business, employees can collaborate securely by leveraging Teams’ built-in encryption features and live online document editing and conferencing solutions.

Microsoft Office 365 can be an incredibly useful and convenient tool for enhancing productivity and collaboration throughout your company. Employees with Office 365 business licenses can freely access a suite of software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams when they need them. Moreover, with 365 Business, employees can collaborate securely by leveraging Teams’ built-in encryption features and live online document editing and conferencing solutions.

However, there are some challenges for managing Microsoft Office 365 licenses—especially in a growing organization with fluctuating needs. For example, Office 365 licenses are billed up-front yearly. This does two things:

\n
1. It creates a large initial cost to add software licenses for your entire organization.
\n
2. It reduces the flexibility of your Office 365 license management—if you remove employees, the licenses you acquired for them will be wasted, and adding new employees becomes more expensive.
\n

One of the most frequently asked Microsoft licensing questions we hear is: “How can I improve my Office 365 license management?” To this, we reply: “Have you considered switching your Office 365 licenses to a Microsoft CSP program partner?”

Taking advantage of the services of a Microsoft cloud solution provider (CSP) program partner can help you enhance the scalability of your Office 365 software, improve your insights into your information security, and have access to support to get more out of your Office 365 subscriptions.

What is the Microsoft CSP Program?

The Microsoft CSP program is a type of indirect reseller program for Microsoft partners to sell licenses for MS’ cloud-based solutions (such as Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365). These program partners handle the licenses for you, instead of having you manage them yourself.

For example, Protected Trust is a Microsoft CSP program partner that can either set up new licenses for you or take over your existing licenses.

Why Would I Want to Use a Microsoft CSP Program Partner?

Here’s the million-dollar question: “Why would I go through a third party for my Office 365 license management instead of just buying it directly from Microsoft?” Some reasons to use a Microsoft CSP program partner instead of buying direct include:

Spreading Out the Cost of 365 Subscriptions

When you buy Office 365 licenses directly from Microsoft, you have to pay for the entire year up front for each license. On a Microsoft Office 365 Business license, that’s $240 per license ($20/mo. x 12 months). If you’re acquiring licenses for 100 employees, that’s $24,000 in overhead hitting all at once.

This can break the budget for that month—leading to cost overruns and severe cash flow disruptions that only get worse the larger the organization is. By switching your licenses to a Microsoft CSP program partner, you can pay month-to-month instead of having to pay the whole year up front. This helps to spread out the cost of the software subscription so that its impact on your cash flow is a twelfth of what it would be.

Providing Enhanced Scalability for Office 365 License Management

Another benefit of paying month-to-month with a Microsoft CSP program partner instead of paying upfront with Microsoft directly is that you only have to pay for the 365 licenses that you’re actually using.

For example, say you need 300 Microsoft Office 365 licenses in January because you have 300 employees on the payroll who require access to the Office software suite. However, in March, you end up letting go of 30 of those employees for various reasons (overstaffed for seasonal workload, performance not up to par, etc.). With the “pay up front” model, you’d be wasting $6,000 worth of Office 365 subscription time (30 employees times ten months of unused subscription time at $20/month).

While this probably won’t break the bank, it may discourage you from hiring employees on a seasonal basis, which can lead to other problems.

When you pay month-to-month, you can drop or add Office 365 licenses as you need them—virtually eliminating monetary waste on software licensing.

Getting Access to Cloud Solution Provider-Specific Resources

Microsoft provides their CSPs with exclusive resources such as software asset management (SAM) solutions. These resources help Microsoft CSP partners provide their customers (i.e. you) with deeper insights into their data and analytics. This, in turn, can help you make more informed decisions regarding your software.

Of particular interest is the ability to obtain an objective scoring of your organization’s data security practices on Microsoft Office 365.

Receiving Help Assessing and Analyzing Your Microsoft Secure Score

If your organization uses Office 365 Enterprise, Microsoft 365 Business, or Business Premium, you can (with the right permissions) access your organization’s Secure Score. Microsoft defines their Secure Score as a tool that “analyzes your organization’s security based on your regular activities and security settings in Office 365, and assigns a score.”

Microsoft’s Secure Score tool determines which Office 365 tools your organization is using and how it’s using them to compare them to security best practices. However, many organizations don’t leverage the Secure Score tool at all—if they even know about it in the first place!

Using a Microsoft CSP program partner can help your organization be more aware of potential security issues because a cloud solution provider (like Protected Trust) can track and interpret the data for you and provide a report. Or, they can provide training in how to use the Secure Score tool so you can analyze the reports yourself.

Consistently checking and making changes based on your organization’s Microsoft Secure Score can help you limit your exposure to risks such as data loss or data breaches—though it won’t stop everything.

Shifting your Microsoft Office 365 license management to a CSP program partner is an excellent way to save money and time while still enjoying all of the benefits of using Office 365. Are you ready to get more out of your Microsoft Office 365 licenses? Reach out to Protected Trust today!

Microsoft Office 365 can be an incredibly useful and convenient tool for enhancing productivity and collaboration throughout your company. Employees with Office 365 business licenses can freely access a suite of software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams when they need them. Moreover, with 365 Business, employees can collaborate securely by leveraging Teams’ built-in encryption features and live online document editing and conferencing solutions.

However, there are some challenges for managing Microsoft Office 365 licenses—especially in a growing organization with fluctuating needs. For example, Office 365 licenses are billed up-front yearly. This does two things:

\n
1. It creates a large initial cost to add software licenses for your entire organization.
\n
2. It reduces the flexibility of your Office 365 license management—if you remove employees, the licenses you acquired for them will be wasted, and adding new employees becomes more expensive.
\n

One of the most frequently asked Microsoft licensing questions we hear is: “How can I improve my Office 365 license management?” To this, we reply: “Have you considered switching your Office 365 licenses to a Microsoft CSP program partner?”

Taking advantage of the services of a Microsoft cloud solution provider (CSP) program partner can help you enhance the scalability of your Office 365 software, improve your insights into your information security, and have access to support to get more out of your Office 365 subscriptions.

What is the Microsoft CSP Program?

The Microsoft CSP program is a type of indirect reseller program for Microsoft partners to sell licenses for MS’ cloud-based solutions (such as Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365). These program partners handle the licenses for you, instead of having you manage them yourself.

For example, Protected Trust is a Microsoft CSP program partner that can either set up new licenses for you or take over your existing licenses.

Why Would I Want to Use a Microsoft CSP Program Partner?

Here’s the million-dollar question: “Why would I go through a third party for my Office 365 license management instead of just buying it directly from Microsoft?” Some reasons to use a Microsoft CSP program partner instead of buying direct include:

Spreading Out the Cost of 365 Subscriptions

When you buy Office 365 licenses directly from Microsoft, you have to pay for the entire year up front for each license. On a Microsoft Office 365 Business license, that’s $240 per license ($20/mo. x 12 months). If you’re acquiring licenses for 100 employees, that’s $24,000 in overhead hitting all at once.

This can break the budget for that month—leading to cost overruns and severe cash flow disruptions that only get worse the larger the organization is. By switching your licenses to a Microsoft CSP program partner, you can pay month-to-month instead of having to pay the whole year up front. This helps to spread out the cost of the software subscription so that its impact on your cash flow is a twelfth of what it would be.

Providing Enhanced Scalability for Office 365 License Management

Another benefit of paying month-to-month with a Microsoft CSP program partner instead of paying upfront with Microsoft directly is that you only have to pay for the 365 licenses that you’re actually using.

For example, say you need 300 Microsoft Office 365 licenses in January because you have 300 employees on the payroll who require access to the Office software suite. However, in March, you end up letting go of 30 of those employees for various reasons (overstaffed for seasonal workload, performance not up to par, etc.). With the “pay up front” model, you’d be wasting $6,000 worth of Office 365 subscription time (30 employees times ten months of unused subscription time at $20/month).

While this probably won’t break the bank, it may discourage you from hiring employees on a seasonal basis, which can lead to other problems.

When you pay month-to-month, you can drop or add Office 365 licenses as you need them—virtually eliminating monetary waste on software licensing.

Getting Access to Cloud Solution Provider-Specific Resources

Microsoft provides their CSPs with exclusive resources such as software asset management (SAM) solutions. These resources help Microsoft CSP partners provide their customers (i.e. you) with deeper insights into their data and analytics. This, in turn, can help you make more informed decisions regarding your software.

Of particular interest is the ability to obtain an objective scoring of your organization’s data security practices on Microsoft Office 365.

Receiving Help Assessing and Analyzing Your Microsoft Secure Score

If your organization uses Office 365 Enterprise, Microsoft 365 Business, or Business Premium, you can (with the right permissions) access your organization’s Secure Score. Microsoft defines their Secure Score as a tool that “analyzes your organization’s security based on your regular activities and security settings in Office 365, and assigns a score.”

Microsoft’s Secure Score tool determines which Office 365 tools your organization is using and how it’s using them to compare them to security best practices. However, many organizations don’t leverage the Secure Score tool at all—if they even know about it in the first place!

Using a Microsoft CSP program partner can help your organization be more aware of potential security issues because a cloud solution provider (like Protected Trust) can track and interpret the data for you and provide a report. Or, they can provide training in how to use the Secure Score tool so you can analyze the reports yourself.

Consistently checking and making changes based on your organization’s Microsoft Secure Score can help you limit your exposure to risks such as data loss or data breaches—though it won’t stop everything.

Shifting your Microsoft Office 365 license management to a CSP program partner is an excellent way to save money and time while still enjoying all of the benefits of using Office 365. Are you ready to get more out of your Microsoft Office 365 licenses? Reach out to Protected Trust today!

Microsoft Office 365 can be an incredibly useful and convenient tool for enhancing productivity and collaboration throughout your company. Employees with Office 365 business licenses can freely access a suite of software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams when they need them. Moreover, with 365 Business, employees can collaborate securely by leveraging Teams’ built-in encryption features and live online document editing and conferencing solutions.

Microsoft Office for government employees is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of government organizations with advanced IT requirements. Microsoft’s government business tools provide all the features and capabilities of their typical Office 365 services, but in a segmented government cloud community.

Microsoft Office for government employees is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of government organizations with advanced IT requirements. Microsoft’s government business tools provide all the features and capabilities of their typical Office 365 services, but in a segmented government cloud community.

This enables government organizations to meet U.S. compliance and security standards. However, Microsoft Office Government plans also feature a slew of other capabilities that can help your organization optimize processes through enhanced communication, mobility, and reliability. How? First, we’ll cover some of the basics of Microsoft Office for government employees, then highlight three of its major benefits.

Who is Eligible for Microsoft’s Government Business Tools?

Office 365 Government plans are available to:

\n
• Qualified government entities. Microsoft Office for federal government employees is the most common use, but is also available to employees at the state and local level, plus tribal and territorial government entities; and/or
\n
• Other entities who handle data subject to government regulations and requirements, where use of Office 365 Government is appropriate to meet these regulations and requirements.
\n

If your organization does not fall into one of these categories, you can still enjoy the benefits of Microsoft Office with subscription-based business plans.

What Options Exist for Utilizing Microsoft Office for Government Employees?

There are three levels of Office 365 Government Plans. Each plan is offered as a monthly subscription and can be licensed to an unlimited number of users—meaning they are ideal for government entities of any size. The most basic option, Office 365 Government G1, includes access to web versions of familiar tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The higher tiers, Office 365 Government G3 and G5, offer desktop versions of these Office applications. This is the most prominent difference between them, but the two higher tiers will also offer additional capabilities at each level, which may include:

\n
• A fully-installed Office experience across PCs, Macs, Windows tablets, iPad® and Android™ tablets, and most mobile devices;
\n
• Enterprise management of apps;
\n
• Intelligent search and discovery; and
\n
• Advanced email capabilities, voicemail integration, and business intelligence tools.
\n

Which option is right for your organization will depend on its unique needs and priorities. Keep in mind that you will have access to more features as you move up to higher tiers, but all benefits featured in the remainder of this article are included in each plan.

Benefit #1: Streamlined Collaboration and Business Processes

Microsoft Office’s government business tools allow employees to hold multi-party HD online meetings with screen sharing, note taking, and annotation capabilities. All it takes is a click to start an IM, conference call, or video chat. For government employees that are constantly on-the-go, this can make a true difference in collaboration. Here are some other benefits of Microsoft Office for government employees that enhance communication and streamline processes, resulting in higher productivity:

\n
• Email and Calendars. Business-class email through Outlook experience, which can be accessed from a desktop or web browser. Includes a 50 GB mailbox for each user, the ability to send attachments up to 150 MB, and use of your own domain name.
\n
• Intranet and Team Sites. Experience company-wide intranet that can connect people to the content, expertise, and processes that power teamwork through team sites.
\n
• Office Online. The ability to create and edit in Word, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Excel documents from any modern browser.
\n
• Apps for Office and SharePoint. Both third-party and custom-built apps work with Office and SharePoint, bringing web services right into your documents and sites.
\n
• Online Conferencing. Host online meetings with audio and video using one-click screen sharing, HD video conferencing, and virtual whiteboards.
\n
• Instant Messaging and Skype Connectivity. Communicate using messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Users have the ability to share their video presence, messages, and audio calls with people outside of your organization by using Skype.
\n
• Work from Any Modern Browser. Sync email, calendar, and contacts, access SharePoint sites, and view and edit Office documents with Office Online. This can all be done from a browser on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android™ devices.
\n
• File Storage and Sharing. Each user will have at least 1 TB of personal cloud storage through OneDrive. Share files and work with anyone inside your government organization, plus those outside of it. Find files fast and control who can see and edit files from anywhere, on any device—all while optimizing security.
\n
• Constant accessibility. Know your services are available with a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, financially backed service level agreement (SLA).
\n
• Cutting-edge security practices. Five layers of security and proactive monitoring help keep your confidential data safe.
\n
• Automatic updates. No need to pay for version upgrades. Updates are included in your subscription as new features are rolled out. Save long-term while having peace of mind you’re utilizing the most up-to-date capabilities.
\n
• 24/7 support. Constant access to support for critical IT issues. Ability to make service requests directly through the admin portal for less urgent issues.
\n

Benefit #2: Unmatched Mobility

Microsoft Office for government employees home use capabilities enable staff to work from their house, your office, or any remote location with ease. For government employees that are constantly working from various locations or regularly traveling, this mobility is essential for success. Office 365 Government plans provide users with the Office applications they know and love that are optimized for their devices so they can work efficiently and effectively wherever they are. 

Benefit #3: Reliability and Security

For government employees particularly, world-class data security is a must. With Microsoft Office for government employees, data is segregated from commercial data. It is separately stored within the U.S., and access is restricted to only screened Microsoft personnel. Here’s how Microsoft Government plans can offer you increased reliability and security.

At Protected Trust, we can help set you up with the government employee tools your organization needs for success. Ready to get started? Schedule an introduction with one of our experts today. 

Microsoft Office for government employees is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of government organizations with advanced IT requirements. Microsoft’s government business tools provide all the features and capabilities of their typical Office 365 services, but in a segmented government cloud community.

This enables government organizations to meet U.S. compliance and security standards. However, Microsoft Office Government plans also feature a slew of other capabilities that can help your organization optimize processes through enhanced communication, mobility, and reliability. How? First, we’ll cover some of the basics of Microsoft Office for government employees, then highlight three of its major benefits.

Who is Eligible for Microsoft’s Government Business Tools?

Office 365 Government plans are available to:

\n
• Qualified government entities. Microsoft Office for federal government employees is the most common use, but is also available to employees at the state and local level, plus tribal and territorial government entities; and/or
\n
• Other entities who handle data subject to government regulations and requirements, where use of Office 365 Government is appropriate to meet these regulations and requirements.
\n

If your organization does not fall into one of these categories, you can still enjoy the benefits of Microsoft Office with subscription-based business plans.

What Options Exist for Utilizing Microsoft Office for Government Employees?

There are three levels of Office 365 Government Plans. Each plan is offered as a monthly subscription and can be licensed to an unlimited number of users—meaning they are ideal for government entities of any size. The most basic option, Office 365 Government G1, includes access to web versions of familiar tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The higher tiers, Office 365 Government G3 and G5, offer desktop versions of these Office applications. This is the most prominent difference between them, but the two higher tiers will also offer additional capabilities at each level, which may include:

\n
• A fully-installed Office experience across PCs, Macs, Windows tablets, iPad® and Android™ tablets, and most mobile devices;
\n
• Enterprise management of apps;
\n
• Intelligent search and discovery; and
\n
• Advanced email capabilities, voicemail integration, and business intelligence tools.
\n

Which option is right for your organization will depend on its unique needs and priorities. Keep in mind that you will have access to more features as you move up to higher tiers, but all benefits featured in the remainder of this article are included in each plan.

Benefit #1: Streamlined Collaboration and Business Processes

Microsoft Office’s government business tools allow employees to hold multi-party HD online meetings with screen sharing, note taking, and annotation capabilities. All it takes is a click to start an IM, conference call, or video chat. For government employees that are constantly on-the-go, this can make a true difference in collaboration. Here are some other benefits of Microsoft Office for government employees that enhance communication and streamline processes, resulting in higher productivity:

\n
• Email and Calendars. Business-class email through Outlook experience, which can be accessed from a desktop or web browser. Includes a 50 GB mailbox for each user, the ability to send attachments up to 150 MB, and use of your own domain name.
\n
• Intranet and Team Sites. Experience company-wide intranet that can connect people to the content, expertise, and processes that power teamwork through team sites.
\n
• Office Online. The ability to create and edit in Word, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Excel documents from any modern browser.
\n
• Apps for Office and SharePoint. Both third-party and custom-built apps work with Office and SharePoint, bringing web services right into your documents and sites.
\n
• Online Conferencing. Host online meetings with audio and video using one-click screen sharing, HD video conferencing, and virtual whiteboards.
\n
• Instant Messaging and Skype Connectivity. Communicate using messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Users have the ability to share their video presence, messages, and audio calls with people outside of your organization by using Skype.
\n
• Work from Any Modern Browser. Sync email, calendar, and contacts, access SharePoint sites, and view and edit Office documents with Office Online. This can all be done from a browser on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android™ devices.
\n
• File Storage and Sharing. Each user will have at least 1 TB of personal cloud storage through OneDrive. Share files and work with anyone inside your government organization, plus those outside of it. Find files fast and control who can see and edit files from anywhere, on any device—all while optimizing security.
\n
• Constant accessibility. Know your services are available with a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, financially backed service level agreement (SLA).
\n
• Cutting-edge security practices. Five layers of security and proactive monitoring help keep your confidential data safe.
\n
• Automatic updates. No need to pay for version upgrades. Updates are included in your subscription as new features are rolled out. Save long-term while having peace of mind you’re utilizing the most up-to-date capabilities.
\n
• 24/7 support. Constant access to support for critical IT issues. Ability to make service requests directly through the admin portal for less urgent issues.
\n

Benefit #2: Unmatched Mobility

Microsoft Office for government employees home use capabilities enable staff to work from their house, your office, or any remote location with ease. For government employees that are constantly working from various locations or regularly traveling, this mobility is essential for success. Office 365 Government plans provide users with the Office applications they know and love that are optimized for their devices so they can work efficiently and effectively wherever they are. 

Benefit #3: Reliability and Security

For government employees particularly, world-class data security is a must. With Microsoft Office for government employees, data is segregated from commercial data. It is separately stored within the U.S., and access is restricted to only screened Microsoft personnel. Here’s how Microsoft Government plans can offer you increased reliability and security.

At Protected Trust, we can help set you up with the government employee tools your organization needs for success. Ready to get started? Schedule an introduction with one of our experts today. 

Microsoft Office for government employees is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of government organizations with advanced IT requirements. Microsoft’s government business tools provide all the features and capabilities of their typical Office 365 services, but in a segmented government cloud community.

In today’s interconnected and digitally-driven world, being able to effectively get the job done from any location isn’t just an added bonus. Instead, it has become a vital component of achieving business success.

In today’s interconnected and digitally-driven world, being able to effectively get the job done from any location isn’t just an added bonus. Instead, it has become a vital component of achieving business success.

That’s why Microsoft designed their Pro and Go Surface devices to seamlessly pair with LTE advanced for business—creating a tool even your mobile employees can consistently rely on.

Why do you need LTE Advanced for business connected to the Microsoft Surface Pro or Go devices your employees use to do their jobs? Here are three major reasons.

Reason #1 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Experience Unmatched Mobility

“Business mobility” is when employees are effectively able to do the work that their job requires of them without having to be in a traditional office setting. This is especially relevant in today’s modern workforce where more employers are adopting “work from wherever” policies. Unfortunately, whether “wherever” means an employee’s home or favorite coffee shop, a client’s office, or the airport before a big business trip, it doesn’t always mean that a strong and secure Wi-Fi connection is available.

That’s why Microsoft created their family of Surface devices with the solution to this problem in mind. Microsoft and LTE go hand in hand on devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro LTE and Surface Go with LTE. So, how does LTE advanced work?

By using radio frequency communications in a similar way that cellphones do, Microsoft Surface devices with LTE advanced for business are able to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees to access the internet and any cloud-based apps from anywhere they would be able to get a cell phone signal.

Reason #2 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Stop Relying on Expensive Hotspots

Most devices need a stable high-speed internet connection to access files, search on web browsers, and use apps. Without it, an employee can’t access the tools they need to do their job, meaning productivity and efficiency decrease while frustration and down time increase. This is yet another hurdle to business mobility that has only been amplified with the rise of remote working.

When trying to work remotely with a non-LTE device, users will often rely on their smartphone’s mobile hotspot. This requires the employee to carefully monitor their internet use since it can increase the risk of data breaches, especially if they’re connecting to hotspots in a public place. Additionally, most phone plans have a monthly hotspot data limit, and going over it means they’re likely to accrue penalties.

If your employees are responsible for paying their own phone bills, they can easily become frustrated that they’re having to personally take on additional fees to get basic job functions done. If your organization is footing the bill, it means higher costs for you (even though productivity is being slowed down). However, if they’re using Surface devices equipped with LTE advanced for business, the need to rely on a cell phone's mobile hotspot disappears.

Reason #3 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Enhance Your Data Security and Privacy

Business mobility is a huge advantage, but it does result in some additional considerations when it comes to data security and privacy. Many remote employees who do not have an LTE-capable device are forced to rely on unsecured Wi-Fi networks simply because that is the only thing available to them.

This exposes your business to risk, as employees can easily be tricked into joining malicious networks posing as legitimate public ones. Referred to as “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attacks, these fake networks trick users into unknowingly routing their data through the attacker’s system. Their data would then be copied before being forwarded to the actual Wi-Fi network, meaning the hacker now has all of your confidential data at their fingertips—and the employee would never even know it has been compromised.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE advanced for business makes it possible to avoid these dangerous “man-in-the-middle” attacks in two ways. One way is by skipping the need to connect to public Wi-Fi networks entirely. A hacker can’t hijack a connection between a remote employee and the local Wi-Fi router if they aren’t even connected to it in the first place.

The second way is through data encryption. If your employees are using Microsoft Office collaboration and productivity tools such as Teams, their data will be encrypted (both at-rest and in-transit). This means that even if a hacker does manage to steal it, it will be difficult and time-consuming to interpret it. They will likely get frustrated, abandon your data, and move on to a user that does not have such robot security features safeguarding their information.

Are you looking to make the push towards becoming a more mobile business? LTE advanced for business can be your key to success. Schedule an introduction with one of Protected Trust’s experts today and learn how we can set your employees up to achieve their greatest potential from anywhere on the planet.

In today’s interconnected and digitally-driven world, being able to effectively get the job done from any location isn’t just an added bonus. Instead, it has become a vital component of achieving business success.

That’s why Microsoft designed their Pro and Go Surface devices to seamlessly pair with LTE advanced for business—creating a tool even your mobile employees can consistently rely on.

Why do you need LTE Advanced for business connected to the Microsoft Surface Pro or Go devices your employees use to do their jobs? Here are three major reasons.

Reason #1 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Experience Unmatched Mobility

“Business mobility” is when employees are effectively able to do the work that their job requires of them without having to be in a traditional office setting. This is especially relevant in today’s modern workforce where more employers are adopting “work from wherever” policies. Unfortunately, whether “wherever” means an employee’s home or favorite coffee shop, a client’s office, or the airport before a big business trip, it doesn’t always mean that a strong and secure Wi-Fi connection is available.

That’s why Microsoft created their family of Surface devices with the solution to this problem in mind. Microsoft and LTE go hand in hand on devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro LTE and Surface Go with LTE. So, how does LTE advanced work?

By using radio frequency communications in a similar way that cellphones do, Microsoft Surface devices with LTE advanced for business are able to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees to access the internet and any cloud-based apps from anywhere they would be able to get a cell phone signal.

Reason #2 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Stop Relying on Expensive Hotspots

Most devices need a stable high-speed internet connection to access files, search on web browsers, and use apps. Without it, an employee can’t access the tools they need to do their job, meaning productivity and efficiency decrease while frustration and down time increase. This is yet another hurdle to business mobility that has only been amplified with the rise of remote working.

When trying to work remotely with a non-LTE device, users will often rely on their smartphone’s mobile hotspot. This requires the employee to carefully monitor their internet use since it can increase the risk of data breaches, especially if they’re connecting to hotspots in a public place. Additionally, most phone plans have a monthly hotspot data limit, and going over it means they’re likely to accrue penalties.

If your employees are responsible for paying their own phone bills, they can easily become frustrated that they’re having to personally take on additional fees to get basic job functions done. If your organization is footing the bill, it means higher costs for you (even though productivity is being slowed down). However, if they’re using Surface devices equipped with LTE advanced for business, the need to rely on a cell phone's mobile hotspot disappears.

Reason #3 You Need LTE Advanced for Business: To Enhance Your Data Security and Privacy

Business mobility is a huge advantage, but it does result in some additional considerations when it comes to data security and privacy. Many remote employees who do not have an LTE-capable device are forced to rely on unsecured Wi-Fi networks simply because that is the only thing available to them.

This exposes your business to risk, as employees can easily be tricked into joining malicious networks posing as legitimate public ones. Referred to as “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attacks, these fake networks trick users into unknowingly routing their data through the attacker’s system. Their data would then be copied before being forwarded to the actual Wi-Fi network, meaning the hacker now has all of your confidential data at their fingertips—and the employee would never even know it has been compromised.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE advanced for business makes it possible to avoid these dangerous “man-in-the-middle” attacks in two ways. One way is by skipping the need to connect to public Wi-Fi networks entirely. A hacker can’t hijack a connection between a remote employee and the local Wi-Fi router if they aren’t even connected to it in the first place.

The second way is through data encryption. If your employees are using Microsoft Office collaboration and productivity tools such as Teams, their data will be encrypted (both at-rest and in-transit). This means that even if a hacker does manage to steal it, it will be difficult and time-consuming to interpret it. They will likely get frustrated, abandon your data, and move on to a user that does not have such robot security features safeguarding their information.

Are you looking to make the push towards becoming a more mobile business? LTE advanced for business can be your key to success. Schedule an introduction with one of Protected Trust’s experts today and learn how we can set your employees up to achieve their greatest potential from anywhere on the planet.

In today’s interconnected and digitally-driven world, being able to effectively get the job done from any location isn’t just an added bonus. Instead, it has become a vital component of achieving business success.

In almost any industry, cybersecurity is a critical issue. Computers used by employees frequently contain sensitive company information—such as the company’s intellectual property (IP), financial information, or client information. However, cost concerns often drive companies to either supply cheaply-made PCs with barebones security, or to adopt “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies where employees bring personal devices to use for work.

In almost any industry, cybersecurity is a critical issue. Computers used by employees frequently contain sensitive company information—such as the company’s intellectual property (IP), financial information, or client information. However, cost concerns often drive companies to either supply cheaply-made PCs with barebones security, or to adopt “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies where employees bring personal devices to use for work.

The potential risk of using computers that aren’t properly secured was highlighted when Microsoft discovered a major security flaw in Huawei’s PCManager software drivers earlier this year. Although, as noted in an arstechnica.com article about the discovery: “The interesting part of the story is how Microsoft found the bad driver in the first place.”

How Did Microsoft Discover the Huawei Driver’s Security Flaw?

The security flaw which would allow unprivileged users create processes with “superuser” or admin privileges was uncovered by Microsoft’s Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service which was part of Windows 10 version 1809. As stated by Ars Technica, “Microsoft Defender ATP does not rely solely on signature-based endpoint antimalware to detect known threats; it also uses heuristics that look for behavior that appears suspicious, even if no particular malware has been identified.”

This behavior-based approach to identifying security breaches is what allowed Microsoft’s ATP solution to detect the security flaw in the Huawei driver. The machine learning algorithm was able to spot the anomalous behavior caused by the Huawei driver, which used asynchronous procedure calls (APCs) similar to a DOUBLEPULSAR-type backdoor hackers might use to gain access to a system.

The Ars Technica article explains that “DOUBLEPULSAR is one of the many techniques devised by the National Security Agency” which “provides a way for a compromised kernel driver to run code in user mode.” In these backdoors, APCs are used to force a thread to stop running and switch to a different function—typically one using malware code.

After the leak of DOUBLEPULSAR, it was incorporated into malware attacks, which is why, as noted by Ars Technica, “Windows 10 version 1809 included sensors to record these kernel operations that are known to be useful for malware.” The Huawei driver in question used APC to force a restart of its built-in software if it crashed or stopped running, which is why it triggered the Microsoft ATP solution.

Why Was This Security Flaw an Issue?

How did Huawei’s driver using an APC to force software restarts pose a security threat to users and, by extension, businesses? As the Ars Technica article mentions:

\n

“improper permissions meant that even an unprivileged process could hijack the driver’s watchdog facility and use it to start an attacker-controlled process with LocalSystem privileges, giving that process complete access to the local system.

\n

Microsoft’s researchers then continued to look at the driver and found that it had another flawed capability: it could map any page of physical memory into a user process, with both read and write permissions.”

\n

The first issue would give attackers an easy way to insert malware, while the second issue would allow them to make major alterations to the system kernel itself. Being able to alter the kernel would give attackers carte blanche to do almost anything—making it an incredibly dangerous security flaw.

What Does This Discovery Mean for Your Organization?

Odds are, the vulnerability from the Huawei driver will have little impact on security—if your organization is keeping up with the latest driver patches. As noted in the Ars Technica article, “Huawei fixed the driver and published the safe version in early January.” So, any Huawei systems with updates more recent than that should be safe from this security flaw.

However, the mere existence of this security flaw highlights the need for businesses to carefully and thoroughly scrutinize their hardware and software vendors. If the vendor isn’t thoroughly securing their hardware/software, or introduces “features” that actively impair security, it may be necessary to switch vendors.

This is part of the reason why Protected Trust specializes in Microsoft Surface devices. These devices are manufactured by Microsoft and are built to provide security while fostering collaboration through Microsoft Teams. We top this with our “Teams on any Surface” service, where we provide managed desktops that run a security-hardened version of Windows 10.

Curious about how you can provide your team members with safe and secure collaboration and productivity tools? Schedule an introduction with our team today!

In almost any industry, cybersecurity is a critical issue. Computers used by employees frequently contain sensitive company information—such as the company’s intellectual property (IP), financial information, or client information. However, cost concerns often drive companies to either supply cheaply-made PCs with barebones security, or to adopt “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies where employees bring personal devices to use for work.

The potential risk of using computers that aren’t properly secured was highlighted when Microsoft discovered a major security flaw in Huawei’s PCManager software drivers earlier this year. Although, as noted in an arstechnica.com article about the discovery: “The interesting part of the story is how Microsoft found the bad driver in the first place.”

How Did Microsoft Discover the Huawei Driver’s Security Flaw?

The security flaw which would allow unprivileged users create processes with “superuser” or admin privileges was uncovered by Microsoft’s Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service which was part of Windows 10 version 1809. As stated by Ars Technica, “Microsoft Defender ATP does not rely solely on signature-based endpoint antimalware to detect known threats; it also uses heuristics that look for behavior that appears suspicious, even if no particular malware has been identified.”

This behavior-based approach to identifying security breaches is what allowed Microsoft’s ATP solution to detect the security flaw in the Huawei driver. The machine learning algorithm was able to spot the anomalous behavior caused by the Huawei driver, which used asynchronous procedure calls (APCs) similar to a DOUBLEPULSAR-type backdoor hackers might use to gain access to a system.

The Ars Technica article explains that “DOUBLEPULSAR is one of the many techniques devised by the National Security Agency” which “provides a way for a compromised kernel driver to run code in user mode.” In these backdoors, APCs are used to force a thread to stop running and switch to a different function—typically one using malware code.

After the leak of DOUBLEPULSAR, it was incorporated into malware attacks, which is why, as noted by Ars Technica, “Windows 10 version 1809 included sensors to record these kernel operations that are known to be useful for malware.” The Huawei driver in question used APC to force a restart of its built-in software if it crashed or stopped running, which is why it triggered the Microsoft ATP solution.

Why Was This Security Flaw an Issue?

How did Huawei’s driver using an APC to force software restarts pose a security threat to users and, by extension, businesses? As the Ars Technica article mentions:

\n

“improper permissions meant that even an unprivileged process could hijack the driver’s watchdog facility and use it to start an attacker-controlled process with LocalSystem privileges, giving that process complete access to the local system.

\n

Microsoft’s researchers then continued to look at the driver and found that it had another flawed capability: it could map any page of physical memory into a user process, with both read and write permissions.”

\n

The first issue would give attackers an easy way to insert malware, while the second issue would allow them to make major alterations to the system kernel itself. Being able to alter the kernel would give attackers carte blanche to do almost anything—making it an incredibly dangerous security flaw.

What Does This Discovery Mean for Your Organization?

Odds are, the vulnerability from the Huawei driver will have little impact on security—if your organization is keeping up with the latest driver patches. As noted in the Ars Technica article, “Huawei fixed the driver and published the safe version in early January.” So, any Huawei systems with updates more recent than that should be safe from this security flaw.

However, the mere existence of this security flaw highlights the need for businesses to carefully and thoroughly scrutinize their hardware and software vendors. If the vendor isn’t thoroughly securing their hardware/software, or introduces “features” that actively impair security, it may be necessary to switch vendors.

This is part of the reason why Protected Trust specializes in Microsoft Surface devices. These devices are manufactured by Microsoft and are built to provide security while fostering collaboration through Microsoft Teams. We top this with our “Teams on any Surface” service, where we provide managed desktops that run a security-hardened version of Windows 10.

Curious about how you can provide your team members with safe and secure collaboration and productivity tools? Schedule an introduction with our team today!

In almost any industry, cybersecurity is a critical issue. Computers used by employees frequently contain sensitive company information—such as the company’s intellectual property (IP), financial information, or client information. However, cost concerns often drive companies to either supply cheaply-made PCs with barebones security, or to adopt “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies where employees bring personal devices to use for work.

In today’s modern workforce where remote working is commonplace, business mobility is essential for success. When you have employees operating outside of a traditional office setting, it becomes even more vital that they’re still able to be efficient and contribute to their team—even though they aren’t physically with them.

In today’s modern workforce where remote working is commonplace, business mobility is essential for success. When you have employees operating outside of a traditional office setting, it becomes even more vital that they’re still able to be efficient and contribute to their team—even though they aren’t physically with them.

This requires leveraging the right mobile business tools that give your employees consistent access to the workplace resources and collaboration tools they need. Without this mobility, it will be incredibly difficult for them to be productive in a remote office setup.

One of the most powerful tools for remote employees is the Microsoft Surface family of mobile computing devices. These Microsoft Surface mobility tools can increase connectivity, performance, and flexibility across your business. What features are these devices equipped with that can help get you there? Let’s explore a few.

Feature #1: LTE Connectivity

One of the most common hurdles to achieving business mobility is the need for a stable high-speed internet connection. When employees are working remotely, they may not always have access to a fast and secure internet connection. Often times, the internet in their home, client’s office, or favorite coffee shop is spotty and plagued with slow upload and download speeds. When they can’t access the files and apps they need to get their job done, productivity comes to a halt. This is precisely the problem Microsoft Surface on the go devices were designed to help solve.

The Microsoft Surface with LTE utilizes radio frequency communications (similar to how cell phones get service) to connect to an LTE network tower. This way, remote employees using Microsoft Surface mobile tools, such as the Surface Pro, can enjoy access to the internet and any cloud-based apps. All they need is a cell phone signal!

Feature #2: Collaboration Capabilities

You may be under the impression that all laptops and tablets have pretty much the same collaboration capabilities. After all, you can send an email or have a Skype call from any device, right? While that is true, these forms of communications aren’t always the most efficient or effective option. Lengthy email chains make it difficult to locate files and determine which version is the most up-to-date, while third-party meeting services that aren’t custom-built for your devices are often prone to glitches and technical difficulties.

That’s why the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go devices were specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Office 365 for Business and Teams. Office 365 includes access to familiar Microsoft tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Teams then allows your employees to simultaneously work on, edit, and approve files on your Office 365 software. Because the Surface family of devices was purposely built to create ease of use and collaboration across this MS software, remote workers can experience enhanced mobility.

Feature #3: Size and Flexibility

Microsoft Surface products were designed with mobile business needs in mind. They’re ultra-light and easy to handle—while the average laptop will typically weigh anywhere from two to six pounds (depending on the model and its capabilities), The Surface Go LTE Advanced model weighs a mere 1.17 pounds. This makes Microsoft Surface on the go tools small and light enough to be carried and used anywhere—whether that’s a living room in the user’s home, modern coworking space, client’s office, or cramped seat on a flight.

Plus, with built-in touchscreen technology and the ability to effortlessly switch between “laptop” and “tablet” modes, the Surface Pro and Go offers unmatched flexibility. Having to carry around multiple devices and switch between them is frustrating, time-consuming, and can make a travel bag quite heavy. Instead, the Microsoft Surface Pro is one device that can do it all. If you’re typing up a lengthy report, you probably want to use laptop mode for Office apps such as Word. Do you need to use a mobile-oriented app to confirm a meeting or check in for a flight? In that case, you can easily switch to tablet mode. This is incredibly efficient for remote working, as your employees can rely on the same device, even though what they’re working on and the environments they’re working in may constantly be changing.

Feature #4: Secure Business Mobility

One of the few disadvantages of remote working is that it can increase the risk of data breaches in your business. Chances are that your remote workers are tapping into public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks at shopping centers, coffee shops, or client’s offices. Often times, hackers will target these unsecured networks, creating spoofs of public networks to trick people into connecting with them. If an employee connects to this kind of fake network, a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack can occur. This means their data would be routed through the attacker’s system and copied before going through the legitimate network.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE capabilities and the Microsoft Teams collaboration software suite can minimize the risks of these kind of MITM attacks in two main ways. First, by connecting to cell networks via LTE, Microsoft Surface Pro mobile devices make it possible to avoid Wi-Fi interceptions altogether. A hacker cannot hijack a connection between remote workers and the local Wi-Fi router if they aren’t using Wi-Fi in the first place. Second, when using Teams on Microsoft Surface mobile devices, data is automatically encrypted—both at-rest in-transit. This frustrates attackers, meaning they’ll likely just move on to another user whose device is not protected by such robust security features.

By allowing employees to have LTE connectivity with only a cell signal, collaborate through Office 365 and Teams software, seamlessly switch between laptop and tablet mode, and have secure access to the internet, Microsoft Surface devices can transform your operation into a truly mobile business.

Want to learn more about how Microsoft Surface on the go tools can enhance remote working and mobility in your business? Subscribe to the Protected Trust blog for more information or schedule an introduction with one of our experts today! 

In today’s modern workforce where remote working is commonplace, business mobility is essential for success. When you have employees operating outside of a traditional office setting, it becomes even more vital that they’re still able to be efficient and contribute to their team—even though they aren’t physically with them.

This requires leveraging the right mobile business tools that give your employees consistent access to the workplace resources and collaboration tools they need. Without this mobility, it will be incredibly difficult for them to be productive in a remote office setup.

One of the most powerful tools for remote employees is the Microsoft Surface family of mobile computing devices. These Microsoft Surface mobility tools can increase connectivity, performance, and flexibility across your business. What features are these devices equipped with that can help get you there? Let’s explore a few.

Feature #1: LTE Connectivity

One of the most common hurdles to achieving business mobility is the need for a stable high-speed internet connection. When employees are working remotely, they may not always have access to a fast and secure internet connection. Often times, the internet in their home, client’s office, or favorite coffee shop is spotty and plagued with slow upload and download speeds. When they can’t access the files and apps they need to get their job done, productivity comes to a halt. This is precisely the problem Microsoft Surface on the go devices were designed to help solve.

The Microsoft Surface with LTE utilizes radio frequency communications (similar to how cell phones get service) to connect to an LTE network tower. This way, remote employees using Microsoft Surface mobile tools, such as the Surface Pro, can enjoy access to the internet and any cloud-based apps. All they need is a cell phone signal!

Feature #2: Collaboration Capabilities

You may be under the impression that all laptops and tablets have pretty much the same collaboration capabilities. After all, you can send an email or have a Skype call from any device, right? While that is true, these forms of communications aren’t always the most efficient or effective option. Lengthy email chains make it difficult to locate files and determine which version is the most up-to-date, while third-party meeting services that aren’t custom-built for your devices are often prone to glitches and technical difficulties.

That’s why the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go devices were specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Office 365 for Business and Teams. Office 365 includes access to familiar Microsoft tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Teams then allows your employees to simultaneously work on, edit, and approve files on your Office 365 software. Because the Surface family of devices was purposely built to create ease of use and collaboration across this MS software, remote workers can experience enhanced mobility.

Feature #3: Size and Flexibility

Microsoft Surface products were designed with mobile business needs in mind. They’re ultra-light and easy to handle—while the average laptop will typically weigh anywhere from two to six pounds (depending on the model and its capabilities), The Surface Go LTE Advanced model weighs a mere 1.17 pounds. This makes Microsoft Surface on the go tools small and light enough to be carried and used anywhere—whether that’s a living room in the user’s home, modern coworking space, client’s office, or cramped seat on a flight.

Plus, with built-in touchscreen technology and the ability to effortlessly switch between “laptop” and “tablet” modes, the Surface Pro and Go offers unmatched flexibility. Having to carry around multiple devices and switch between them is frustrating, time-consuming, and can make a travel bag quite heavy. Instead, the Microsoft Surface Pro is one device that can do it all. If you’re typing up a lengthy report, you probably want to use laptop mode for Office apps such as Word. Do you need to use a mobile-oriented app to confirm a meeting or check in for a flight? In that case, you can easily switch to tablet mode. This is incredibly efficient for remote working, as your employees can rely on the same device, even though what they’re working on and the environments they’re working in may constantly be changing.

Feature #4: Secure Business Mobility

One of the few disadvantages of remote working is that it can increase the risk of data breaches in your business. Chances are that your remote workers are tapping into public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks at shopping centers, coffee shops, or client’s offices. Often times, hackers will target these unsecured networks, creating spoofs of public networks to trick people into connecting with them. If an employee connects to this kind of fake network, a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack can occur. This means their data would be routed through the attacker’s system and copied before going through the legitimate network.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE capabilities and the Microsoft Teams collaboration software suite can minimize the risks of these kind of MITM attacks in two main ways. First, by connecting to cell networks via LTE, Microsoft Surface Pro mobile devices make it possible to avoid Wi-Fi interceptions altogether. A hacker cannot hijack a connection between remote workers and the local Wi-Fi router if they aren’t using Wi-Fi in the first place. Second, when using Teams on Microsoft Surface mobile devices, data is automatically encrypted—both at-rest in-transit. This frustrates attackers, meaning they’ll likely just move on to another user whose device is not protected by such robust security features.

By allowing employees to have LTE connectivity with only a cell signal, collaborate through Office 365 and Teams software, seamlessly switch between laptop and tablet mode, and have secure access to the internet, Microsoft Surface devices can transform your operation into a truly mobile business.

Want to learn more about how Microsoft Surface on the go tools can enhance remote working and mobility in your business? Subscribe to the Protected Trust blog for more information or schedule an introduction with one of our experts today! 

In today’s modern workforce where remote working is commonplace, business mobility is essential for success. When you have employees operating outside of a traditional office setting, it becomes even more vital that they’re still able to be efficient and contribute to their team—even though they aren’t physically with them.

Effective collaboration in the workplace stimulates creativity, drives productivity, and fosters a sense of community amongst employees. However, there’s a gap to address here. 86% of employees and executives cite “Lack of collaboration or ineffective communication” as the cause of workplace failures. While most employers understand that communication is vital for success, they aren’t equipped with the collaboration tools they need.

Effective collaboration in the workplace stimulates creativity, drives productivity, and fosters a sense of community amongst employees. However, there’s a gap to address here. 86% of employees and executives cite “Lack of collaboration or ineffective communication” as the cause of workplace failures. While most employers understand that communication is vital for success, they aren’t equipped with the collaboration tools they need.

That’s where the Microsoft Surface comes in. When paired with best-in-class Microsoft collaboration tools, this device can transform the way your team members communicate. The result? Increased productivity that drives revenue and higher levels of employee satisfaction that improves long-term retention.

Here are three key collaboration features of Microsoft Surface devices that can make it happen.

1) Streamlined, Secure Communication with Microsoft Teams

One of the key benefits of using Microsoft Surface tools in your business is that it seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams. This collaboration app creates a hub for teamwork, empowering all of your team members to communicate effectively in one shared place. Working together on this cohesive, easy to use, and accessible workspace enables your employees to chat, meet through audio or video conferencing, share files, and work with business apps — all without having to keep track of and switch between various third-party services.

Teams makes it possible for multiple users to simultaneously add comments and make edits to a file that is then automatically synced, so the most up-to-date version is always at your fingertips. Then, the file can be passed along to managers or decision makers who are able to give feedback and final approval in real time. Downtime is minimized when team members can simply work together from any location or device rather than having to wait for a file to be passed along from one person to the next through an email chain or third-party platform. This also means your collaboration will not only be more efficient and effective, but will be safer too. Data security with region-based data residency and data encryption (both at rest and in transit) means all of your files and data will be secure, no matter what device or location employees are working from.

2) Seamless Integration with Office 365 for Business

The Microsoft Surface was thoughtfully designed to integrate with Office 365 for Business. This seamless hardware and software pairing gives your teams the ability to get work done efficiently and effectively. Office 365 includes fully-integrated Office applications, like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, plus online file storage and sharing capabilities that make it fast and simple to find, open, and collaborate on any file.

Office 365’s collaboration tools are available through a subscription-based service. Additionally, with Office 365 Business Premium, users will have access to Microsoft Teams. This even further amplifies the possibilities of Microsoft Surface collaboration. Employees are able to create higher-quality work with Office 365 tools, then share it with their team members so additional brainpower and feedback can elevate it even further. Being able to create, edit, and give approval on one platform means files aren’t getting lost in the shuffle and projects can be completed faster. This frees up time and minimizes frustration for your employees, plus allows you to generate additional value and better results for your customers.

3) Mobility with Microsoft Surface with LTE

One of the biggest obstacles to collaboration in our modern workforce is the fact that members of the same team often aren’t in the same location. Between remote work policies, off-site meetings, and visits to clients’ offices, you will often have employees that aren’t physically working from your office. Whether they’re fully remote or are only off-site for a few hours each day, this can make it more difficult for them to collaborate with their coworkers—especially with the need for a stable high-speed internet connection to get work done.

If an employee’s access to the internet is intermittent or plagued with slow upload and download speeds, it will affect their ability to work and communicate efficiently. This is a common issue, as not every employee will have high-speed internet at home, in their client’s office, or at the local coffee shop they work from. That’s why the Microsoft Surface with LTE was designed to use radio frequency communications, similar to that of a cell phone, to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using on-the-go Microsoft Surface tools, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro, to access the internet and any cloud-based apps they need, such as Microsoft Team. This is possible from anywhere they can get a cell phone signal.

Are you Ready to Leverage Microsoft Surface Tools for Enhanced Collaboration?

There are a lot of business collaboration tools on the market—but Microsoft Surface tools can provide unmatched mobility, security, and communication capabilities when used with Microsoft Teams and Office 365 for Business.

At Protected Trust, our goal is to simplify technology while empowering communication. We do this with a vision of a modern digital workplace, built on an ecosystem of Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 platform. By using devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro, your business can get the most out of these workplace collaboration tools.

Is your business ready to gain a competitive advantage thanks to enhanced collaboration that drives growth and revenue? If so, schedule an introduction with one of our experts today! We are excited to help you learn more about what collaboration tools Microsoft has to offer, answer any further questions, and set you up for implementation and long-term success.

Effective collaboration in the workplace stimulates creativity, drives productivity, and fosters a sense of community amongst employees. However, there’s a gap to address here. 86% of employees and executives cite “Lack of collaboration or ineffective communication” as the cause of workplace failures. While most employers understand that communication is vital for success, they aren’t equipped with the collaboration tools they need.

That’s where the Microsoft Surface comes in. When paired with best-in-class Microsoft collaboration tools, this device can transform the way your team members communicate. The result? Increased productivity that drives revenue and higher levels of employee satisfaction that improves long-term retention.

Here are three key collaboration features of Microsoft Surface devices that can make it happen.

1) Streamlined, Secure Communication with Microsoft Teams

One of the key benefits of using Microsoft Surface tools in your business is that it seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams. This collaboration app creates a hub for teamwork, empowering all of your team members to communicate effectively in one shared place. Working together on this cohesive, easy to use, and accessible workspace enables your employees to chat, meet through audio or video conferencing, share files, and work with business apps — all without having to keep track of and switch between various third-party services.

Teams makes it possible for multiple users to simultaneously add comments and make edits to a file that is then automatically synced, so the most up-to-date version is always at your fingertips. Then, the file can be passed along to managers or decision makers who are able to give feedback and final approval in real time. Downtime is minimized when team members can simply work together from any location or device rather than having to wait for a file to be passed along from one person to the next through an email chain or third-party platform. This also means your collaboration will not only be more efficient and effective, but will be safer too. Data security with region-based data residency and data encryption (both at rest and in transit) means all of your files and data will be secure, no matter what device or location employees are working from.

2) Seamless Integration with Office 365 for Business

The Microsoft Surface was thoughtfully designed to integrate with Office 365 for Business. This seamless hardware and software pairing gives your teams the ability to get work done efficiently and effectively. Office 365 includes fully-integrated Office applications, like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, plus online file storage and sharing capabilities that make it fast and simple to find, open, and collaborate on any file.

Office 365’s collaboration tools are available through a subscription-based service. Additionally, with Office 365 Business Premium, users will have access to Microsoft Teams. This even further amplifies the possibilities of Microsoft Surface collaboration. Employees are able to create higher-quality work with Office 365 tools, then share it with their team members so additional brainpower and feedback can elevate it even further. Being able to create, edit, and give approval on one platform means files aren’t getting lost in the shuffle and projects can be completed faster. This frees up time and minimizes frustration for your employees, plus allows you to generate additional value and better results for your customers.

3) Mobility with Microsoft Surface with LTE

One of the biggest obstacles to collaboration in our modern workforce is the fact that members of the same team often aren’t in the same location. Between remote work policies, off-site meetings, and visits to clients’ offices, you will often have employees that aren’t physically working from your office. Whether they’re fully remote or are only off-site for a few hours each day, this can make it more difficult for them to collaborate with their coworkers—especially with the need for a stable high-speed internet connection to get work done.

If an employee’s access to the internet is intermittent or plagued with slow upload and download speeds, it will affect their ability to work and communicate efficiently. This is a common issue, as not every employee will have high-speed internet at home, in their client’s office, or at the local coffee shop they work from. That’s why the Microsoft Surface with LTE was designed to use radio frequency communications, similar to that of a cell phone, to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using on-the-go Microsoft Surface tools, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro, to access the internet and any cloud-based apps they need, such as Microsoft Team. This is possible from anywhere they can get a cell phone signal.

Are you Ready to Leverage Microsoft Surface Tools for Enhanced Collaboration?

There are a lot of business collaboration tools on the market—but Microsoft Surface tools can provide unmatched mobility, security, and communication capabilities when used with Microsoft Teams and Office 365 for Business.

At Protected Trust, our goal is to simplify technology while empowering communication. We do this with a vision of a modern digital workplace, built on an ecosystem of Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 platform. By using devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro, your business can get the most out of these workplace collaboration tools.

Is your business ready to gain a competitive advantage thanks to enhanced collaboration that drives growth and revenue? If so, schedule an introduction with one of our experts today! We are excited to help you learn more about what collaboration tools Microsoft has to offer, answer any further questions, and set you up for implementation and long-term success.

Effective collaboration in the workplace stimulates creativity, drives productivity, and fosters a sense of community amongst employees. However, there’s a gap to address here. 86% of employees and executives cite “Lack of collaboration or ineffective communication” as the cause of workplace failures. While most employers understand that communication is vital for success, they aren’t equipped with the collaboration tools they need.

Many people seem to be confused by the Microsoft Surface family of products, asking things like: “Is Surface Go a laptop or a tablet” or, “Is Microsoft Surface Pro better than a traditional laptop?”

To help answer a few of these questions, we thought it would be a good idea to compare the benefits of Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers to answer why a business might want to use Surface devices rather than generic-brand laptops.

\n
1. Cost
\n
2. Form Factor
\n
3. Collaboration Features
\n

Many people seem to be confused by the Microsoft Surface family of products, asking things like: “Is Surface Go a laptop or a tablet” or, “Is Microsoft Surface Pro better than a traditional laptop?”

To help answer a few of these questions, we thought it would be a good idea to compare the benefits of Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers to answer why a business might want to use Surface devices rather than generic-brand laptops.

\n
1. Cost
\n
2. Form Factor
\n
3. Collaboration Features
\n

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Cost

One of the first comparison points that people make between devices is cost. The cost of a Microsoft Surface product varies based on the specific product—however, at the time of this writing, the base cost of a Microsoft Surface Pro 6 device from the Microsoft store is $899 and a Surface Go is $399. Meanwhile, a low-end computer with the bare-minimum processing power might run ~$300-$400 in price.

On the surface of this price comparison, it looks like the Surface Pro is not as good a deal as a generic laptop. However, there’s more to a mobile computing device than its price. There are things that the Microsoft Surface Pro (and Surface Go) have to offer that a price-comparable laptop won’t.

With laptops, the tech specs you get for the cost can be all over the place depending on the supplier/manufacturer. For example, one high-end $899 laptop might have a dedicated graphics card for processing videos and other graphical data, while another might not. Processor speeds and other features may vary wildly as well. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go have standardized features that make them easy to anticipate and integrate into your business’ processes—no having to guess if a shipment of devices ordered on May 23 will have the same features and capabilities as one ordered on April 23.

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Form Factor

The Microsoft Surface family of products is designed to be ultra-light and easy to handle—even on the go. The Surface Go weighs a paltry 1.17 pounds for the LTE Advanced model that can tap into wireless networks, and the Microsoft Surface Pro weighs in at 1.73 pounds for the i7 model—and these are the heaviest versions of each device.

Compare this to the average laptop, which can weigh anywhere from two to six pounds, depending on the model. Higher-end laptops (the ones that tend to have dedicated graphics cards, improved cooling systems, big screens/keyboards, and other such features) are often heavier than lower-end laptops that are just powerful enough to handle a basic word processor software.

The Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go are designed to be small and light enough to be carried and used anywhere—whether that’s a comfy chair in the user’s living room or a cramped seat on an international flight while they’re preparing for an important business meeting.

Plus, with built-in touchscreen technology and the ability to effortlessly switch between “laptop” and “tablet” modes, the Surface Pro and Go can be used in situations where the bulk of a laptop would be too much—such as reading a book in tablet mode while standing or using touch-screen controls in settings where a mouse would be difficult to use.

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Collaboration Features

One of the biggest points of confusion between Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers is this: Since both platforms run Windows (or at least usually, in the case of laptop PCs), shouldn’t they both be capable of running the same software?

Technically, yes, a laptop should be capable of running Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and other collaboration software on the Windows 10 operating system. However, there’s one major difference—Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go devices are purpose-built for MS Office and Teams. Every last part of the Surface family of devices is designed around creating ease of use and collaboration across Teams and Office software.

For example, every current-generation Surface device uses a screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio—including the new Surface Hub device. This means that graphics and presentations designed on one Surface device will have a consistent design across every other Surface device in the organization. With laptops, screen sizes (and native settings) may vary, which means extra time and effort needs to be spent on getting presentation materials just right (or making graphics that have a responsive design that can shift as needed to fit the right aspect ratio).

The Surface Go takes remote collaboration further than the average laptop by using an LTE Advanced network connection. This allows companies to use cell phone data plans to have their Surface Go-using employees connect to the internet (and thus their Microsoft Teams collaboration tools) from anywhere they can get a cellular signal.

Not only does this LTE network connection improve enterprise mobility by freeing up employees to work from almost anywhere, it removes their dependency on easily-compromised public Wi-Fi hotspots. This, in turn, helps improve security for remote workers.

The benefits of Microsoft Surface for businesses can be summed up as:

\n
• Having a uniform set of performance capabilities for the cost—removing the guesswork from ordering company devices for employees.
\n
• Ease of collaboration thanks to every Surface device having a consistent display ratio (3:2) and built-in compatibility for Microsoft’s business software (Teams, Office 365, etc.).
\n
• Being lightweight and optimized for true enterprise mobility.
\n
• Surface Go devices having LTE network capabilities to allow employees to take their work almost anywhere and have a secure connection.
\n

Are you ready to give your employees a true business collaboration solution? Check out the Microsoft Surface Pro with LTE today! Or, schedule a meeting with one of our experts.

Many people seem to be confused by the Microsoft Surface family of products, asking things like: “Is Surface Go a laptop or a tablet” or, “Is Microsoft Surface Pro better than a traditional laptop?”

To help answer a few of these questions, we thought it would be a good idea to compare the benefits of Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers to answer why a business might want to use Surface devices rather than generic-brand laptops.

\n
1. Cost
\n
2. Form Factor
\n
3. Collaboration Features
\n

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Cost

One of the first comparison points that people make between devices is cost. The cost of a Microsoft Surface product varies based on the specific product—however, at the time of this writing, the base cost of a Microsoft Surface Pro 6 device from the Microsoft store is $899 and a Surface Go is $399. Meanwhile, a low-end computer with the bare-minimum processing power might run ~$300-$400 in price.

On the surface of this price comparison, it looks like the Surface Pro is not as good a deal as a generic laptop. However, there’s more to a mobile computing device than its price. There are things that the Microsoft Surface Pro (and Surface Go) have to offer that a price-comparable laptop won’t.

With laptops, the tech specs you get for the cost can be all over the place depending on the supplier/manufacturer. For example, one high-end $899 laptop might have a dedicated graphics card for processing videos and other graphical data, while another might not. Processor speeds and other features may vary wildly as well. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go have standardized features that make them easy to anticipate and integrate into your business’ processes—no having to guess if a shipment of devices ordered on May 23 will have the same features and capabilities as one ordered on April 23.

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Form Factor

The Microsoft Surface family of products is designed to be ultra-light and easy to handle—even on the go. The Surface Go weighs a paltry 1.17 pounds for the LTE Advanced model that can tap into wireless networks, and the Microsoft Surface Pro weighs in at 1.73 pounds for the i7 model—and these are the heaviest versions of each device.

Compare this to the average laptop, which can weigh anywhere from two to six pounds, depending on the model. Higher-end laptops (the ones that tend to have dedicated graphics cards, improved cooling systems, big screens/keyboards, and other such features) are often heavier than lower-end laptops that are just powerful enough to handle a basic word processor software.

The Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go are designed to be small and light enough to be carried and used anywhere—whether that’s a comfy chair in the user’s living room or a cramped seat on an international flight while they’re preparing for an important business meeting.

Plus, with built-in touchscreen technology and the ability to effortlessly switch between “laptop” and “tablet” modes, the Surface Pro and Go can be used in situations where the bulk of a laptop would be too much—such as reading a book in tablet mode while standing or using touch-screen controls in settings where a mouse would be difficult to use.

Microsoft Surface Pro Vs Laptops: Collaboration Features

One of the biggest points of confusion between Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers is this: Since both platforms run Windows (or at least usually, in the case of laptop PCs), shouldn’t they both be capable of running the same software?

Technically, yes, a laptop should be capable of running Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and other collaboration software on the Windows 10 operating system. However, there’s one major difference—Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go devices are purpose-built for MS Office and Teams. Every last part of the Surface family of devices is designed around creating ease of use and collaboration across Teams and Office software.

For example, every current-generation Surface device uses a screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio—including the new Surface Hub device. This means that graphics and presentations designed on one Surface device will have a consistent design across every other Surface device in the organization. With laptops, screen sizes (and native settings) may vary, which means extra time and effort needs to be spent on getting presentation materials just right (or making graphics that have a responsive design that can shift as needed to fit the right aspect ratio).

The Surface Go takes remote collaboration further than the average laptop by using an LTE Advanced network connection. This allows companies to use cell phone data plans to have their Surface Go-using employees connect to the internet (and thus their Microsoft Teams collaboration tools) from anywhere they can get a cellular signal.

Not only does this LTE network connection improve enterprise mobility by freeing up employees to work from almost anywhere, it removes their dependency on easily-compromised public Wi-Fi hotspots. This, in turn, helps improve security for remote workers.

The benefits of Microsoft Surface for businesses can be summed up as:

\n
• Having a uniform set of performance capabilities for the cost—removing the guesswork from ordering company devices for employees.
\n
• Ease of collaboration thanks to every Surface device having a consistent display ratio (3:2) and built-in compatibility for Microsoft’s business software (Teams, Office 365, etc.).
\n
• Being lightweight and optimized for true enterprise mobility.
\n
• Surface Go devices having LTE network capabilities to allow employees to take their work almost anywhere and have a secure connection.
\n

Are you ready to give your employees a true business collaboration solution? Check out the Microsoft Surface Pro with LTE today! Or, schedule a meeting with one of our experts.

Many people seem to be confused by the Microsoft Surface family of products, asking things like: “Is Surface Go a laptop or a tablet” or, “Is Microsoft Surface Pro better than a traditional laptop?”

To help answer a few of these questions, we thought it would be a good idea to compare the benefits of Microsoft Surface Pro vs laptop computers to answer why a business might want to use Surface devices rather than generic-brand laptops.

\n
1. Cost
\n
2. Form Factor
\n
3. Collaboration Features
\n

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications platform that combines chat, video and audio conferencing, file storage, and app integration in one shared workspace. Why should this matter to you? Improved collaboration means improved office productivity, and Teams is a tool that can help get you there.

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications platform that combines chat, video and audio conferencing, file storage, and app integration in one shared workspace. Why should this matter to you? Improved collaboration means improved office productivity, and Teams is a tool that can help get you there.

In today’s digitally-driven work environment, the impact of technology on productivity is clear — and businesses that don’t leverage the best possible tools to get better work done faster are likely to fall behind the competition. With three out of four employees believing their employers don’t give them access to the latest technology needed to do their job efficiently, it’s time to consider how Microsoft Office productivity tools like Teams can make a change in your business.

By following these Microsoft Teams best practices, you can improve workplace productivity with secure cloud-based devices that enhance collaboration and mobility — all in one place. Here’s how.

Enhance Collaboration.

Microsoft Teams benefits your business by providing a secure place for all team members to create, collaborate, and make decisions as a cohesive unit. Having a hub for teamwork is a best practice for any organization, but it becomes especially vital in today’s modern workforce where remote work and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies are increasingly common.

With built-in Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Teams makes it simple for employees to work better together on files with the ability to add suggestions and make edits simultaneously. With Microsoft Teams task management capabilities, files can be easily shared with decision-makers who can then edit and approve them with a few clicks rather than a lengthy email chain that can be easily missed. These Microsoft Teams best practices for collaboration drastically improve office productivity. When your employees aren’t wasting time searching for a file or working on an out-of-date version, they can focus on actually generating value for your business.

Connect With Cloud-Based Devices.

Microsoft Teams was designed to seamlessly integrate with Office 365 for Business and Microsoft Surface devices. Using Microsoft Surface devices with Office 365 and Teams software will cause your office productivity to skyrocket — even when your employees aren’t physically in the office. How? When Teams and Office 365 are integrated with Teams, these cloud-based services provide:

\n
• Automatic syncing that ensures your files are always in the most up-to-date version, no matter what device you’re accessing them from or where;
\n
• 10 GB of personal cloud storage for each user (and a shared 1 TB for the organization), which can be pulled up from any location or device; and
\n
• Cloud storage that syncs with the user's PC or Mac, enabling offline access.
\n

Additionally, the Microsoft Surface with LTE uses radio frequency communications, similar to that of how cellphones work, to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using Microsoft Office productivity tools, such as the Surface Pro or Teams, to access the internet and any cloud-based apps needed for their work anywhere they can get a cell phone signal. The capabilities of Microsoft teams, especially when used on a cloud-based device like the Surface, enhances productivity and communication from any location or device.

Experience True Mobility.

The impact of technology on productivity is especially noticeable when it comes to mobility. In today’s digitally-driven world, it’s important that your employees are connected wherever they go. Gone are the days where every single employee in your business would be sitting in their desk from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. Instead, modern employees often have a more flexible work schedule. Many will work partially or completely remotely, conduct business meetings off-site, or visit clients’ offices — and they still need to be able to access files, call in for meetings, and communicate with their coworkers while doing so.

One of the major Microsoft Teams benefits is the ability for employees to complete these types of tasks with unmatched mobility. By using Teams, especially on a Microsoft Surface device with LTE connection, efficient communication and access to the necessary files and apps is always available. Seeing as employees who believe their workplace effectively uses mobile tech are more creative, satisfied, and productive at work, this is key for business success.

Improve Security and Compliance.

Business productivity halts when you have to be worried about data security and compliance. When your employees have to jump through hoops to securely save and store files securely, it slows down processes and leaves less time for collaboration. Luckily, Microsoft Office productivity tools like Teams come equipped with security and compliance features to combat this drain on productivity, including:

\n
• Two-factor authentication in its two higher-level tiers (but not included in the free tier);
\n
• Data encryption, both at-rest and in-transit, regardless of tier, which keeps malicious actors from being able to interpret data if stolen;
\n
• Administrative controls in its paid tiers (but not free tier), including: auditing and reporting tools, enforced multi-factor authentication, content restriction options, bot setting controls, data storage policy controls, and the ability to turn Teams on or off for the whole organization; and
\n
• ISO 27001, ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses compliance.
\n

Follow Microsoft Teams Best Practices With Protected Trust

If collaboration and mobility are areas where you feel your business currently has productivity gaps, Microsoft Teams can help you close them. By following the Microsoft Teams best practices we’ve outlined, you’ll be well on your way to increased efficiency.

At Protected Trust, we can help your business amplify the positive impact of technology on productivity. Our vision of a modern digital workplace is built on an ecosystem of Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 platform, with the goal of simplifying technology while empowering people to communicate.

By leveraging the right Microsoft Office productivity tools for your needs, you can see increased productivity that drives revenue and a higher ROI. Are you ready to get started? Reach out to our team of experts today and schedule an introductory meeting!

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications platform that combines chat, video and audio conferencing, file storage, and app integration in one shared workspace. Why should this matter to you? Improved collaboration means improved office productivity, and Teams is a tool that can help get you there.

In today’s digitally-driven work environment, the impact of technology on productivity is clear — and businesses that don’t leverage the best possible tools to get better work done faster are likely to fall behind the competition. With three out of four employees believing their employers don’t give them access to the latest technology needed to do their job efficiently, it’s time to consider how Microsoft Office productivity tools like Teams can make a change in your business.

By following these Microsoft Teams best practices, you can improve workplace productivity with secure cloud-based devices that enhance collaboration and mobility — all in one place. Here’s how.

Enhance Collaboration.

Microsoft Teams benefits your business by providing a secure place for all team members to create, collaborate, and make decisions as a cohesive unit. Having a hub for teamwork is a best practice for any organization, but it becomes especially vital in today’s modern workforce where remote work and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies are increasingly common.

With built-in Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Teams makes it simple for employees to work better together on files with the ability to add suggestions and make edits simultaneously. With Microsoft Teams task management capabilities, files can be easily shared with decision-makers who can then edit and approve them with a few clicks rather than a lengthy email chain that can be easily missed. These Microsoft Teams best practices for collaboration drastically improve office productivity. When your employees aren’t wasting time searching for a file or working on an out-of-date version, they can focus on actually generating value for your business.

Connect With Cloud-Based Devices.

Microsoft Teams was designed to seamlessly integrate with Office 365 for Business and Microsoft Surface devices. Using Microsoft Surface devices with Office 365 and Teams software will cause your office productivity to skyrocket — even when your employees aren’t physically in the office. How? When Teams and Office 365 are integrated with Teams, these cloud-based services provide:

\n
• Automatic syncing that ensures your files are always in the most up-to-date version, no matter what device you’re accessing them from or where;
\n
• 10 GB of personal cloud storage for each user (and a shared 1 TB for the organization), which can be pulled up from any location or device; and
\n
• Cloud storage that syncs with the user's PC or Mac, enabling offline access.
\n

Additionally, the Microsoft Surface with LTE uses radio frequency communications, similar to that of how cellphones work, to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using Microsoft Office productivity tools, such as the Surface Pro or Teams, to access the internet and any cloud-based apps needed for their work anywhere they can get a cell phone signal. The capabilities of Microsoft teams, especially when used on a cloud-based device like the Surface, enhances productivity and communication from any location or device.

Experience True Mobility.

The impact of technology on productivity is especially noticeable when it comes to mobility. In today’s digitally-driven world, it’s important that your employees are connected wherever they go. Gone are the days where every single employee in your business would be sitting in their desk from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. Instead, modern employees often have a more flexible work schedule. Many will work partially or completely remotely, conduct business meetings off-site, or visit clients’ offices — and they still need to be able to access files, call in for meetings, and communicate with their coworkers while doing so.

One of the major Microsoft Teams benefits is the ability for employees to complete these types of tasks with unmatched mobility. By using Teams, especially on a Microsoft Surface device with LTE connection, efficient communication and access to the necessary files and apps is always available. Seeing as employees who believe their workplace effectively uses mobile tech are more creative, satisfied, and productive at work, this is key for business success.

Improve Security and Compliance.

Business productivity halts when you have to be worried about data security and compliance. When your employees have to jump through hoops to securely save and store files securely, it slows down processes and leaves less time for collaboration. Luckily, Microsoft Office productivity tools like Teams come equipped with security and compliance features to combat this drain on productivity, including:

\n
• Two-factor authentication in its two higher-level tiers (but not included in the free tier);
\n
• Data encryption, both at-rest and in-transit, regardless of tier, which keeps malicious actors from being able to interpret data if stolen;
\n
• Administrative controls in its paid tiers (but not free tier), including: auditing and reporting tools, enforced multi-factor authentication, content restriction options, bot setting controls, data storage policy controls, and the ability to turn Teams on or off for the whole organization; and
\n
• ISO 27001, ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses compliance.
\n

Follow Microsoft Teams Best Practices With Protected Trust

If collaboration and mobility are areas where you feel your business currently has productivity gaps, Microsoft Teams can help you close them. By following the Microsoft Teams best practices we’ve outlined, you’ll be well on your way to increased efficiency.

At Protected Trust, we can help your business amplify the positive impact of technology on productivity. Our vision of a modern digital workplace is built on an ecosystem of Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 platform, with the goal of simplifying technology while empowering people to communicate.

By leveraging the right Microsoft Office productivity tools for your needs, you can see increased productivity that drives revenue and a higher ROI. Are you ready to get started? Reach out to our team of experts today and schedule an introductory meeting!

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications platform that combines chat, video and audio conferencing, file storage, and app integration in one shared workspace. Why should this matter to you? Improved collaboration means improved office productivity, and Teams is a tool that can help get you there.

Enterprise mobility (or business mobility) is a term that is often applied to remote working technology and business practices that allows employees to conduct work from outside of a traditional office setting. This is used in work from home programs and touted as an employee perk—though businesses enjoy numerous benefits as well, such as:

Enterprise mobility (or business mobility) is a term that is often applied to remote working technology and business practices that allows employees to conduct work from outside of a traditional office setting. This is used in work from home programs and touted as an employee perk—though businesses enjoy numerous benefits as well, such as:

\n
• Being able to tap into talent resources that aren’t local to their office’s location.
\n
• Increased productivity—as noted in a study cited by Inc.com, companies with a work from home program, “Showed an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day's work.”
\n
• Reduced overhead for office space—companies can add more workers without needing more floor space to accommodate them.
\n

However, managing remote employees effectively requires having the right remote working technology. If employees cannot consistently access vital workplace resources and collaboration tools, then they cannot be productive in a remote office setup.

One powerful tool for remote employees is the Microsoft Surface Pro mobile computing device. Microsoft Surface mobility tools enable employees to connect to cloud-based collaboration tools from virtually anywhere they can get a cellphone signal, thanks to their LTE capabilities.

How does Microsoft Surface with LTE empower remote employees to be more productive? Here are a few of the benefits of Microsoft Surface mobility for remote work environments:

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #1: Business LTE Connections

One of the biggest obstacles to business mobility is the need for a stable high-speed internet connection. If the employee’s access to the internet is intermittent or plagued with slow upload/download speeds, it will affect their ability to work efficiently. However, not every employee will have high-speed internet at home—or they may have to work from remote locations, such as a client’s office or a construction site (depending on industry and job role).

The Microsoft Surface with LTE helps solve this problem by using radio frequency communications (similar to how cellphones work) to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using Microsoft business on the go tools, such as the Surface Pro, to access the internet (and thus any cloud-based apps needed for their work) from anywhere they can get a cellphone signal.

Visit the store to see more specifications.

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #2: Combining Multiple Functions in One Device

As noted by BIOS Technologies, “As our devices become more and more an extension of our desks, the ability to seamlessly work in any setting is critical” and that, “With multiple devices, the experience was far too disjointed and sapped productivity.”

Switching between multiple devices for tasks can be a pain to deal with. While having a second screen to display information is handy for allowing users to look at a resource while typing information on their primary screen, having to constantly switch from a smartphone, to a tablet, to a laptop and/or desktop that all have separate sleep timers and passcode entries is a significant source of frustration. When trying to work remotely with a non-LTE device, the smartphone is often used as a mobile hotspot, which requires the employee to carefully monitor their internet use—lest they exceed their monthly hotspot data limit and start accruing penalties.

Because the Surface Pro has LTE capabilities built in, there’s no need to rely on a cellphone’s mobile hotspot (and carefully monitor the data usage). Additionally, the Surface is built for use with Microsoft business on the go apps (such as Microsoft Teams), that can provide text-based communication and collaboration tools—or full-on videoconferencing using the Surface Pro’s built-in cameras.

As a combination of tablet and laptop computer, the Microsoft Surface Pro can be easily switched between being used for classic Office apps (such as Word and Excel) and for tablet or smartphone-oriented apps such as e-readers as necessary (or based on the user’s preference). This allows employees to use their remote working technology in the manner that best suits their needs or preferences at the time—which can enhance employee productivity.

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #3: Secure Business Mobility

Every business considering using a business mobility strategy needs to account for security in a remote work environment. Many remote employees who do not have an LTE-capable device may decide to use unsecured public Wi-Fi connections simply because they’re available. This is not an optimal solution, as it exposes the business to risk.

For example, when connected to public Wi-Fi networks, how is the employee ensuring that the connection they’re making is a legitimate network and not a malicious one posing as a public network? Just because the access point in the network list is called “ST*RB*CKS_001” doesn’t mean that it’s really the access point owned and operated by the coffee company. It could be a hacker spoofing the network’s identity to trick people into connecting with it as part of a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack. An employee connecting to such a fake network would have their data routed through the attacker’s system, which would then copy everything before forwarding it to the actual Wi-Fi network.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE capabilities (and the Microsoft Teams collaboration software suite) can thwart these “man-in-the-middle” attacks in two ways:

\n
1. By Skipping Local Wi-Fi Networks Entirely. A MITM attack cannot hijack a connection between remote workers and the local Wi-Fi router if employees aren’t using Wi-Fi in the first place. By connecting to cell networks via LTE, Microsoft Surface Pro mobile devices can avoid Wi-Fi interceptions entirely.
\n
2. Encrypting Data in Transit. Another way to keep MITM attacks from causing compromise is by encrypting data so that attackers cannot use whatever information they intercept. Microsoft Teams automatically encrypts data-at-rest and data-in-flight—which frustrates attackers.
\n

By allowing employees to connect to mission-critical business apps and databases from virtually anywhere with a cell signal, work in whichever mode (laptop or tablet) is the most comfortable to them, and providing secure access to the internet, Microsoft’s Surface with LTE makes remote workers more productive and easy to manage.

Want to learn more about how to manage remote employees with Microsoft Surface? Is Microsoft Teams right for your business? Subscribe to the Protected Trust blog for more information and updates or schedule a meeting to learn more.

Enterprise mobility (or business mobility) is a term that is often applied to remote working technology and business practices that allows employees to conduct work from outside of a traditional office setting. This is used in work from home programs and touted as an employee perk—though businesses enjoy numerous benefits as well, such as:

\n
• Being able to tap into talent resources that aren’t local to their office’s location.
\n
• Increased productivity—as noted in a study cited by Inc.com, companies with a work from home program, “Showed an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day's work.”
\n
• Reduced overhead for office space—companies can add more workers without needing more floor space to accommodate them.
\n

However, managing remote employees effectively requires having the right remote working technology. If employees cannot consistently access vital workplace resources and collaboration tools, then they cannot be productive in a remote office setup.

One powerful tool for remote employees is the Microsoft Surface Pro mobile computing device. Microsoft Surface mobility tools enable employees to connect to cloud-based collaboration tools from virtually anywhere they can get a cellphone signal, thanks to their LTE capabilities.

How does Microsoft Surface with LTE empower remote employees to be more productive? Here are a few of the benefits of Microsoft Surface mobility for remote work environments:

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #1: Business LTE Connections

One of the biggest obstacles to business mobility is the need for a stable high-speed internet connection. If the employee’s access to the internet is intermittent or plagued with slow upload/download speeds, it will affect their ability to work efficiently. However, not every employee will have high-speed internet at home—or they may have to work from remote locations, such as a client’s office or a construction site (depending on industry and job role).

The Microsoft Surface with LTE helps solve this problem by using radio frequency communications (similar to how cellphones work) to connect to an LTE network tower. This allows remote employees using Microsoft business on the go tools, such as the Surface Pro, to access the internet (and thus any cloud-based apps needed for their work) from anywhere they can get a cellphone signal.

Visit the store to see more specifications.

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #2: Combining Multiple Functions in One Device

As noted by BIOS Technologies, “As our devices become more and more an extension of our desks, the ability to seamlessly work in any setting is critical” and that, “With multiple devices, the experience was far too disjointed and sapped productivity.”

Switching between multiple devices for tasks can be a pain to deal with. While having a second screen to display information is handy for allowing users to look at a resource while typing information on their primary screen, having to constantly switch from a smartphone, to a tablet, to a laptop and/or desktop that all have separate sleep timers and passcode entries is a significant source of frustration. When trying to work remotely with a non-LTE device, the smartphone is often used as a mobile hotspot, which requires the employee to carefully monitor their internet use—lest they exceed their monthly hotspot data limit and start accruing penalties.

Because the Surface Pro has LTE capabilities built in, there’s no need to rely on a cellphone’s mobile hotspot (and carefully monitor the data usage). Additionally, the Surface is built for use with Microsoft business on the go apps (such as Microsoft Teams), that can provide text-based communication and collaboration tools—or full-on videoconferencing using the Surface Pro’s built-in cameras.

As a combination of tablet and laptop computer, the Microsoft Surface Pro can be easily switched between being used for classic Office apps (such as Word and Excel) and for tablet or smartphone-oriented apps such as e-readers as necessary (or based on the user’s preference). This allows employees to use their remote working technology in the manner that best suits their needs or preferences at the time—which can enhance employee productivity.

Microsoft Surface Mobility Benefit #3: Secure Business Mobility

Every business considering using a business mobility strategy needs to account for security in a remote work environment. Many remote employees who do not have an LTE-capable device may decide to use unsecured public Wi-Fi connections simply because they’re available. This is not an optimal solution, as it exposes the business to risk.

For example, when connected to public Wi-Fi networks, how is the employee ensuring that the connection they’re making is a legitimate network and not a malicious one posing as a public network? Just because the access point in the network list is called “ST*RB*CKS_001” doesn’t mean that it’s really the access point owned and operated by the coffee company. It could be a hacker spoofing the network’s identity to trick people into connecting with it as part of a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack. An employee connecting to such a fake network would have their data routed through the attacker’s system, which would then copy everything before forwarding it to the actual Wi-Fi network.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE capabilities (and the Microsoft Teams collaboration software suite) can thwart these “man-in-the-middle” attacks in two ways:

\n
1. By Skipping Local Wi-Fi Networks Entirely. A MITM attack cannot hijack a connection between remote workers and the local Wi-Fi router if employees aren’t using Wi-Fi in the first place. By connecting to cell networks via LTE, Microsoft Surface Pro mobile devices can avoid Wi-Fi interceptions entirely.
\n
2. Encrypting Data in Transit. Another way to keep MITM attacks from causing compromise is by encrypting data so that attackers cannot use whatever information they intercept. Microsoft Teams automatically encrypts data-at-rest and data-in-flight—which frustrates attackers.
\n

By allowing employees to connect to mission-critical business apps and databases from virtually anywhere with a cell signal, work in whichever mode (laptop or tablet) is the most comfortable to them, and providing secure access to the internet, Microsoft’s Surface with LTE makes remote workers more productive and easy to manage.

Want to learn more about how to manage remote employees with Microsoft Surface? Is Microsoft Teams right for your business? Subscribe to the Protected Trust blog for more information and updates or schedule a meeting to learn more.

Enterprise mobility (or business mobility) is a term that is often applied to remote working technology and business practices that allows employees to conduct work from outside of a traditional office setting. This is used in work from home programs and touted as an employee perk—though businesses enjoy numerous benefits as well, such as:

With the rising popularity of “work from home” policies, businesses have a growing need for effective collaboration tools that make it easy to coordinate work from anywhere. This has given rise to a new industry of business communication and collaboration tools with two leaders: Slack and Microsoft Teams.

With the rising popularity of “work from home” policies, businesses have a growing need for effective collaboration tools that make it easy to coordinate work from anywhere. This has given rise to a new industry of business communication and collaboration tools with two leaders: Slack and Microsoft Teams.

These two competing products are at the pinnacle of the business communication and collaboration tool market. This naturally leads to comparisons and Google searches like, “Which is better Slack vs Microsoft Teams” or, “What is Microsoft Teams vs Slack?”

So, which of these two tools is the best business communication solution for your business? Let’s take a look at some of the Microsoft Teams features vs Slack to see which one provides the performance and convenience your team needs.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Cost Comparison

One of the first things that most companies check when comparing Slack vs Microsoft Teams collaboration software is the price.

If you go to the Slack pricing page, you’ll find that the platform has three pricing tiers: Free, Standard, and Plus. As of April 12, 2019, the prices for each are:

\n
• Free. $0;
\n
• Standard. $6.67/month per user if billed annually ($8 on a month-to-month plan); and
\n
• Plus. $12.50/month per user if billed annually ($15 on a month-to-month plan).
\n

Compare this to the Microsoft Teams app, which also uses three tiers that are each billed annually: Free, Office 365 Business Premium, and Office 365 Enterprise E3. As of April 12, 2019, the costs for each tier are:

\n
• Free. $0, limited to 300 users;
\n
• Office 365 Business Premium. $12.50 per user per month, limited to 300 users; and
\n
• Office 365 Enterprise E3. $20.00 per user per month, unlimited users.
\n

In a pure cost comparison, Slack appears to be the more attractive option for each paid tier of service. However, the Office 365 subscription tiers for Microsoft Teams collaboration software include access to the desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. If you’re already using any of these applications, you can enjoy the convenience of having an all-in-one vendor for your business communication and collaboration software rather than having to keep track of two (or more) different vendors.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Collaboration Tools Comparison

While cost is always a factor when comparing collaboration platforms, it’s also important to consider what specific collaboration tools each platform offers. Here’s a comparison of Slack vs Microsoft Teams collaboration tools:

\n
• Calls/Audio Conferencing Solutions. At the “free” tier, Slack allows for one-on-one voice and video calls, but lacks screen sharing features. Both of the subsequent tiers enable up to 15 people to video conference and screen share for easier collaboration. Teams, on the other hand, allows both one-to-one and group online audio and video calls at all tiers (with screen sharing), with options for additional audio conferencing add-ons.
  
  
\n
• Online Document Collaboration. Microsoft Teams task management enables easy sharing and editing of files with PowerPoint, Word, OneNote, and Excel included in the online app at all levels. Slack integrates with other tools, requiring extra setup—the free version is limited to a total of 10 integrations, while the other tiers enable unlimited integrations. Slack’s integrations may or may not enable simultaneous editing of documents, depending on the integrated software in question.
  
  
\n
• Message Logs. One of the primary collaboration tools offered by Slack and Microsoft Teams is the “team chat.” This chat log lets users share updates with their teams, send links and files to specific team members, or check on the status of specific team members. On Slack, teams are restricted to having a set number of messages “remembered” by the platform (10K), unless they’re on a paid plan. Microsoft Teams, offers unlimited messages at all tiers.
  
  
\n
• Data Storage. Part of collaboration is being able to quickly and easily share critical files with coworkers. Both Slack and the Microsoft Teams desktop app give their users some storage space to upload and share files. For Slack, the limit changes for each tier. At the free tier, storage space is limited to 5 GB total—the Standard and Plus tiers each up this to 10 GB per team member and 20 GB per team member. Meanwhile, Microsoft Teams offers 10 GB of shared storage and 2 GB of storage for each user on its free tier—both of the other tiers provide 1 TB (or 1,000 GB) for the organization and an addition 10 GB of space for each license.
\n

So, if a company had 50 employees, Slack would provide a total of 1,000 GB of space and Microsoft Teams would provide 1,500 GB of space (1 TB shared and 10 GB additional space per employee)—at 100 employees, both solutions provide the same total storage at the top tier (2 TB). In the Microsoft Teams vs Slack comparison, Teams beats Slack for storage space at all levels for organizations with under 100 employees.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Comparing Security & Compliance

Security is an enormous issue for any organization. Data breaches and leaks of sensitive information can cost an average of 3.86 million dollars, according to the 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study by Ponemon and IBM. So, any business communication and collaboration software you use needs to be as secure as possible.

Microsoft Teams and Slack both offer increasing levels of security with each tier of their respective platforms. Here’s a list of some of the security measures used by each platform:

\n
• Two-Factor Authentication. This is built into all tiers of Slack. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, does not include it in the free tier, but offers it on both of the other tiers.
  
  
\n
• Data Encryption. Microsoft Teams encrypts both data-at-rest and data-in-transit regardless of tier, keeping malicious actors from being able to interpret stolen data. Slack’s pricing page does not specify that it uses encryption, but other sources, such as PCMag.com, do note that, “Microsoft Teams and Slack both encrypt data, messages, and files.”
  
  
\n
• Administrator Controls. Slack does not provide any administration controls on its free tier, while the standard tier offers custom user groups, and the plus tier provides user provisioning/deprovisioning and real-time active directory sync with OneLogin, Okta, and Ping. Teams’ free tier is similarly lacking in administration controls. However, the paid tiers both add a wealth of administrator options, including:
\n
\n
• Auditing and reporting tools;
\n
• Enforced multifactor authentication;
\n
• Content restriction options;
\n
• Bot setting controls;
\n
• Data storage policy controls; and
\n
• The ability to turn Teams on or off for the whole organization.
\n
\n

As noted in the PCMag.com article, “Microsoft Teams and Slack are ISO 27001-compliant, but Microsoft adds a heap of other security and compliance certifications for Microsoft Teams, including ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses (EUMC).” So, in the security comparison for Slack vs Microsoft Teams, Teams comes out ahead.

To sum up the comparison between Slack and Microsoft Teams, here’s a table:

All in all, Microsoft Teams outperforms Slack as a business tool, providing more built-in collaboration tools, better security, and more storage—which may be well worth the higher price point for many organizations. In fact, simply being bundled with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote in the free version of the tool (and adding OneDrive, SharePoint, Planner, Yammer, and other 365 services in the paid versions) may more than equalize the cost differences between the two platforms.

Want to learn more about Microsoft Teams and how you can leverage it (and other business collaboration tools) to improve your organization’s efficiency? Schedule a call with the Protected Trust team.

With the rising popularity of “work from home” policies, businesses have a growing need for effective collaboration tools that make it easy to coordinate work from anywhere. This has given rise to a new industry of business communication and collaboration tools with two leaders: Slack and Microsoft Teams.

These two competing products are at the pinnacle of the business communication and collaboration tool market. This naturally leads to comparisons and Google searches like, “Which is better Slack vs Microsoft Teams” or, “What is Microsoft Teams vs Slack?”

So, which of these two tools is the best business communication solution for your business? Let’s take a look at some of the Microsoft Teams features vs Slack to see which one provides the performance and convenience your team needs.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Cost Comparison

One of the first things that most companies check when comparing Slack vs Microsoft Teams collaboration software is the price.

If you go to the Slack pricing page, you’ll find that the platform has three pricing tiers: Free, Standard, and Plus. As of April 12, 2019, the prices for each are:

\n
• Free. $0;
\n
• Standard. $6.67/month per user if billed annually ($8 on a month-to-month plan); and
\n
• Plus. $12.50/month per user if billed annually ($15 on a month-to-month plan).
\n

Compare this to the Microsoft Teams app, which also uses three tiers that are each billed annually: Free, Office 365 Business Premium, and Office 365 Enterprise E3. As of April 12, 2019, the costs for each tier are:

\n
• Free. $0, limited to 300 users;
\n
• Office 365 Business Premium. $12.50 per user per month, limited to 300 users; and
\n
• Office 365 Enterprise E3. $20.00 per user per month, unlimited users.
\n

In a pure cost comparison, Slack appears to be the more attractive option for each paid tier of service. However, the Office 365 subscription tiers for Microsoft Teams collaboration software include access to the desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. If you’re already using any of these applications, you can enjoy the convenience of having an all-in-one vendor for your business communication and collaboration software rather than having to keep track of two (or more) different vendors.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Collaboration Tools Comparison

While cost is always a factor when comparing collaboration platforms, it’s also important to consider what specific collaboration tools each platform offers. Here’s a comparison of Slack vs Microsoft Teams collaboration tools:

\n
• Calls/Audio Conferencing Solutions. At the “free” tier, Slack allows for one-on-one voice and video calls, but lacks screen sharing features. Both of the subsequent tiers enable up to 15 people to video conference and screen share for easier collaboration. Teams, on the other hand, allows both one-to-one and group online audio and video calls at all tiers (with screen sharing), with options for additional audio conferencing add-ons.
  
  
\n
• Online Document Collaboration. Microsoft Teams task management enables easy sharing and editing of files with PowerPoint, Word, OneNote, and Excel included in the online app at all levels. Slack integrates with other tools, requiring extra setup—the free version is limited to a total of 10 integrations, while the other tiers enable unlimited integrations. Slack’s integrations may or may not enable simultaneous editing of documents, depending on the integrated software in question.
  
  
\n
• Message Logs. One of the primary collaboration tools offered by Slack and Microsoft Teams is the “team chat.” This chat log lets users share updates with their teams, send links and files to specific team members, or check on the status of specific team members. On Slack, teams are restricted to having a set number of messages “remembered” by the platform (10K), unless they’re on a paid plan. Microsoft Teams, offers unlimited messages at all tiers.
  
  
\n
• Data Storage. Part of collaboration is being able to quickly and easily share critical files with coworkers. Both Slack and the Microsoft Teams desktop app give their users some storage space to upload and share files. For Slack, the limit changes for each tier. At the free tier, storage space is limited to 5 GB total—the Standard and Plus tiers each up this to 10 GB per team member and 20 GB per team member. Meanwhile, Microsoft Teams offers 10 GB of shared storage and 2 GB of storage for each user on its free tier—both of the other tiers provide 1 TB (or 1,000 GB) for the organization and an addition 10 GB of space for each license.
\n

So, if a company had 50 employees, Slack would provide a total of 1,000 GB of space and Microsoft Teams would provide 1,500 GB of space (1 TB shared and 10 GB additional space per employee)—at 100 employees, both solutions provide the same total storage at the top tier (2 TB). In the Microsoft Teams vs Slack comparison, Teams beats Slack for storage space at all levels for organizations with under 100 employees.

Microsoft Teams Vs Slack: Comparing Security & Compliance

Security is an enormous issue for any organization. Data breaches and leaks of sensitive information can cost an average of 3.86 million dollars, according to the 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study by Ponemon and IBM. So, any business communication and collaboration software you use needs to be as secure as possible.

Microsoft Teams and Slack both offer increasing levels of security with each tier of their respective platforms. Here’s a list of some of the security measures used by each platform:

\n
• Two-Factor Authentication. This is built into all tiers of Slack. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, does not include it in the free tier, but offers it on both of the other tiers.
  
  
\n
• Data Encryption. Microsoft Teams encrypts both data-at-rest and data-in-transit regardless of tier, keeping malicious actors from being able to interpret stolen data. Slack’s pricing page does not specify that it uses encryption, but other sources, such as PCMag.com, do note that, “Microsoft Teams and Slack both encrypt data, messages, and files.”
  
  
\n
• Administrator Controls. Slack does not provide any administration controls on its free tier, while the standard tier offers custom user groups, and the plus tier provides user provisioning/deprovisioning and real-time active directory sync with OneLogin, Okta, and Ping. Teams’ free tier is similarly lacking in administration controls. However, the paid tiers both add a wealth of administrator options, including:
\n
\n
• Auditing and reporting tools;
\n
• Enforced multifactor authentication;
\n
• Content restriction options;
\n
• Bot setting controls;
\n
• Data storage policy controls; and
\n
• The ability to turn Teams on or off for the whole organization.
\n
\n

As noted in the PCMag.com article, “Microsoft Teams and Slack are ISO 27001-compliant, but Microsoft adds a heap of other security and compliance certifications for Microsoft Teams, including ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses (EUMC).” So, in the security comparison for Slack vs Microsoft Teams, Teams comes out ahead.

To sum up the comparison between Slack and Microsoft Teams, here’s a table:

All in all, Microsoft Teams outperforms Slack as a business tool, providing more built-in collaboration tools, better security, and more storage—which may be well worth the higher price point for many organizations. In fact, simply being bundled with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote in the free version of the tool (and adding OneDrive, SharePoint, Planner, Yammer, and other 365 services in the paid versions) may more than equalize the cost differences between the two platforms.

Want to learn more about Microsoft Teams and how you can leverage it (and other business collaboration tools) to improve your organization’s efficiency? Schedule a call with the Protected Trust team.

With the rising popularity of “work from home” policies, businesses have a growing need for effective collaboration tools that make it easy to coordinate work from anywhere. This has given rise to a new industry of business communication and collaboration tools with two leaders: Slack and Microsoft Teams.