Cloud tools set up for hybrid weeks

Why it matters here

Decatur is an easy place to work from more than one spot. MARTA stops at Decatur, East Lake and Avondale, the Square is full of coffee shops, and many staff live a short drive away in Kirkwood, Tucker or Druid Hills. A lot of offices now run hybrid weeks. A counselor might see clients in person on Tuesday and by video from home on Thursday. A nonprofit's program staff may spend more time in the community than at a desk. That only works when email, files and business apps are reachable from anywhere, and still protected.

Microsoft 365, done properly

Microsoft 365 can replace a file server, a VPN, a phone system and several separate tools. Out of the box, though, it leaves too much open and too little organized. We handle:

• Email and calendars. Exchange Online with spam and phishing protection, shared mailboxes for intake, billing or donations, and the DNS records (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) that make your domain harder to spoof.
• Files. SharePoint and Teams organized by program, team or client group, with permissions that match how you work. OneDrive for personal working files. No more single shared drive that everyone can open.
• Sign-in security. Multifactor sign-in, conditional access rules that block risky logins, and old login methods switched off.
• Device management. Intune enrollment for work laptops and phones, so a new machine configures itself out of the box, work data stays encrypted and a lost laptop can be wiped from afar.
• Licensing. Each person gets the plan that matches their role. Plenty of small offices pay for features nobody uses, while others lack the security features they actually need.
• Teams. Chat and video meetings, and Teams Phone if your old desk phones are due for retirement.

Nonprofit pricing, checked carefully

Microsoft offers nonprofit pricing on Microsoft 365, and Google does the same for Workspace. The terms have changed more than once in recent years. We confirm what your organization qualifies for today, apply it correctly and plan licenses so a grant cycle ending doesn't leave you scrambling. Where volunteers need access, we set up limited accounts that can be shut off cleanly when they move on.

Practices and client data

For counseling and medical offices, Microsoft 365 can be configured to support HIPAA, but it isn't compliant by default. Microsoft includes a business associate agreement in its terms for covered services. We turn on the controls that matter: encryption for messages that carry client information, retention settings, audit logging and data loss prevention rules that flag a diagnosis or Social Security number sent in plain email. We also make sure the telehealth and records tools you use connect safely and that staff aren't saving client notes to personal accounts.

Retiring the server in the back room

Some Decatur offices still run an old server that holds shared files and logins. It lives in a closet that gets warm in summer, its warranty is long gone, and if it fails nobody can work. Shifting the files into SharePoint and the user accounts into Microsoft Entra ID means one closet box no longer holds the whole office hostage. Not every app belongs in the cloud. Some records, accounting or case management systems run best on a hosted server or the vendor's own cloud. We look at each one, talk to the vendor and recommend the best home.

The connection matters more now

After a cloud move, a dead internet line stops work just as surely as a dead server used to. In multi-tenant buildings, the connection is sometimes shared or controlled by the landlord. We check what is available at your address, separate your traffic from the neighbors and, where downtime would really hurt, add a second connection or cellular backup.

After the move

Microsoft changes features and settings all the time. We watch for changes that affect you, review sign-in alerts, handle new staff and departures and adjust licenses as you grow. New staff start with a configured laptop and exactly the access their job calls for.

Questions about microsoft 365