If you are Small or Medium size businesses and have busy field employees that travel and will need a secured access to their files and at the same time collaborate with his Team, here’s a good read for you. I have been given an opportunity to publish this Article in the http://blogs.msdn.com site.
Whether you are a small or medium business, complex environment or perhaps requires project management and looking for a solution that’s not complicated to use in a daily basis and needs integration with multi-device, multi-platform and companion apps, Microsoft Office 365 will be best suited. This is the same Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Publisher) as if it was installed in your computer but has more useful programs, apps and features – i.e. online conferencing, public website, cloud storage and you can access Office 365 from any devices (PC, Laptop, Mac and Smart) virtually as long as you have internet connection.
Microsoft Office 365 is a cloud solution and comes together with powerful capabilities all in a single package. The best part, you don’t have to worry about updating the software; you’ll get the Office 365 automatic updates, maintenance and 24/7 technical support as long as you keep your subscription from Microsoft up-to-date.
Productivity – You can get a lot more done and able to access your work files virtually anywhere and whatever device you are using. You may use Office 365 to share and edit files at the same time with anyone in your office or team so that everybody can be productive.
Collaboration – Is Teamwork vital in your business environment? Are you a traveler or a remote employee that requires retrieving your work files in real-time and doing collaboration with your co-workers? The All-in-One package has everything you’ll need – email, files sharing, calendars sharing, IM and web conferencing for you and your team.
Compatibility – You don’t have to worry on what devices or Operating Systems you’ll have to use or implement in a near future, it will run in all Windows Operating Systems-Clients (except XP and older versions) and Servers (except 2003 and older versions) . Mac Users will also benefit from Office 365 as there are Apps available.
Integration – Office 365 integrates well with a variety of devices by simply installing the Apps for Mac, Windows and other Smart Devices with full access to your corporate files.
Convenient – Install the Office 365 Apps and carry the device in your pocket or purse whether it’s a smart phone or a Tablet. Dealing with daily work tasks and conveniently accessible for an employee is vital for business.
Security – If you are concerned about privacy and security, Office 365 is highly encrypted and rest assured that your email and documents will be virtually protected.
Cloud Storage – Afraid to lose your files? It’s safe to store confidential files using cloud storage and not to worry that next day or anytime that your computer would crash. If in the event that this happened, since your files are stored in the cloud, simply use another computer, log on to your business profile and continue to work on your files stress-free.
Easy Migration and Implementation – Office 365 can be effectively implemented without complications. Easy transition from a traditional Microsoft Office to the modern and sophisticated Microsoft Office with limited downtime.
Cost Effective – There’s no need to hire an IT person to manage the File Servers and purchasing costly hardware File Servers, it’s all taken care of in a single administration, cost-effective and will give you a Return on Investment (ROI).
Other great features – Having your own mail server can be daunting and expensive, Office 365 comes with Exchange Online and SharePoint Online if you’ll need collaboration with your team.
I use Office 365 and I really like the integration with all my devices – Windows 8 desktop, Windows 8.1 laptop, Windows 8 Phone and Surface 2 and also with other Microsoft Products that I’m currently using as I can manage all my work files anytime and virtually anywhere across the globe and you can’t go wrong with that. Although we host our Exchange Server, there’s no interruption neither any conflicts running Office 365 from my own experience. Find out if Office 365 is the right solution for your business, see the different options here.
It is astonishing to know how many people do not password-protect their mobile devices for both business and personal use. There are more than 40% of mobile device users that are not using any passwords or security applications. If your mobile device is lost or stolen and it’s not password protected, your accounts and personal information is 100% accessible. I wonder if users realize how vulnerable they are if their mobile devices (Smart Phones or Tablets) are stolen or misplaced. Cyber criminals are looking for weaknesses especially on Android platforms. My device is a Windows 8 business mobile phone pre-loaded with Microsoft Office, Banking, Public and Work Email Accounts, Cloud Storage (SkyDrive), Banking, Credit Card and Payment Apps requiring a log on. The thought of this information getting into the wrong hands is bothersome and the impact would be devastating.
Mobile theft is a growing issue that also affects businesses and consumers equally. Cell-phone theft in major cities (i.e. San Francisco, New York) has become a national crime epidemic. It will only take a few minutes for someone to steal all sensitive data stored in your mobile device which will be unfortunate and upsetting. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or it is now referred to Bring Your Own Disaster or/and Bring Your Own Apps – Smartphones and Tablets are growing, make sure that security protocols are enforced to protect corporate data on all devices. Please read my BYOD Article here for best practices.
To prevent potentially embarrassing information falling into the wrong hands, don’t keep private information stored directly on your personal or business phone but store private information, photos or documents remotely or via cloud. Sometimes, storing data via cloud is neither viable option but it is convenient to most of us. It is still a good practice to store files locally and have them on hand in the event you can’t connect to the cloud for any reasons. If that’s the case, the precautionary step you might want to consider is enabling a password lock. Every mobile OS has a password lock feature such as iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows, Android platforms that will allow you to set a PIN password or a more complex alphanumeric pass-code for the lock screen.
Best Practices to Protect/Secure Your Mobile Devices and Control Theft Epidemic:
With a myriad of mobile devices being used on a variety of new platforms (Android, Windows 8, iOS 6, etc.) – IT Professionals are beginning to raise concerns on how to manage and secure these devices. With more of the device processing occurring outside the company, these concerns are critical. What if an employee handed their company phone to another employee? In today’s environment, this second employee could take advantage of the situation and use the phone for non-approved activities. This could create significant employment issues for the first employee. On another level, there’s the potential threat from mobile malware that’s becoming more prevalent.
Some businesses are seeing Employees bringing their own Droids, iPhones, iPads, and other Tablets to work and using them for personal and business purposes. While this may generate the perception that it’s e great for productivity, the invasion of personal smartphones and tablets in the workplace can cause a significant risk to your organization’s security. Without having a proper strategy you could be at risk.
When employees are given carte blanche on the corporate network with their mobile devices (installing Apps and use of Cloud storage), there is a significant potential for corporate data loss. Any time a phone is lost, stolen, or even simply sold or exchanged, the potential for compromising of data may occur. This can be prevented by implementing encryption, password restriction, and remote wipe and lock thru a Mail Server.
It’s vital for IT Professional to secure access to corporate data. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or personal and corporate use can be managed by using third-party software (listed below) to secure data in your wireless phone and company. Investing in a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution that controls which devices can access specific applications on your network is a smart decision. By taking precautionary steps, files are secured with the highest encryption for file sharing.
On July 10, 2013, I was given an opportunity to attend an IT Security Seminar and have met some of these top MDM Vendors.
• AirWatch
• BoxTone
• Eset Mobile Security
• Exitor
• FancyFon
• McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management
• Mobile Active Defense
• Symantec Mobile Management
• Trend Micro Mobile Security
Why secure BYOD’s? It’s not the devices that are causing lots of the problems. The challenge is employees wanting to use their own device for both personal and professional business. This creates a host of security issues, as mentioned earlier, and the reason to implement controls and security measures.
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