Challenge
Land use and strategic planning consulting firm in San Diego relies on local storage devices and VPNs to access office network. The local storage devices required manual daily backup monitoring, a paid subscription for backup software and AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud storage.  
VPN access to the local network also did not provide MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) security,  when connecting to the internal network. The lack of MFA increased the risk for unauthorized or malicious access to their internal network. 
Most of all, the client’s ability to work efficiently from home or other remote locations was limited and inefficient, while suffering from poor security at the same time.     Poor efficient and inadequate security usually go hand in hand by the way. 

Background

Our client had relied on their current in-house server systems for about 10 years. While still operational, maintaining these servers was becoming increasingly difficult due to their age. The firm uses specialized software designed for their industry, which runs more effectively and cost-efficiently on in-house servers.

Bayside Networks had previously guided this client through two similar upgrades, making us their trusted partner for major IT projects. Despite competition from other firms eager to quote, this client repeatedly chose us based on our proven record of completing projects on time and under budget.

Solution
Bayside Networks was tasked to provide a secure cloud solution for storing and sharing company data. Since the client was already utilizing Microsoft 365, Bayside Networks developed a migration plan to move client data from the on prem NAS system over to SharePoint online.  
Migrating to SharePoint online removed the cost of maintaining a local storage network and daily backup system.  The clients existing Microsoft 365 subscription already included the required licensing to create a SharePoint online site,  and would not increase the client’s monthly software licensing costs to start using Sharepoint.. 
SharePoint online within Microsoft 365 also provides MFA security options for accessing company data. This type of security requires an additional authentication device other than a user’s password to sign in,  preventing unauthorized access to sensitive client data.  

Outcome
After implementing SharePoint online, users could access company data securely from any device. Remote work became a more useable option without the need to set up VPN’s and server connections on devices outside the office. 
The integration between SharePoint Online and Microsoft’s suite of products also improved end users’ ability to collaborate on documents. Providing the ability to work on documents simultaneously and increased communication by using Microsoft Teams to share them. 
Would you like to hear more about this project, client, or their experience with Bayside Networks?     Please contact us, we would be glad to provide contact details for this client as they are an excellent reference for us and our work with them is ongoing on a wide assortment of projects and support needs.