Back in September of last year, I wrote an article about Multi-Factor Authentication for Office 365. Since the cloud refuses to stand still, it looks like it’s time to update that post with some new information.
For most of the last 25 years or so, most people with “office” jobs have relied on email as their primary communications tool at work. During that time, Microsoft has added many ways for groups of people to collaborate within their email clients: distribution lists, public folders, shared mailboxes, resource mailboxes, site mailboxes, and Groups. How does an organization decide which of these options to use? When are shared mailboxes the best choice?
When it comes to sizing a typical on-premises Exchange Server deployment, Microsoft has really gone out of their way to provide all the information you need. Along with the Mailbox Role Requirements Calculator, I believe Microsoft’s guidance to be one of the most complete in the industry—–leaving little to the imagination and with clear guidance on what you should and should not do.
Since the dawn of email, organizations have struggled with the way that users reply to emails. Confusion (or worse) occurs when emails include groups, CC, BCC, internal, and external recipients. Choosing to use "Reply All" may release confidential information to the wrong people or cause mail storms between senders and recipients – sometimes bringing email servers to their knees.
It's safe to assume if you're reading this you're very aware of "the cloud." Unless you've been under a rock for the last five or six years, you know Microsoft has gone all in on their cloud services. You've heard a thousand reasons why you should move your organization’s IT services to the cloud. But that doesn't mean every organization should. Here are some reasons not to move to the cloud.
Just a few years ago identity federation such as AD FS was the de facto standard for managing authentication in Office 365 for every large organization. It gives you better control over the process, and the convenience of seamless single sign-on (SSO) for your users. With the introduction of password sync and now pass-through authentication, an argument can be made for replacing AD FS for some Office 365 customers. Nevertheless, AD FS remains a viable, highly customizable option and offers a simple way to ensure seamless SSO for your users using smart links.
I had an interesting discussion recently with a customer about email encryption in Office 365. The customer wanted to know the pros and cons of each encryption option in Office 365. This customer’s main goal was encrypting email messages so Microsoft can’t access them. Here's a summary of the different encryption options in Office 365, and how to encrypt your data (and why you would want to) so Microsoft can’t access it inside Office 365.
Since June 2011, Office 365 has been the destination for many Exchange, Skype for Business and SharePoint migration projects. Depending on the range of estimates, somewhere between 20-50% of all Exchange mailboxes are currently run from Exchange Online in Office 365.
Microsoft is rolling out a new calendar sharing experience in Office 365. The change is intended to make sharing calendars between users easier and more reliable, although there are some unintended consequences for some Office 365 customers.
Microsoft is constantly updating and improving services; it’s a hallmark of Office 365. The constant Office 365 updates are great for me, providing new content and tips to share with you on a regular basis.