18Apr2019
14Apr2019
Updated: How to migrate email to Office 365 Exchange Online with zero downtime (the easy way)
Some people will tell you that Hybrid is not a good idea for small business networks, since it is "too complex" or "too messy." Don't listen to the naysayers. They are just not aware yet of how stupidly simple it has become, with options like minimal hybrid and the brand...
11Apr2019
The evolution of small business networks
I believe there are only three basic types of networks alive in the small and mid-sized business market today.* Legacy, Hybrid and Modern. Now the labeling on these categories is purposeful--the language represents a progression in time, but it is important to remember that there still exist "legacy" environments, just...
08Apr2019
Managing Hybrid Exchange environments: a Cheat Sheet
Office 365 Exchange Online is pretty simple to manage if you are a "cloud-only" organization. Especially now that many edits can be made easily via the Microsoft 365 admin center, without even going into the Exchange Online admin area, separately. But, for those of us who are still tethered to a...
01Apr2019
Still Considering Office 365 E3? Think again.
I have a previous article on this topic, but the Microsoft 365 Business SKU seems to be getting new features left and right all the time. Recently we had the addition of password write-back (enabling self-service resets for hybrid users), which was a feature from Azure AD Premium that...
28Mar2019
Give extra Consideration before implementing WIP (Windows 10 App protection policies)
In Microsoft 365 plans it is possible to configure application protection policies for Android, iOS and Windows 10, right from the 365 Admin center under Devices > Policies. Once built, these correspond to policies that you can find within the Intune / Device management portal under Client apps > App...
21Mar2019
My favorite Conditional Access Policies for the SMB
It's not even a question in my mind anymore--every org who moves their email and other data sets into Office 365 should be protected with Enterprise Mobility + Security (also available in Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans). If you are in the Business subscription of Microsoft 365, this means adding Azure...
11Mar2019
Super-charging security on non-Microsoft 365 E5 plans
This article was updated in April of 2020 Microsoft 365 E5 is the Cadillac of plans. Basically every product in the 365 universe is bundled into this level subscription, and that includes a ton related to security. Recently, Microsoft announced two new bundles aimed at security & compliance. The idea behind these...
07Mar2019
Add-ons that are NOT compatible with Microsoft 365 Business (yet)
Update 3/9/2019: I had to update this article. I am moving some former content on Identity & Threat Protection to its own article, and expanding on it there. Microsoft 365 Business is a fantastic value, and contains most of what we would like to see in a small business subscription. However,...
05Mar2019