30Jul
02Apr
Moving to Microsoft 365 means getting to know your data (and your business)
Through my website's contact form, I still hear about botched migrations to Microsoft 365 on a regular basis. This is usually due to exactly one problem: ignorance about the process, as well as ignorance about the datasets being migrated, as well as ignorance about the various tools that we have...
09Mar
There is no panacea, there is no silver bullet
I had a really interesting question come up during one of my recent online courses. One of the participants asked whether device management, and even MAM (application-based management) were necessary anymore, now that we have stuff like MIP and Sensitivity Labels. I was taken aback by this question and I...
05Feb
The most important tool in Microsoft 365 that you can adopt in 2021
I get it. The universe is expanding so rapidly these days that it can be difficult to know where you should focus your efforts. If you are having trouble "catching up," do not worry, you are not alone. The IT industry is working on this issue collectively as we move...
22Dec
Reader question: Do you recommend Defender in place of third-party antivirus or security tools?
It feels like it has been a while since I addressed a reader question on the blog. This is one I get frequently, all the more so in recent months since Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Microsoft Defender ATP) became available as a standalone subscription via CSP. Previously, it was...
26Oct
Cloud vs. On-prem and the future of Managed Services
Is the on-prem model (e.g. legacy AD with file shares, Windows Server-based apps, etc.) 'better' in some cases than SaaS alternatives like Microsoft 365, GSuite, Ping, Okta, Salesforce, DropBox, or whatever? In the SMB space, I really struggle to advocate for on-prem anymore, and I mean REALLY struggle. And that's...
18Aug
Behold: The Power of Sensitivity Labels
Even though some people are aware of the concepts of Data Classification and tools such as Microsoft 365 Sensitivity Labels, I do not think that many of us out there have yet grasped the full implications, or taken the long view, so to speak. Note: this is a longer read....
04Aug
A Brief History of Collaboration and Governance
I have slowly been converting people to the "modern collaboration mindset" during the past couple of years through my op-ed style of writing. I think you can appreciate that changing minds through writing is something which rarely if ever happens in areas like politics, but it turns out this can...
21Jul
My opinion on Microsoft Threat Protection for the SMB
Since I released my guide on Microsoft 365 E5 Security and Microsoft Threat Protection, I have been getting a lot of questions and comments about my stance on the use of these products for SMB customers. I left it too neutral, I guess, in the original publication. So, let me...
07Jul