Microsoft 365 replacement for server?

[TheNuzziNuzz]

I provide technology solutions for a company. They currently use a small windows business server for network file storage, and active directory for user account/login management.

 

Every computer in the building is a Dell XPS 8700 with full WIndows 7. The users can all log on to any of the computers, but it's through the domain and the windows server.

 

They recently purchased office 365 for business providing email hosting, account management, and 1tb file storage per user.

 

On a new windows 10 device I own, out of curiosity I set up "work access" in Windows 10 with one of the Microsoft 365 accounts. So that user could login with their business account, and it worked quite seemlessly. It connected with some active directory, but it's managed by Microsoft. Could this be used to replace the server?

 

By movie the shared network files onto the 365 shared storage, and by updating all the computers to windows 10 to logon to the 365 work account, what perpose would the server still serve? How does this actually work? I don't want to go ahead with this to find it screws the company up, and removes features/control and add frustration and complexity.

[Mark77]

Well do you want to be 100% reliant on Internet connectivitiy and Microsoft keeping the files, or not?  What about the on-going costs, how does this compare with running your own infrastructure (ie: the server)?  This is the philosophical (and arguably in many environments, legal and regulatory) question you need to answer as to whether you extensively embrace "the cloud" or not. 

 

Some businesses and people do very well with outsourcing all of that stuff.  While for other types of businesses and users, it completely does not work. 

 

[TheNuzziNuzz]

7 minutes ago, Mark77 said:

Well do you want to be 100% reliant on Internet connectivitiy and Microsoft keeping the files, or not?  What about the on-going costs, how does this compare with running your own infrastructure (ie: the server)?  This is the philosophical (and arguably in many environments, legal and regulatory) question you need to answer as to whether you extensively embrace "the cloud" or not. 

 

Some businesses and people do very well with outsourcing all of that stuff.  While for other types of businesses and users, it completely does not work. 

 

I think it would be in the best interest of the company to be entirely cloud based. The server is just alot for them to deal with. They simply don't want to deal with the downsides of managing a server. Anytime they have problems with it, they have to call a technology company to help them, and that's extra money for a service that they are ready paying Microsoft for. 

 

Is it possible to make the windows 10 computers apart if a Microsoft hosted domain to make the accounts universal across all the network computers like it is now? E.G. log in to any user account on any network computer? How different will it be?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

On a new windows 10 device I own, out of curiosity I set up "work access" in Windows 10 with one of the Microsoft 365 accounts. So that user could login with their business account, and it worked quite seemlessly. It connected with some active directory, but it's managed by Microsoft. Could this be used to replace the server?

365 is normally a good replacement for small business however it can lead to trouble with larger staff counts unless you have on premise AD. There is user administration and the like however you won't get things like GP which can be a major issue for some businesses. You'll also be using the free version of IDaaS which does have its limitations shown below.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/active-directory/

 

I've rolled out a large number of customers with O365 so ask away. Normally when you move a med-large business to 365, you'll run in a hybrid environment however this does take planning and skill to roll out succesfully.

 

Also check that the 8700's have Windows 10 driver support before you do all the upgrades.

 

What about ERP's/CRM's - how is that handled? Does it run on their server?

[TheNuzziNuzz]

6 minutes ago, Windspeed36 said:

365 is normally a good replacement for small business however it can lead to trouble with larger staff counts unless you have on premise AD. There is user administration and the like however you won't get things like GP which can be a major issue for some businesses. You'll also be using the free version of IDaaS which does have its limitations shown below.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/active-directory/

 

I've rolled out a large number of customers with O365 so ask away. Normally when you move a med-large business to 365, you'll run in a hybrid environment however this does take planning and skill to roll out succesfully.

 

Also check that the 8700's have Windows 10 driver support before you do all the upgrades.

 

What about ERP's/CRM's - how is that handled? Does it run on their server?

 

4

The business has a total of 5 Local machines that 5 users use interchangeably managed by the server's active directory. There is another locaiton for the business in another town that has quite a few computers doing the same, but from the remote location. It seems like a pretty bad setup. I believe there are only 20 users total on the server if even. How is the Active Directory managed through microsoft's 365? 

 

I'm new to this, and what I have mentioned above is all I know the server currently does. They have moved mostly everything else (Banking, Customer managment) to other cloud services.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

The business has a total of 5 Local machines that 5 users use interchangeably managed by the server's active directory. There is another locaiton for the business in another town that has quite a few computers doing the same, but from the remote location. It seems like a pretty bad setup. I believe there are only 20 users total on the server if even. How is the Active Directory managed through microsoft's 365? 

 

I'm new to this, and what I have mentioned above is all I know the server currently does. They have moved mostly everything else (Banking, Customer managment) to other cloud services.

IDaaS is included in the O365 Admin Center. When you login to ACP for 365, you'll find a tab at the bottom left called Admin Centers. In here you'lk find SharePoint, OneDrive, Security & Compliance, ExchangeOnline and Azure AD. From here you can login to the IDaaS through Azure.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

1 hour ago, Windspeed36 said:

IDaaS is included in the O365 Admin Center. When you login to ACP for 365, you'll find a tab at the bottom left called Admin Centers. In here you'lk find SharePoint, OneDrive, Security & Compliance, ExchangeOnline and Azure AD. From here you can login to the IDaaS through Azure.

 

Awesome thank you. So it makes sense for this business to ditch the server and migrate to Microsoft's service.