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Microsoft 365

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Microsoft 365: Everything Your Team Needs. All in One Place.

Microsoft 365 combines familiar productivity tools, secure cloud storage and powerful collaboration features into one connected platform. From Teams and Outlook to SharePoint and secure file storage, it brings the tools your teams already use into one joined up way of working.
As a trusted Microsoft 365 partner, we help you set it up properly, tailor it to how you work, and make sure it actually delivers value. Not just another subscription you’re paying for.

What is Microsoft 365?

Productivity. Collaboration. Security.

Microsoft 365 is the essential toolkit for modern businesses. Once known as Office 365, it’s a subscription service that gives you secure access to Microsoft’s trusted productivity apps. Plus intelligent cloud services for storage, collaboration and security.
More than just Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 helps your teams work smarter and stay connected, anytime and anywhere. Used well, it can unlock new efficiencies, boost growth and keep your organisation ready for whatever comes next.

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 Microsoft 365 for Business

What’s included with 365?

Familiar Productivity Tools

Microsoft 365 brings you the trusted Office apps you rely on every day. Word for documents, Excel for data and spreadsheets, PowerPoint for presentations, Outlook for email and calendars, and OneNote for digital notetaking. Some plans also include Access and Publisher for specialised tasks on PC.

Secure Cloud Storage

Each subscription includes secure OneDrive cloud storage, giving you plenty of space for files, photos and shared documents. Accessible anytime, anywhere.

Collaboration Without Barriers

Work together in real time, co-author documents, and stay connected with Microsoft Teams for chat, meetings and video calls. Plus, use your apps on multiple PCs, Macs, tablets and phones. Work wherever you need to.

AI-Powered Productivity

Unlock built-in AI features like Copilot to help you write, design and analyse data faster. Saving time and boosting productivity.

Built-In Security

Microsoft 365 keeps your business protected with advanced security features. Some features including data encryption, device management, and ransomware protection for your files.

Plans for Everyone

From Personal and Family subscriptions to Business and Enterprise solutions, Microsoft 365 offers flexible plans tailored to different needs and budgets. All supported by String’s expert guidance.

Why Businesses Choose Microsoft 365

At String, we believe the right tools should make your work easier, not harder. Microsoft 365 does just that. Giving your business the flexibility, security and productivity you need to stay ahead. Here’s how:

Work Better Together

Microsoft 365 brings your people, conversations and files together in one connected platform. With tools like Teams, Outlook and OneDrive, your team can collaborate in real time, share information easily and stay productive wherever they're working.

Stay Secure

Security is built into every part of Microsoft 365. From protecting business data and managing devices to controlling access to sensitive information, it helps your organisation stay protected while giving your team the freedom to work flexibly.

Reduce Complexity

Instead of juggling multiple tools and systems, Microsoft 365 brings productivity, communication, collaboration and storage together in one platform. Everything works seamlessly together, helping your team save time and work more efficiently.

Scale With Confidence

As your business grows, Microsoft 365 grows with it. Add users, expand services and adapt to changing requirements without the need for complex infrastructure or costly upgrades.

Unlock More Value With AI

With Microsoft Copilot built into Microsoft 365, teams can spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time focusing on meaningful work. From drafting content to analysing data, AI helps improve productivity across the business.

Your Microsoft 365 Journey with String

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Step 1: Discover & Plan

We start by listening. We get to know your business inside and out, understanding your goals, challenges and existing systems. Together, we design a clear plan for how Microsoft 365 can drive real impact where you need it most.
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Step 2: Deploy & Transition

Next, we handle the rollout. Migrating your data securely, setting up apps, and making sure every user is ready to hit the ground running. We’ll do the heavy lifting so you can stay focused on your day-to-day.
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Step 3: Equip & Empower

Our experts train and support your people, so they feel confident using Microsoft 365’s powerful tools to their fullest. We make sure no one’s left behind.
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Step 4: Tailor & Optimise

Out-of-the-box is just the beginning. We customise and integrate Microsoft 365 to fit your workflows perfectly. Streamlining tasks, connecting systems and boosting productivity where it matters most.
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Step 5: Protect & Govern

Your peace of mind is our priority. We help you put strong security and governance in place - protecting your data, devices and people while staying compliant.
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Step 6: Grow & Evolve

The journey doesn’t stop once you’re up and running. With String by your side, you can tap into ongoing insights, unlock new features and adapt as your business grows. Turning Microsoft 365 into a foundation for lasting success.
The Sporting House – Microsoft 365 Cloud

Microsoft 365 Cloud Technologies Help Drive Olympian Levels of Success

Challenge

Whilst Sporting House had enjoyed rapid growth, their strategy was to significantly accelerate this. They were also acutely aware that their then IT service model was inadequate to support their ambitious plans for a number of reasons.

Solution

String worked with Sporting House to develop a new Microsoft cloud-centric IT strategy, that would leverage Microsoft 365 to support their wider business strategy.
“ We selected String because of their clear understanding of our strategic requirements, and were able to articulate how they, and Microsoft technologies could help us to achieve these. Our relationship with String has proven an extremely rewarding one, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them moving forwards.”
Lee Cunliffe
Finance Director, The Sporting House
Jones Harris Chartered Accountants

Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Technologies Drive Paperless, Secure & Remote Office

Challenge

Jones Harris wanted to move to a fully paperless operation, without any interruption to the business. The company had a major dependency on a local Microsoft SQL Server database for their line-of-business applications, which limited their choices in terms of a potential cloud-only solution.

Solution

String worked with Jones Harris to help them adopt a hybrid-cloud solution, providing the optimal blend of Microsoft 365 cloud services, with the high performance computing power required by their LoB. Jones Harris now make full use of Microsoft's Power Platform, utilising Power BI for business intelligence, and Power Automate for business process automation.
“ String worked very closely with our internal guys, planning it out, mapping it out. There was absolutely no break in service, we were expecting there to be a few bugs, but it was a really smooth and impressive operation to get everything across and migrated. Absolutely top notch work, the String team!”
Martin Wigley
Director, Jones Harris Chartered Accountants
Ludlow Wealth Management - Azure Virtual Desktop

Access to Key Line of Business Applications Hosted on Microsoft Azure

Challenge

The increasing demand for online meetings, driven by the Covid crisis, meant that the Remote Desktop Solution was unable to provide an acceptable user experience. When the time came to refresh their IT infrastructure, we worked with the Ludlow team to ensure that the next upgrade cycle would address the changing end-user requirements, while further enhancing their cyber security and providing a high degree of scalability to cope with their ongoing growth.

Solution

Working with Ludlow, we produced a business case that showed that moving to Microsoft's Azure Virtual Desktop solution, and hosting their LoB application on Microsoft Azure would provide a more secure, cost-effective alternative to purchasing a physical server cluster. Their LoB application was migrated to Azure, and presented to end-users as a Published Application, removing the need for them to connect to a separate virtual desktop to access the app. Azure Backup was used to provide backup and business continuity and to further enhance Microsoft's already robust resilience measures.
“ String has consistently provided us with innovative IT solutions, without compromising our cyber security. The whole team are a pleasure to work with, and we consider them a trusted extension to our own team.”
Rob Brown
Chief Operating Officer, Ludlow Wealth Management Group
One Fylde - Microsoft Modern Workplace

Identifying Microsoft Modern Workplace as the Best Choice for the Client

Challenge

Following a merger between two organisations, our client found themselves with a disjointed IT service that comprised two large on-premise data centres, various security technologies, and a variety of remote access solutions. The result was a costly, difficult to manage IT infrastructure, with a poor user experience due to a lack of standardisation in the way IT was used. Of concern was that, as a large care provider, the client was responsible for the safe-keeping of a large amount of personal medical and financial data. Plus, users had become used to creating work-arounds to allow them to access and share sensitive information. The complexity of the IT infrastructure also meant they were suffering frequent service outages.

Solution

We discussed the opportunity for them to move away from their large, unwieldy on-premises infrastructure and instead to move to a wholly Microsoft cloud-based IT service. From our early discussions it was clear that such a move would allow us to radically re-imagine their approach to document and information management, business processes, and information security. The concept was embraced enthusiastically by the client, and it was agreed to move on to an initial business case analysis exercise. Firstly, however, we were engaged to stabilise the existing infrastructure, and to address the inadequate business continuity provision. The move to Microsoft Modern Workplace has allowed One Fylde to ensure data is more secure and improve workplace processes. All 400 users were able to access all relevant documents securely from any location. And the client can now enjoy the very latest in innovations from Microsoft on almost a weekly cycle.
“ One Fylde started to work with String at a time where our IT infrastructure was causing problems almost on a daily basis. The problems were meaning staff couldn't do their job to support people with learning disabilities in the way we wanted. String became involved with us and worked as a 'real' partner, feeling like part of the team to solve the immediate problem and with an eye to a longer-term more sustainable solution. We are now in a position where I can sleep at night and our staff are seeing the benefit of the huge amount of work that has gone on. And on a seperate note the whole team at String are really friendly, personable and supportive, working with us and continuing to support us to look at the future. ”
Tracey Bush
CEO, One Fylde

Microsoft 365

FAQ's

Which Microsoft 365 licence is right for my business?

That depends on how you work.

Some businesses simply need professional email, file storage and Teams, while others need extra security, compliance tools and device management.

The good news is that Microsoft 365 isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are different plans designed for different types of organisations, so it’s usually worth thinking about how your team works today and what you might need in the future, rather than just choosing the cheapest option.

How long does it take to implement Microsoft 365?

That depends on the size of your organisation, the complexity of your current setup and the amount of data that needs to be migrated.

A straightforward deployment can often be completed relatively quickly, while larger projects may require more detailed planning and phased implementation. We’ll work with you to build a realistic plan and ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your team.

Which Microsoft 365 subscription is required for Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is available with selected Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise subscriptions and normally requires an additional Copilot licence.

If you’re considering Copilot, it’s worth checking that your Microsoft 365 plan is compatible first. Once that’s in place, Copilot can help with everything from summarising meetings and drafting content to analysing data and speeding up repetitive tasks.

At String, we can help you understand the licensing requirements, assess whether your business is ready for AI, and make sure you’re getting the most value from your investment.

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 and Azure?

A simple way to think about it is this:

Microsoft 365 is where your people work.

Azure is where technology lives.

Microsoft 365 includes tools such as Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word and Excel. Azure provides cloud infrastructure for things like applications, servers, databases and storage.

Many businesses use both, but they’re designed to solve very different problems.

Does Microsoft 365 work well for small businesses?

Absolutely.

One of the reasons Microsoft 365 is so popular is that it scales well. Whether you have two employees or two hundred, you can access the same familiar tools and only pay for the licences you need.

As your business grows, Microsoft 365 can grow with you, making it easier to add users, improve security and introduce new functionality without having to completely change systems.

Can Microsoft 365 help reduce cyber security risks?

While no technology can remove every risk, Microsoft 365 includes a range of security features designed to help keep your organisation protected.

Features such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, access controls and threat protection tools all help reduce the likelihood of common cyber attacks. Combined with good security practices, they can form an important part of your overall cyber security strategy.

Insights

Our Microsoft 365 insights

Read more of our case studies and guides to understand how Microsoft 365 could help to streamline your business and enhance your team's productivity.
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