Microsoft Offers SMBs an Easy, Affordable Path to the Cloud

Enterprise-level collaboration systems used to carry with them enterprise-sized price tags and maintenance needs. Thanks to Microsoft’s Cloud Service Provider (CSP) program, however, that’s no longer the case. CSP allows companies of all sizes to utilize Microsoft’s industry-leading cloud solutions including Office 365 and Azure in the way that makes the most sense to them based on their financial and technological needs.

It’s been our experience that many SMBs lack either the budget or the on-site resources needed to keep up to date with industry trends and advances. Whatever the cause, the result is the same: aging solutions such as Windows Small Business Server 2003 lingering long after their end-of-life dates have come and gone. At the same time, the IT partners many SMBs rely on may not be engaged with them in any meaningful way beyond simply providing them with server hardware. Long-term support for those systems often falls outside of the purview of those vendors.

Why CSP from Microsoft?

So what exactly makes Microsoft’s CSP program such an attractive options for SMBs? CSP gives companies the ability to:

• Keep costs down. It used to be that organizations needed to purchase expensive hardware, software and licenses through a LAR (Large Account Reseller) for every upgrade. This approach doesn’t work for budget-conscious SMBs and it isn’t the case with CSP. The program introduces significant amounts of flexibility into payment terms. Customers can take advantage of low implementation and recurring costs that are directly tied into the size of their user base. This ensures companies are only paying for the services and licenses they use and need – and nothing more.
• Minimize maintenance hassles. Tending to the needs of key business systems such as Office 365 can seem intimidating for companies without a large on-premises IT staff. That’s not even taking into consideration the work that goes into spinning the deployment up and tying it in to existing systems. CSP gives SMBs access to enterprise level tools without the management complexity. Since solutions are based in the cloud, they’re kept up to date by Microsoft itself. There’s no need for onsite IT or a partner’s representatives to come in and handle the patches and other routine updates their systems need.
• Focus on the business. Lastly, no one wants to be running an IT department in an SMB. Assigning a “smart hands” person on staff to help is one way, but that detracts from their business duties. By purchasing Office 365 through Arraya’s CSP program, end users can call us with their Office 365 questions and problems. The support cost is bundled with the licenses for easy flexibility.

Why partner with Arraya?

By partnering with Arraya Solutions, customers gain an added bonus to the benefits they’re already getting from CSP and Microsoft. This added bonus is a direct link to support provided by Arraya’s team of Microsoft experts. Our team can lead the charge during the deployment phase and then stand ready to provide remote customer support, for any reason, at any time.

Support wasn’t always a high priority for the sales-focused LARs who used to handle Microsoft’s licensing. However that’s not true of Arraya. Implementation services and support are vital to who we are as a company. We are a full-service IT consulting and managed services provider dedicated to helping customers achieve full value from their IT deployments. We deliver on that goal through our personalized, customer-focused approach. Our team takes the time to learn the ins and outs of customer environments, ensuring their needs are met. This is what makes us stand out.

If you’d like to learn more about Arraya and how our involvement in Microsoft’s CSP program can benefit organizations of all sizes, from SMBs up through enterprise-level, visit arraya.rocks/O365. There you’ll also gain insight into the impact an organizational move to a Microsoft cloud solution can have on the average IT pro’s workday.

Want up-to-the-minute access to our latest blog posts, company events, and special offers? Follow us on Twitter @ArrayaSolutions or on LinkedIn (Arraya Solutions)!