Cost of server ownership: on-premise vs. IaaS

There’s a lot of talk about cloud server solutions these days and you might be tempted to take the leap. But, before you make any kind of decision, you should have a clear idea of what you’re spending now and how it compares to the price of cloud solutions. The first thing you have to do is look beyond the initial costs of an in-house solution vs. the monthly cost of the cloud. The real picture of what’s cheaper goes far beyond the cost of a new in-house server or an annual subscription to cloud servers.

Securing systems, data and end-users is vital in today’s cloud-first mobile world. With information essentially becoming the currency of the digital age, enterprises need to put proactive measures in place to protect access to their data. If you’re hosting your business solutions on Azure, Microsoft has several security services that give you the visibility and […]

Migrating to Microsoft Azure can help you leverage the latest technology to transform your business. Lower costs, greater agility, enhanced scalability, and easier management are just some of the benefits this cloud computing platform has to offer. However, any cloud journey can be confusing, and Azure is no different—you need to select the appropriate service […]

As a managed service provider (MSP) or reseller, you have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a cloud PBX provider. Often referred to as Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs), there are over a 1,000 of them in North America alone. To make matters trickier for MSPs, almost all of them offer a […]

With an entire team ready to help you, our estimate is just 1 month. Here’s why you need a cloud partner: Do you need a pre-sales engineer to jump in on calls with you to help close deals? We have your back. Our team of solutions architects is ready to help you with all your […]

If you have ever sold a cloud PBX system before, you’ve been asked this question by a customer. If you’re new to selling cloud PBX systems, get ready to hear it – a lot. This is because the best prospect for a cloud PBX system is a businesses likely still using an old analog PBX. […]

Growth. It’s something that every MSP is looking for these days. But when it comes to growing your managed services business, there are two different paths you can take. 1. You can focus on new customer acquisition and increase the total number of customers you service and support. 2. You can focus on increasing the […]

There are all sorts of calendar apps available, but have you tried Google Online Calendar for Business? Google Calendar has cloud service, a feature-rich web client, and intuitive Android and iOS applications. Let’s go over the features of Google Calendar and everything you need to know to start using it.   Newsflash: G Suite is […]

Microsoft Azure is a set of cloud services that helps organizations operate applications on the cloud. This makes it possible for these organizations to operate on a global scale, using frameworks and tools that best support their business goals. “Okay, great,” you say, “but how much has Microsoft Azure really caught on?” Well, 80% of […]

One of the most popular features of a cloud PBX system is an IVR. An IVR, short for “Interactive Voice Response” system, can also be known as an auto-attendant or automated receptionist voice menu. This system allows a caller to use their voice or dual-tone multiple frequencies (DTMF tones) input via their phone’s keypad to […]

Your business relies on technology to operate, and every user interacting with your IT systems expects round-the-clock availability. But as our reliance on technology grows, so does your need for reliable system up-time. And that’s where cloud solutions like Microsoft Azure truly excel. Downtime Hurts Your Business Your business depends on the reliability of your […]

Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Online are three of the most popular apps in Office 365—but did you know that there are several thousand third-party add-ins that can make them even better? In this article, we’ll look at the most popular Office 365 add-ins for these three apps. To keep things simple, we’ll only consider […]

Cloud services have become the standard in recent years and are slowly replacing on-premises solutions. And for good reason—cloud products boast scalability, ease of deployment, best-in-class security, and low downtime. When workloads are migrated to the cloud, users also enjoy seamless single sign-on and can rest easy knowing that their data is backed up. There […]

There are many reasons customers make the switch to a cloud PBX. There are cost savings. There’s ease of use. There are productivity increases. Then, there are the offers. You’ve seen them. Free months. Free phones. Unlimited calling. Some providers might even be offering up their first born when you subscribe for a new line. […]

Nerdio has upped their game to accommodate businesses of any size with their Nerdio for Azure IT automation platform. Recently designated an official Microsoft co-sell partner, Nerdio’s new pricing plans and accompanying platform infrastructure are now available in both Professional and Enterprise editions. This new offering ensures that even the smallest of businesses can use […]

After almost a decade of ongoing service, updates, and support, Microsoft is about to close a chapter on two of its most popular legacy products: Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008. Announced through a press release back in July, this change will allow Microsoft to devote more resources to supporting other products. But it […]

Infrastructure as a service and cloud computing have revolutionized the IT landscape in the past few years, but the truth is that companies rarely jump on board with the latest trends unless they’re compelled to do so—it’s just human nature. Companies, and the people that operate them, are often content to stroll along the same […]

In today’s highly mobile business world, cloud storage is the norm—it offers convenient and secure storage for your files, allowing you to access them from anywhere, anytime. Google Drive is a cloud storage platform that integrates seamlessly with other G Suite apps, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. With Google Drive, you can preview […]

Office 365 is one of the most powerful and widely used business software platforms available. But this popularity comes at a price—it’s also a top target for scammers and hackers, and successful office 365 attacks can lead to millions of dollars of lost revenue per year. As a business owner or manager, you need to […]

These days, it seems everything is “as a service”—SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, XaaS. It’s a constant reminder of just how much technology’s shaping our business world. One service that sometimes gets overlooked is DaaS, or desktop-as-a-service. Often confused with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), this simple service is invaluable to companies. Let’s take a look at everything […]

Everyone knows that cyber security attacks are a growing concern, but did you know that managed service providers are even more at risk? Hackers are deploying attacks that are specifically targeted towards your business and cleverly designed to infiltrate your system. So why are MSPs targeted by hackers? And what can you do to stop […]

When they think of their IT system being compromised, most people picture a suspicious character in a dark room feverishly typing lines of code into a terminal. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, most IT threats to your organization come in the form of phishing. In this article, we’ll take a […]

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This is a piece of U.S. legislation that provides data privacy and security regulations to ensure sensitive medical information is protected. The law has gained greater prominence in recent years with the proliferation of health data breaches caused by cyberattacks and ransomware attacks […]

Gmail has been with us since its beta testing began in 2004. In 2009, Gmail was officially launched, and Google hasn’t looked back since. By 2016, Gmail use hit a record 1 billion worldwide. These users enjoy all the apps that Gmail has to offer, including Google Docs, Google+, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google […]

There are three types of identity models available in Office 365: Cloud-only, Synchronized, and Federated. In this article, we’re going to discuss the Cloud-only identity. Sherweb makes Office 365 easy so you can focus on your business Overview: Cloud-only identity The cloud-only model is the simplest identity to manage. From user creation to user management, […]

Mobility is a driving force in modern business, but with it comes the need to stay connected. Emails are the traditional approach, but they’re not quite as effective as virtual meeting apps. Two competing team collaboration software are Yammer and Slack. In this article, we’ll break down the similarities and differences between the two so […]

Microsoft recently announced that the latest version of Office (2019) is available for commercial customers What features can you expect from this latest offering? Let’s take a look. Office 2019 Preview Although Microsoft is continually shifting its strategy to the cloud, it recognizes that not all customers are able to make that change. With Office […]

Let’s face it. Even though nearly half of CIOs in large companies are spending 80% of their budgets to maintain existing on-premises systems, many of them are also increasingly moving to the cloud. In particular, voice over IP (VoIP) adoption has grown steadily over the past decade, with the worldwide market at nearly $40 billion […]

Shadow IT is a serious problem in today’s workplace and can compromise your company’s data security. But what exactly is shadow IT? In short, it’s any kind of unapproved hardware or software that an employee uses without your IT team’s knowledge. When an employee chooses to circumvent your company’s security policies and procedures through the […]

Are you considering becoming a Microsoft Gold or Silver Certified Partner? These certifications are offered to organizations with employees that are Microsoft Certified Professionals. These employees need to have core capabilities, expertise and related skills in specific areas. If you make it this far, it means Microsoft has officially confirmed you can efficiently handle your […]

Now that Microsoft has rolled out new requirements for Direct CSP resellers, you might be wondering about your next move. How will this affect your business? If you move away from the Direct CSP partnership will you still be able to keep your Microsoft incentives? Moving from the Direct to Indirect CSP model can actually […]

Professionals in the legal industry have especially busy schedules and deal with lots and lots of documents. When you’re a lawyer with a hectic schedule, having to save and sift through tons of data every day is the last thing you want on your plate. Migrating your data to the cloud and using a cloud-based […]

In today’s fast-paced world, professionals in the banking and finance industries face many challenges. In 2017, Microsoft signed up Liberty Mutual, the TD Bank Group, and Deutsche Borse Group. What is the significance of this? All three companies operate in a highly regulated environment. Office 365 for finance institutions delivers features that banks need to […]

Not all organizations aim to earn a profit—some work selflessly to help people or communities that are in dire need. However, nonprofits often lack adequate resources to cover operational and IT costs. In particular, they have a limited budget to maintain staff, buy devices/equipment, and install and upgrade software. If you’re a non-profit (NPO) or […]

Healthcare management has always emphasized communication. And with modern payment models and demands, secure communication is becoming increasingly complex—healthcare providers must communicate inside and outside their organization’s walls, but this can be difficult without the right tools. E-mail and messaging apps are notoriously insecure, and many don’t meet HIPAA compliance standards. Finding a balance between […]

Microsoft has recently announced that they will be updating their requirements for direct partners of the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program. As of August 31, 2018, to be a direct partner you will have to purchase a Microsoft support plan and demonstrate key capabilities to help meet your customers’ needs. To be a Direct CSP […]

If you’re someone who likes to jot down notes to keep their thoughts organized or whose line of work requires taking notes regularly, you’ve likely come across two of the most popular note-taking apps available today: OneNote and Evernote. Both of these apps have free versions and come with some very useful features, but each […]

Nowadays, nearly every modern organization is moving their business to the cloud. Protecting your organization’s users and their accounts from being compromised is easy when you have an on-premises setup like Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory. But what if you’re using Office or Microsoft 365? Well, you’re still in luck. In this article, we’ll take a […]

Traditionally, you’d have to visit separate applications to perform different tasks, like Skype for Business for meetings, GitHub for software development, and so on. But that’s no longer the case. With Office 365 connectors, you can view and interact with content from other applications right in Microsoft Teams through RSS feeds, news headlines, project analytics, […]

Many teams are required by law or corporate policy to adhere to security and compliance regulations, but this can often complicate document management and sharing. Fortunately, Microsoft 365 apps like Microsoft Teams come equipped with enterprise-grade security and compliance support. With the 2020 COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, there has been a surge in remote work. This […]

Microsoft has designated Teams as the primary app for communication and collaboration in Office 365, which means it’s replacing Skype for Business. Let’s take a look at the Teams roadmap and how this affects you and your business.   Teams is one of the latest features of Office 365. Find out what else the productivity […]

What’s the most important Office 365 benefit for end users? The majority of people would probably say business-class email. Well, they’re not wrong—after all there are many great reasons to move business email to the cloud. But this perception can sometimes affect how MSPs pitch Office 365 to potential customers. Of course, migrating email to […]

Storing your data in a central, secure location is a must in today’s business world. With the cloud, your company no longer has to juggle multiple software and hardware on premises—a simple online application, such as Office 365, takes care of all your needs. One of the first things you should consider moving to the […]

Many organizations suffer from a lack of productivity. Often, this is because they rely on separate systems to run their most crucial business operations. But when you gather all business intelligence in one accessible place, everyone in your organization can begin to play an important role in the decision-making process. Cloud computing is leading the […]

How often have you been on a call and needed to jot something down quickly but couldn’t find a pen and paper? Do you have notes scribbled down on stray pieces of paper that get lost easily? Or do you waste time sifting through handwritten notes to find what you’re looking for? If you’re still […]

G Suite and Office 365 are two of the biggest competing productivity suites, and at first glance they seem to offer similar features and applications. There are, however, some key differences that you should consider before deciding which one is right for you. Let’s take a closer look at these two suites to see which […]

Last year businesses, hospitals, banks and governmental institutions were plagued by a number of major security breaches. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that this year security is at the forefront of most business strategies, with many turning to MSPs to provide solutions that will keep their data safe and intruders out. And […]

In 2016, Microsoft purchased LinkedIn for over $26 billion. This was a very strategic move, as LinkedIn is considered one of the most powerful and effective social media platforms in the world. The good news is that LinkedIn is now integrated with Office 365, the popular enterprise suite for email, file sharing and document processing. […]

Mobile devices are very powerful nowadays, even more so than laptops. As a result, many employees prefer to use their smartphones and other mobile devices to complete tasks on the go. But this rise in popularity of mobile devices comes with an increased security risk. And since mobile devices are so small, it’s easier to […]

One of the biggest concerns for IT departments is the security of data in the cloud. Cloud usage has exploded and brought about an increase in the use of mobile devices. While it can generate cost savings, there are also increased security risks to your sensitive data. In order for you to decide if Microsoft’s cloud […]

In 2012, Gartner predicted that two-thirds of companies would be using mobile device management (MDM) by 2017. At its core, it is the process where IT administrators configure policies to optimize the security and functionality of mobile devices within their organization. This is achieved through the MDM server’s management console. The policies are then pushed […]

At our Accelerate summit last year, we sat down with Jared Bernatt, Product Marketing Manager for Windows 10 (Canada), and picked his brains about Microsoft 365 Business. We spoke to him about the impact of Microsoft’s latest solution on partners and end-users. Keep reading to find out what he had to say!   Know the […]

Microsoft Teams is revolutionizing the workplace tools industry by allowing users to integrate several useful third-party apps for greater convenience and a more personalized user experience. There are currently three methods of app integration in Teams: Connectors, Bots, and Tabs. In this article, we’ll take a look at each of these methods and help you […]

Looking to pitch your MSP to a company that has tough compliance standards, but unsure of how you can work with them? Don’t worry—once again, Microsoft’s got your back, and the process is simpler than you think. But before we answer the question “Is Microsoft 365 HIPAA compliant?”, we’ll briefly discuss what HIPAA is and […]

With more than 120 million business users Microsoft 365 has become the productivity suite that everyone wants a piece of, surpassing all other cloud providers. It’s also a great product to resell, as many businesses are already familiar with Microsoft products; meaning you don’t have to be a marketing guru to get customers on board. […]

Microsoft Outlook Calendar is an excellent tool for maintaining and scheduling meetings, activities, events, and tasks. By organizing your daily, weekly, and monthly calendars in a single place, it lets you see the big picture of your schedule in just a few clicks. With its clever design, it also saves you time by tracking recurring […]

Office 365 Exchange Online Protection is a cloud-based e-mail-filtering service that protects your messaging environments from viruses, spam, and malware through its reliable security features. It also greatly simplifies the administration, operation, and management of e-mail communications.   Are you managing multiple Office 365 tenants? If yes, read our guide, 15 Tricks to Succeed in […]

By now, you’re probably already familiar with Microsoft Project. First released in 1990, Microsoft Project has become the go-to application for business projects. Microsoft Planner is a project management solution available as part of Office 365 as well as Microsoft 365. Both programs let you create plans, organize and assign tasks, share files, communicate with […]

Most companies today have several options on hand for saving their files. Traditionally, you’d store your files on an external thumb drive, hard disk, or other medium. Of course, the downside to using these methods is that you need to keep the storage medium on hand to access your files. This isn’t always convenient, as […]

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based collaboration tool that’s part of the Microsoft 365 suite of services. It lets users work together and share information easily in the workplace, and it’s a great addition to any reseller’s portfolio. You can learn more about its features here. But how do you make Microsoft Teams profitable? Successfully reselling […]

As far as IT innovation is concerned, Microsoft is at the forefront. Currently, Office 365 ranks as one of the best products Microsoft has to offer, as this robust and versatile software suite can be utilized by businesses in a number of fields. In this article, we’ll look at how Office 365 satisifies some of […]

A few decades ago, an employee’s only choice was working from the office. Nowadays, you can work from virtually anywhere. Working remotely has certainly come a long way—but companies now have to take additional steps to accommodate various types of employees. Not just those who plan to work on site. And according to the International […]

Effective collaboration is the backbone of a strong team. Nowadays, collaboration is much easier thanks to an array of productivity tools that help you stay in touch with team members and get work done quickly. Two of the biggest contenders in this market come from Microsoft. With more and more remote workers, communications and collaboration […]

With its long history of success, Microsoft has inspired many developers to design Office 365 add-ins that users can integrate with their productivity suite. In this article, we’ll look at five of the most useful, and in our opinion the best Office 365 add-ins you should use. If you’re interested in sampling them as we […]

Since its launch, Microsoft Project has helped project managers track progress, assign tasks, manage resources, and perform other similar tasks. Originally released as a web-based application but soon adapted for PC use, Microsoft Project features specifically designed tools to help you work on various projects from scratch. It includes support for the stages of project […]

"We can't justify the cost of moving to the cloud", "Our remote workers use free file sharing services", "We can't risk moving our sensitive data to the cloud", etc. How do you handle these cloud objections?

You have to make sure all people who call your office phone can speak to the right person and that no call is ever lost. Here's how to sound professional.

Whether you want to resell Office 365, become a Dynamics CRM partner, or an online backup reseller, the best and most profitable way to go forward is to become a Microsoft cloud partner. And to go about doing that, you have two options: become a direct provider, or partner with a Microsoft distributor and become […]

Microsoft is removing its ‘grace period’ between subscription start date and billing date. This change is affecting all Direct and Indirect CSP partners worldwide, including Sherweb. To align with Microsoft’s changes, Sherweb will also modify the way it bills its partners for all products. This change will take effect on December 1, 2017, and from […]

Office 365 offers built-in capabilities and customer controls to help customers meet compliance standards. Let’s look at the security and governance feature available in all major services.

Microsoft released SharePoint 2016 to enhance the hybrid infrastructure (merging SharePoint On-Premises sites with SharePoint Online) and to take advantage of recent innovations in cloud technology.

You may have come across situations before where you had to share content with external users. These users can be clients, vendors, contractors, or consultants working with you to review and edit content. This blog post aims to help you understand how to enable guest access (also known as external sharing) on your Office 365 tenant and explain how to use it.

Office 365 Secure Score is a security analytics tool that gives better visibility of your security configuration and the security features available. It applies a numerical score to custom security that outlines the action that can be taken to improve that configuration and can improve the security posture of an organisation and lessen the chances of being hacked or suffering from a data breach.

When choosing a cloud service for storing your data, you need to have the best security tools available to protect against these threats. Microsoft Windows Azure and Office 365 are the best places for your content, especially with the Threat Management capabilities built into the native service.

Adapting your cloud business to the CSP program can seem daunting. You might be wondering about what kind of offer to build or how to plan a customer migration. We'll tell you about the common mistakes resellers make and we'll give you the right solutions.

It can be hard to keep up with Office 365’s ever-changing ecosystem. New applications are constantly released and their features can begin to feel the same. Even if specific products look distinct, you might still wonder what exactly the difference is between them.

Office 365 Auditing pulls signals from everywhere inside the service, and uses intelligence to keep you updated with activities in your organization. It can help you learn if a user has purged a document, if an admin mingled permissions and privileges, what actions your users took in the last few days, or any other activity you can imagine.

Microsoft is revamping its compliance arsenal for Office 365, bringing new features to the service that will make this task significantly easier. Managing all of your content and controlling what you store can be accomplished using retention and preservation policies.

It's not just large enterprises that are concerned about these questions. Small companies are increasingly more interested in finding solutions to problems regarding data that were not significant or not relevant to their line of business a few years ago.

Content findability is a well-known obstacle in content migration. Unlike your network drives and third-party storage applications, Office 365 has different repositories for content that are governed by access and information architecture.

From migration to security to monitoring and beyond, different tools are used for different purposes for different scenarios. For example, Exchange Server Deployment Assistant makes queries about deployment objectives and produces guidelines for approaching the migration to Office 365.

Office 365 Video is a website portal that allows people in your organization to post and view videos. This service is available with SharePoint Online in Office 365.

Sure, your business is going well. Your sales are up and your customers are happy. But, wait a minute. Aren’t you starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the workload you’re dealing with every week? You’ve heard rumblings in the industry about white-label support and you’re starting to think it might be a great idea to have someone else looking after your customers’ technical problems. SherWeb has just introduced a new white-label support program that is designed for businesses just like yours. It’s called Valet Services. Here are 5 reasons why you should take a look.

You probably have all the technical savvy you need to run a successful cloud business. After all, technology is your thing. But how effective are you when it comes to selling and marketing your offers for Office 365? Do you have trouble developing digital marketing campaigns and pitching them to your customers? You’re not alone. Many...

Because customer data is at the core of the CSP program, it’s important that we clarify a few things about privacy and security.

Exchange hosting may have been your cash cow during the last few years, but it’s not going to hold water in the future. Microsoft’s CSP program now gives MSPs the opportunity to offer high-end services to their customers without having to invest in costly infrastructure, updates and security.

Microsoft has just opened two new datacenters in Toronto and Quebec City. If you buy Office 365 today, you can rest assured that all your data and email will be safely stored in Canada. Until now, all Office 365 data in North America was stored in datacenters located across the United States.

Did you know there’s a new Skype tool out there that’s designed strictly for businesses? Skype for Business isn’t free like the consumer version, but it has several features that are a better fit for business. We decided to take a better look at Skype for Business to see if it’s a worthwhile investment.

SherWeb has just launched a special offer for Microsoft Advisors. By transferring your Microsoft Advisor seats to SherWeb, you can boost your margins and take advantage of our free migration and technical support services. And it takes only 10 minutes to register and start selling!

If you’re an architect or engineer, you probably spend most of your working day on the road. You can’t run to the office every time you want to check something with a coworker or study a new detail on your building plans. So, what do you do? If your company is mobile-friendly, you can take out your smartphone or tablet and log into Office 365. Hard to believe? Recent statistics show that about 75% percent of construction firms surveyed have used mobile devices to access work-related information. Maybe you’ve been looking for a better way to keep your workers connected during a big project. You’ve heard about the advantages of mobile technology and Office 365, but you don’t really know if it’s right for your business. Here are five ways that Office 365 will simplify tasks for the engineers, architects and project managers who work on your job sites.

When considering Office 365, organizations that manage their Microsoft Exchange email system in-house are faced with an important question: should we move our email to Office 365 or keep our Exchange servers in-house? Each option has its pros and cons. This article will guide you through some of them, so you can best decide whether Exchange on-premises or Exchange Online is the best solution for your organization.

Have you heard about Office 365? Ever since it was launched in 2011, it has become Microsoft’s most popular product. By latest count, there are about 15.2 million people who use Office 365 to make their business more productive. How about you? If your business is already using Office applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you might be wondering if there’s any point to making the switch to Office 365. Is there any real difference, or is Office 365 just another version of Office Apps? You’re about to find out.

Everyone can agree, storage quotas for cloud services are increasing very quickly. And this means only one thing: cloud storage is getting dirt-cheap. This is nothing new, as organizations have been getting more and more gigabyte (GB) for their buck in the past months. Some of the industry’s biggest cloud players, like Amazon, Google and Microsoft have been engaging in a war on storage. Who will include the biggest quota at the lowest price? And who will cut down prices to low prices we've never seen before?