A Message from Qi Ltd
First and foremost, we hope that you and yours are keeping well. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to those who are battling the pandemic, patients, and front-line staff alike.
Qi continues to work as ‘usual’, albeit from our homes in the majority with very limited attendance when necessary at our Buchan House offices.
Our support desks are fully manned and we are here to speak with you, share screens with you and support all our customers.
Optimise your current software deployment
Qi continues to deliver our QiCover meetings (remotely) reviewing our customer’s use of their solutions both Sage and Microsoft, signposting them to areas of optimisation that can be done in house in addition to developing additional functionality where required.
Many of our customers have commented that one of the ‘upsides’ of this crisis – lies in the fact that there is more time to do the internal systems housekeeping and improvements that have been identified and on ‘the list’ but have never quite made it to the top of it.
It’s hard to for many to find ‘upsides’ at the moment but we love the positive attitude of those that can.
Qi Good News Update! (We all need some of that)
We completed a Sage 50 Accounts and Sage Manufacturing migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central in 9 working days from start to finish with all services delivered remotely.
Office 365 is being relied on more than ever before
As businesses find a new way of working in these extremely difficult times cloud- based software has become for everyone, business critical.
Office 365 SaaS is proving to be a crucial tool to support teams as they work from home to keep in touch with each other and most importantly with their customers and suppliers.
Get the right Office 365 Partner
Licensing your Office 365 Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) – what’ the difference?
- If you are in contract with Microsoft directly, then consider going a via CSP partner instead. There is no cost difference to your licensing and Qi can do this for you with your permissionwithout affecting your use.
- If you have a CSP partner you pay them not Microsoft and they manage your licence payments and renewals via a dedicated partner support portal with Microsoft. You no longer have to pay by credit card and worry about registering new cards and so on.
- Enquire as to whether you can get Office 365 enhanced support with your new CSP free of charge for a fixed period to give your staff additional support during period of remote working.
Qi for example, is offering a 3-month support period, free of charge for customers that nominate Qi as their CSP in the next 30 days.
- This additional cover provides you with a closer link to Microsoft via Qi’s dedicated partner support portal with Microsoft. This improves response times if Microsoft needs to be contacted. As an example, QiCover 365 we can manage email addresses and mailbox set up and changes.
Why make Qi your Microsoft Office CSP?
- By transferring your registration for your Office 365 to Qi at no cost to you and benefitting from Qi Cover 365 your benefits will include these services:
- Setting up of additional users
- Assistance with connectivity issues
- Guidance through the improved 2-Factor authentication protocol now considered essential
- The Setup of additional domains
- The Setup of Shared mailboxes and distribution lists
- Qi Cover 365 includes SharePoint Document Management – ensuring that as you use this great application already included in your Office 365 subscription you have a port of call to ensure you maintain your SharePoint Library correctly. Office 365 currently offers its licensees over 20 apps – and this is growing.
Act now regarding Office 365 Teams and SharePoint apps
Qi recommends all businesses who have not already done so, seek advice and guidance regarding the implementation of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.
Your business will be further supported via access to:
- Online meetings
- Online training capabilities
- Staff collaboration
- Project Management
- SharePoint integration/basic but structured cloud library set up
- VOIP capabilities (with your colleagues and external Skype and Teams users)
All accessible from any internet connected device. Anywhere.
(Qi is offering a discounted fixed price for a Teams deployment to assist businesses in this period of lockdown)
Back up your Office 365 to the cloud with third party software
The Full Metal Jacket for Office 365 use and support with Qi Ltd
There is enough uncertainty in the workplace currently and no business wants any more to deal with if that can be avoided!
It will always be the case that cybercrime is rife when criminals identify vulnerability caused by crisis and fear.
Therefore 3rd party SaaS backups are crucial for security. Microsoft now recommends in their SLA that Office 365 users deploy additional back up for Office 365.
For customers who nominate Qi as their CSP and have QiCover 365 we are offering to include Qi Office 365 SaaS protect at a discounted rate as part of our Full Metal Jacket piece. Please see the link for the huge benefits this offers and a further link to Microsoft’s SLA
This Qi Full Metal Jacket Office 365 approach provides in summary:
- Support on Office 365 emails
- Support on SharePoint
- Support on Teams
- SaaS back up for email, SharePoint,and Teams (Microsoft now recommend 3rd Party backups)
- Peace of mind knowing your Office 365platform support will in turn support your business
Thought for the Day
Microsoft Cloud Solutions Providers will make a small commission for processing the billing of Office 365 licences for end users but the right CSP will also give you more reactive and personal support on and around Office 365 use and its solutions. To the right CSP you are a customer with a face, a name and a business to run. To Microsoft you will only be a service ticket number. Get in contact with Qi and find out what we can do to support you.