Since its creation in 2011, Microsoft 365 has become the go-to productivity suite amassing over 250 million average monthly users in 2021. Microsoft 365 became critical for many companies as they navigated through the pandemic. During a time when people have never felt more separated, Microsoft 365 brought them together and gave people the tools to collaborate, communicate and feel connected once again, even when miles apart. Post pandemic, more businesses than ever are looking to join the millions by also adopting Microsoft 365, and for good reason.
The Catch
All this being said, such an inclusive service doesn’t come without its technical challenges. Microsoft 365 services are heavy on your internet links. This shouldn’t be of too much concern if you only have a few staff using Microsoft 365 at one time, but as your business scales and gains more users, the demand on your bandwidth scales with it. Allowing too many users access to Microsoft 365 without the right Broadband in place will undoubtably slow down or even freeze your systems.
This shouldn’t scare you off adopting Microsoft 365, with online use in businesses only becoming larger the need for better broadband is inevitable. Having the right broadband in place simply gives your business the freedom to adopt the tools it needs without any concerns of slow services and/or system downtime. In this blog, we will shine a light on this often-overlooked Microsoft 365 secret, and give you an insight into what applications your broadband would need to account for.
Teams
Microsoft Teams is an audio, video, and chat-based collaboration platform, that has been Microsoft’s only communication program since it became the official replacement to Skype for Business, and Microsoft Classroom in 2019.
Microsoft 365 and its cloud-based applications such as Teams, are broadband hungry and require more bandwidth to run effectively than traditional versions of Office. For example, Microsoft Teams calls are often recorded and uploaded to Microsoft Stream to allow them to be shared with colleagues. Uploading video files to the internet will always put pressure on the upload capacity of your internet line, and impact the performance of all users on your network.
When bringing Teams into your business you’ll need to ensure that the network connection quality is not only low-latency and provides enough bandwidth, but it’s also consistent so that the user doesn’t suffer from issues like jitter. The need for good internet is especially important when it comes to video calling, it can take up to 1.1Mbps to stream an HD video call.
Whilst Video, audio, and chat-based services are Teams main purpose it also acts as a front door to SharePoint. Every time you create a new team in Teams, you’re also creating a new Microsoft 365 group, Calendar, Planner and SharePoint team site, all of which take a toll on your bandwidth.
OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service that enables users to share and synchronize their files through the cloud. the platform works by bringing together chats, video calling and files with many Microsoft and non-Microsoft apps. This creates one singular workspace that can be accessed by any device at any time by the end-user, allowing for much greater freedom and flexibility when it comes to their work. Unfortunately, getting more, in this case, means you need to give more, OneDrive is the most bandwidth-intensive service that Microsoft 365 provides.
OneDrive’s architecture is what makes it a heavy bandwidth user. To put this in perspective, any document in OneDrive has been uploaded automatically to the cloud with each adjustment made to it. It is then simultaneously downloaded to the devices of all individuals with permission to access that document. This could happen multiple times throughout the day and each upload/download for each user puts pressure on your bandwidth.
This constant updating, uploading, and downloading of files is a common theme that runs throughout Microsoft 365 services, it allows for much greater real-time collaboration but in turn, requires larger amounts of bandwidth to be used.
The Solution your Business Needs
Microsoft 365 offers a whole host of useful applications and is understandably the most popular productivity suite in the world. Because Microsoft 365 data is stored in a linked/shared architecture and provides applications such as Teams and OneDrive, it makes collaboration and communication feel as streamlined as possible. Unfortunately, acquiring more tools and streamlining collaboration means inadvertently your business will need to prepare itself for higher broadband use, especially if you have a significant number of users.
Businesses that look to move to Microsoft 365 often get caught out and can find themselves with all the tools they need but not enough bandwidth to effectively run them. entrust IT have worked countless businesses putting the right network solutions in place, in turn allowing them to run effectively and focus on what matters. Additionally, entrust IT are partners with Microsoft for the provision of cloud services including Microsoft 365 and can provide your business with their Microsoft 365 License at no extra cost than when bought from Microsoft, we would also provide you with access to our excellent IT support available 24/7 x 365.
Are you concerned your current broadband doesn’t provide the speeds your business needs? Or feel your business would benefit from the implementation of Microsoft 365? Please feel free to get in touch with one of our experienced consultants on 0330 002 0045 or email enquiries@entrustit.co.uk
