Cloud Assessment: 2-wk assessment on effective, secure use of Azure & Microsoft 365

The purpose of this assessment is to improve a customer's use of both Azure and Microsoft 365 with a focus on six (6) core factors: architecture, design, cost, best practices, security, and compliancy. Leveraging our expertise in Modern Work, IMS will identify how your business can improve your operational goals by effectively using Azure and Microsoft 365 resources, models, and licenses. With a stringent focus on security and compliancy, IMS will help customers detect possible threats and concerns in their environment and strengthen their posture by properly applying Identity and Access Management (IAM), Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Defender, Automated Information Protection, and more. IMS will help your business better understand the depth-and-breadth of features within Azure and Microsoft 365 and help you plan the best combination of services for your overall needs.

ASSESSMENT FACTORS Architecture: access current Azure and Microsoft 365 resources deployed and evaluate use and efficiency against customer workloads. Design: post architecture assessment providing suggestions for improvement including a migration roadmap. Cost: evaluate current usage, licenses, and resource costs sharing pathways for cost savings (bundles, appropriate licenses, reserved instances, etc). Best practices: assess implementation against current best practices including configuration guidance and roadmap for execution. Compliance: identify required or desired compliance measures and evaluate implementation against controls (including remediation roadmap). Security: evaluate current state, discuss, and prioritize actionable security roadmap.

IMS uses Secure Score to evaluate the Microsoft 365 licenses and deployment. Our expertise converts the insights into actions, sharing with our customers reasonable and prudent measures to improve deployment and use.

Using other proprietary tools and a team of certified Azure Architects, we review all aspects of the Azure deployment looking specifically for efficiency in use, cost, and applying appropriate security. We perform a thorough cost management analysis examining cost trends, resource groups, and individual elements. At the conclusion of the assessment, we provide a full report on findings including highlighting actions to take to adhere to best practices, save money, gain performance efficiencies, improve security, and align to compliance requirements.

PROCESS The assessment starts with a kick-off interview where our engineers learn about your relevant workflows and requirements. Post kick-off, IMS will be given access to the Microsoft tenant and begin the assessment - which includes a full inventory of all Microsoft assets accessible within a single tenant. As the assessment progresses, IMS may have additional questions to clarify findings and requirements. Once the assessment is complete, IMS will produce and deliver a PowerPoint report, and set a meeting to review the report and recommendations.

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide timely access for IMS staff into Microsoft tenant.
2. Timely responses to kick-off interview and questions; delays greater than 2 business days will very likely delay delivery of report and recommendations.

EXCLUSIONS

1. 2-week assessment (and $8,000 cost) is intended for Azure environments with fewer than 1500 employees and fewer than 100 distinct/unique resources. If more assets are identified, additional costs may be incurred or required.
2. No third-party, non-Microsoft plug-ins are included in the assessment. Should the customer request evaluation of a third-party utility where IMS has expertise, additional fees will apply to complete that aspect of the assessment.
3. No response actions are included in this assessment. This is an evaluation and reporting service which includes recommendations. IMS can perform remediation actions and monthly services, but those are not included in this product.