Understanding Microsoft FastTrack: How FastTrack Helps You

Agile IT is a FastTrack Ready Partner. This means that we assist companies around the world to migrate to the cloud effectively via Microsoft’s FastTrack solution. For many businesses, starting the transition to Office 365 can be daunting. You have legacy systems, physical servers, and a whole host of other pre-cloud baggage that makes any major transition seem like an impossible task. However, it doesn’t have to be.

With Microsoft FastTrack, businesses can migrate to Office 365 rapidly and effectively by utilizing a triangle of communication and support from Microsoft, Microsoft Partners (that’s us!), and internal teams.

Let’s take a look at Microsoft FastTrack to see why it’s a solution for businesses to make the switch to more productive workflows.

What is Microsoft FastTrack?

Microsoft FastTrack is a complimentary service offered by Microsoft which helps customers onboard Microsoft Cloud solutions.

Understanding the Phases of Microsoft FastTrack

Microsoft FastTrack currently contains three phases — Envisioning, Onboarding, and Driving Value.

Envisioning

Before you even start the migration process, you need a plan. What kind of workflows are you looking to utilize on Office 365? What’s your current IT infrastructure? How can you rollout cloud solutions in a timely manner? What resources will you need to create a successful Office 365 environment? Indeed, all of these questions are answered during the envisioning phase. This all begins with an initial call to your Microsoft partner, where you will create a dynamic plan for implementation and discuss all of the barriers and goals associated with your Office 365 adoption. Microsoft will assist with optimization and feedback assistance throughout this process.

Onboarding

Now that you have a plan in place, it’s time to start the rollout. Be sure to ask critical questions along the way. The onboarding stage of FastTrack consists of setup, configuration, and provisioning of Office 365 services. This inludes data migration for those with +500 seats. It’s critical that businesses foster a relationship with their Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner prior to this stage. Microsoft will give data migration assistance for some crucial environments (e.g., IBM Domino, G Suite, Box, Google Drive, Novell GroupWise, SharePoint, IMAP servers, etc.) But, you will need a Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner to assist you with legacy migration and other complex migrations.

Data is a massive part of the cloud movement, and losing out on critical customer data can lead to revenue leakage. FastTrack Ready Partners can assist you in full-scale migration that includes complex environments and multiple data silos.

During this phase, you will also want to consult your Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner with any networking issues and capabilities. At AgileIT, we ensure that we thoroughly discuss all potential networking issues and make mission-critical changes to networking environments prior to data migration (e.g., bandwidth, DNS, infrastructure, operating systems, settings, etc.)

Driving Value

Once your cloud environment is up-and-running, you will need to bake best-of-breed practices into your processes to realize continued value. During the Driving Value stage of FastTrack, you will work with your Microsoft Partner to develop cutting-edge strategies that help you optimize your new environment.

At AgileIT, we have the strategies and capabilities to assist organizations across-the-globe in best-practice Office 365 adoption. This includes HR, Legal, sales, marketing, IT, manufacturing, government, etc. Each organization requires a granular-level view of operations to make significant changes and introduce best-of-breed practices. We offer the support that will ensure that each organization meets its goals and continues forward with value-driven cloud usage.

What Does Your Organization Get?

The FastTrack program disperses resources based on the number of seats that you have in Office 365. Those with +500 seats will receive all aspects for free as a part of their service agreement.

Currently, businesses with 0 - 49 seats receive:

The FastTrack portal access for self-serve planning & training. These are resources that help you start your FastTrack planning as well as some training on cloud environments and migrations.

Businesses with +50 - 499 seats receive:

Access to Microsoft engineers and Microsoft partners. This can help you rapidly migrate to various Office 365 environments, as well as give you assistance with security features like Azure Directory Premium and Microsoft Intune. Businesses at this level of seats receive all of the benefits except data migration.

Businesses with +500 seats receive:

All of the above benefits as well as data migration. This encompasses all phases of the solution.

Why Utilize a Microsoft Partner?

Efficient migrations should utilize both internal teams, Microsoft partners, and Microsoft engineers. This combination of resources gives you the ability to rapidly scale, migrate, and ensure long-term success.

Microsoft provides the documentation and tools (as well as the admin consoles). In fact, they give your Microsoft partner the ability to provide best-of-breed support and bake organization-wide success into your adoption plans.

At AgileIT, we provide long-term growth plans, critical migration support, data migration assistance (including complex environments), as well as strategies, workflow assistance, and plenty more for all of our partnered businesses during their FastTrack journey.

Or, as Microsoft puts it:

“Microsoft has successfully helped thousands of companies move to Microsoft 365 and knows the most efficient migration happens when a customer, along with a Microsoft partner, works hand in hand with FastTrack.” - Microsoft, Welcome to FastTrack documentation.

Final Thoughts

Are you ready to take advantage of all of the benefits that come with Office 365 adoption? Do you want faster workflows, better collaboration, and success glued to your cloud environment?

AgileIT is a 4x Microsoft Cloud Partner of the Year. Indeed, it holds over 15 gold competencies and is a FastTrack Ready Partner. If you have over 150 seats and want to take advantage of what FastTrack has to offer, schedule a call with a cloud service advisor today.