Office 365 Support
Office 365 works best when it's designed with your business in mind. We help you get structure, cost control, backup and security right — so the platform stays easy to use and easy to manage.
Understanding Your Business Comes First
At Dataforge, we start by understanding how your company actually operates. Every organization is different. Departments work in different ways, people create and consume information differently, and not all data has the same long-term value.
Once we understand those fundamentals, we can design a structure that fits naturally. Just like a well-organized filing system, a good Office 365 setup should feel obvious. People should know where things belong without having to think about it.
"Just like any filing system, structure is key so people understand where things are by instinct."
When structure matches how people work, adoption improves on its own.
Structure Before Tools
We look at how the business operates, what it requires, and who owns the data — then we design the structure.
Making Good Use of OneDrive and SharePoint
Clear roles for personal and shared data make Office 365 easier to use and easier to manage.
OneDrive
OneDrive works best as a user's personal workspace — their digital "home." It's ideal for drafts, working files, and individual content.
SharePoint
SharePoint shines when it reflects the organization itself. We often take a department-based approach, working directly with department managers who understand their data best. That collaboration helps ensure shared information is organized in a way that actually makes sense day-to-day.
Keeping Costs Predictable Over Time
Office 365 costs are usually very reasonable when things are aligned properly. The key is matching licenses to roles and revisiting those decisions as the business evolves.
Storage is another area where planning pays off. As data grows, having visibility into how it's used — and how long it needs to be kept — allows costs to remain predictable. With the right structure, growth doesn't have to mean surprise expenses.
Backup is part of that picture as well. Having independent backups provides flexibility, faster recovery options, and long-term protection that many businesses value.
Our Approach to Backup and Data Insight
We use our own infrastructure to back up Office 365 data. This gives customers clarity and control over where their data lives and how it's protected.
"Many of our customers appreciate and even require that. They know where their data is, we know where it is."
Because we manage the backup systems directly, we can support long-term archival, fast restores, and deeper insight into data growth. Backup data becomes more than just insurance — it becomes a useful source of information for planning and decision-making.
- Long-term archival (including tape)
- Fast restores when files are removed or changed
- Insight into data growth and composition
- Clarity on where your data lives
Security That Fits the Business
Office 365 provides strong security tools. When they're configured properly, they work very well.
Multi-factor authentication, location-aware access, and device controls all play a role. Security is always a balance between protection and usability. Our role is to help you understand the options, the risks, and the trade-offs, and then design something that works comfortably for your team. Practical security that people actually use is always better than theoretical perfection.
"When you add security, usability goes down. That's why many companies don't protect themselves fully."
For MFA we often recommend solutions that are easier on users — for example push-based authentication that prompts the phone (such as DUO), rather than systems that constantly require manual code entry. Adoption matters.
Ongoing Management Makes the Difference
Office 365 isn't a static system. People change roles, data grows, and business needs evolve. Periodic reviews help keep licensing aligned, storage efficient, and security consistent.
"Roles change so licensing needs to be reviewed. Costs are the biggest thing to watch as your data grows."
We're used to thinking in terms of tiered storage and long-term planning — approaches that have been common in larger environments for years. Applying those same ideas in Office 365 helps organizations stay organized and cost-efficient as they grow. Not all data needs to live in the most expensive tier forever.
What the First 90 Days Can Look Like
When customers are willing to spend time with us and involve their teams, the results can be significant.
"When customers allocate time with us — with their people — we can change everything."
In the first few months, we focus on creating a clear, lasting data structure, reviewing licensing, and putting smart storage strategies in place. Often, it's simply a matter of bringing organization and intention to a platform that's already capable.
With good structure and thoughtful planning, Office 365 becomes easier to use, easier to manage, and easier to scale — now and into the future. This isn't new theory. It's how large organizations have operated for a long time. We do the same thing, and we bring that experience to Office 365.
Office 365 FAQs
The two we see most are organization and structure, and cost. Many companies get Office 365 and email, but OneDrive and SharePoint are used inconsistently or not at all—files end up everywhere. Cost creeps up through licensing that doesn't match roles, storage growth once you exceed what Microsoft includes, and backup. We help with structure first, then licensing and storage so costs stay predictable.
We look at how your company operates—who creates data, who consumes it, who owns it—and what the business actually requires. Once we understand those fundamentals, we design a structure that fits. Just like a filing system: structure is key so people know where things belong by instinct.
Microsoft provides availability, not full backup. If data is deleted, corrupted, or removed, recovery options are limited unless you have your own backup. We use our own infrastructure to back up Office 365. Many customers want that—they know where their data is, and so do we. We can do long-term archival, fast restores, and use backup data to understand growth and composition.
Often it's a combination of three things: licenses that don't match roles (and roles change over time), storage costs once you exceed what Microsoft includes, and the cost of your own backup. We review licensing and storage and can design tiered storage so not everything sits in the most expensive tier. With good structure and tiering, costs stay predictable long-term.
Security and usability always trade off—when you add security, usability goes down. We help you understand the risks and design something that works for your team. For MFA we often recommend solutions that prompt the phone (like DUO) rather than manual codes, so adoption is easier. Practical security people actually use is better than theoretical perfection.
No. Roles change so licensing should be reviewed. Data grows so storage and cost need to be watched. We're used to tiered storage and ongoing management—the same thinking large enterprises have used for years. Applying that to Office 365 keeps things organized and cost-efficient as you grow.
If you allocate time and involve your people, we can establish a lasting data structure, review licensing right away, and review storage and design tiering to keep costs under control. Often it's a fresh look and proper organization. With structure and storage tiering in place, costs stay predictable—we bring the same approach large organizations have used for a long time.
We focus on understanding your business and deploying what you need—not just selling licenses and doing a migration. We use our own technology and expertise to help with storage and cost control. We run a lot in-house—storage, systems, backup—so we're used to the discipline and organization that systems like Office 365 benefit from. That keeps us sharp on structure, tiering, and ongoing management.