Cloud IT
Microsoft 365 and Azure, done properly
We’re a Microsoft partner and most of what we do sits on Microsoft 365 and Azure. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
How a Microsoft 365 migration actually runs
Stage 1 – Discovery. We document what you’ve got: where email lives now, what’s on the file server, which apps talk to which, and who actually needs what. This is where we find the things nobody mentions in the first meeting – the shared mailbox everyone uses as a filing system, the one machine that runs the accounting job.
Stage 2 – Design and build. We build the new tenant before we move anything into it. Security settings, conditional access, MFA, licensing right-sized to what people actually use, and the SharePoint structure decided in advance rather than left to grow wild. This is the stage rushed migrations skip, and it’s why people end up with hundreds of Teams sites and no idea where anything lives.
Stage 3 – Pilot. A small group moves first, across different roles, and uses it for real work. Whatever breaks, breaks for five people instead of fifty.
Stage 4 – Cutover. Data pre-syncs in the background beforehand, so the final switch is short – usually a Friday evening or a weekend, with mailboxes and files landing before Monday. The old system stays available as a safety net until everyone’s settled.
Stage 5 – Aftercare. Someone from our team is on the phones the first Monday. Then we tidy up: retire the old server, close the old licences, and hand over documentation of how it’s all put together.
You get the timeline upfront, so your team knows exactly what changes and when.
SharePoint - where your files should live
SharePoint is where your files should live, but only if the structure is designed. Dumping a mapped drive into one document library is how you end up with a search that never finds anything.
We map your folders to sites and libraries first, set permissions at library level rather than folder-by-folder, and turn on version history so a wrong overwrite is a two-click fix.
Teams - it sits on top of SharePoint
Teams sits on top of SharePoint – every Team quietly creates a site behind it.
Left alone, staff spin up Teams for one conversation and abandon them, and within a year nobody knows which is current. We set naming, ownership and expiry so it stays navigable.
Entra ID - the front door to all of it
Entra ID (Microsoft’s identity service, formerly Azure AD) is the front door to all of it.
Getting it right means MFA on everyone, conditional access rules that block sign-ins from places you don’t operate, admin accounts separated from everyday accounts, and joiners and leavers handled through one process instead of five.
Azure - where it's worth it, and where it isn't
Azure is the right answer for a server that genuinely can’t move to a SaaS product, and for anyone who’d rather not replace a physical server every five years.
It is not automatically cheaper – a lifted-and-shifted server running 24/7 in Azure can cost more than the box it replaced. We’ll model the monthly run cost before you commit, and tell you if the honest answer is to keep the hardware another two years.
The backup gap nobody mentions
Moving to the cloud does not mean your data is backed up. Microsoft keeps the service running; protecting your content from deletion, ransomware or a departing staff member stays your responsibility, and retention periods run out faster than people expect.
We add Datto backup across Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, and we test restores rather than trusting a green tick. It’s the most common gap we find taking over someone else’s cloud setup.
Cloud IT security
Moving to Microsoft 365 does not make you secure on its own. The tenant has to be hardened – MFA on everyone, conditional access, legacy authentication switched off, mailbox rules monitored – and then it has to be watched.
We run Huntress, a 24/7 security operations centre, across the businesses we manage, and we’re certified to SMB1001 Gold ourselves. See how we handle cyber security.
Testimonials
IT Live has been our IT partner for over 8 years. They've been fantastic since day 1. We love their sense of humour - in this industry, you need IT!
Nicki Paramore
nsaTax
Thank you for the concerted effort and great service from all at IT Live during the changeover, it wasn’t a 5-minute job that’s for sure. Very professional, helpful in explaining things and prompt in sorting things out – as indeed Brandon was again today.
Bill Collins
Director,
LouvreTec
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud IT?
Cloud IT means running your systems - email, files, apps and backups - on secure internet-hosted platforms like Microsoft 365, instead of a server sitting in your office. It usually means lower hardware costs, work-from-anywhere access and easier scaling. IT Live plans, moves and manages the whole thing for you.
How does a Microsoft 365 migration work?
We plan first - what email, files and apps you are on now, and where they need to land. We set up Microsoft 365 properly (security and backup included), then move your data in a staged cutover, usually after hours or over a weekend. We test before go-live and keep the old system as a safety net until everything is settled.
How long does a cloud migration take?
It depends on your size and how much data you are moving, but most small-business migrations run over one to a few weeks of planning, with the actual cutover done in a single evening or weekend. We give you a timeline upfront so staff know exactly what changes and when.
Is my data safe and backed up in the cloud?
The platform is reliable, but Microsoft does not back up your data against deletion, ransomware or a departing staff member - that responsibility stays with you. We add third-party backup (Datto SaaS Protection) plus security like MFA and Huntress, so your email and files can be restored fast if something goes wrong.
Can you support our existing Microsoft 365?
Yes. Many clients come to us with Microsoft 365 half set up and no one really managing it. We tidy the licences, lock down security, sort out Teams and SharePoint, and take ongoing management off your plate - you do not have to migrate again to work with us.