Cloud done deliberately, not by default
Most businesses are already using the cloud in some form. Far fewer have it configured well. Licences get bought as they are needed, files end up spread across OneDrive, Teams and an old file server, and security settings are left at whatever the default happened to be.
Sterling IT designs cloud environments around how a business actually works. We plan the structure before the migration, move the data with a tested process, configure the security controls properly, and then manage the environment on an ongoing basis.
As a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider we supply and manage your licensing directly, which means one point of contact for both the subscriptions and the support.
Cloud services in detail
Microsoft SharePoint
SharePoint replaces the traditional file server with a structured, permissioned document platform that works the same from the office, from home and from a phone.
We design the site and library structure, set metadata and version history, configure permissions by role rather than by individual, enable co-authoring, and set retention policies so documents are kept and disposed of according to your obligations.
Microsoft 365
Exchange Online for mail, the Office applications, OneDrive for personal storage and Entra ID for identity, licensed at the plan that suits your business rather than the one that looked easiest.
We review your licence mix regularly, because most organisations are paying for seats and features they no longer use.
Microsoft Teams
Teams works well when it is structured and poorly when it is left to grow on its own. We set up the team and channel structure, connect it to the right SharePoint libraries, and control guest access.
We can also deploy Teams Phone with direct routing, so calls, meetings and chat all run through one platform.
Microsoft Azure
For workloads that still need a server, Azure provides virtual machines, virtual desktops, site-to-site networking and Entra Domain Services without the hardware refresh cycle.
We right-size the resources and review consumption monthly, because unmanaged Azure spend grows quietly.
SIT CLOUD
Our own hosted platform, for businesses that want their systems in an Australian-managed environment with a provider they can call directly.
Suited to line-of-business applications that do not have a viable software-as-a-service equivalent, and to organisations with data residency requirements.
Cloud backup and recovery
Microsoft protects its infrastructure, not your data. Retention in Microsoft 365 is limited and a deletion or ransomware event can put files beyond reach.
We deploy independent backup for Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams through CloudAlly and Datto, verify the backups, and test restores rather than assume them.
Identity and access security
Multi-factor authentication across every account, conditional access rules based on device and location, and privileged accounts separated from day-to-day ones.
Email protection through Barracuda, plus signature management through Exclaimer so branding stays consistent across the organisation.
Device management
Intune enrolment for Windows and Mac, policy-based configuration, application deployment and compliance reporting.
A new starter’s laptop arrives configured, and a departing employee’s access and company data are removed the same day.
Not sure which of these you need?
Most businesses need three or four of them, not all nine. A short review tells us which.
How a migration runs
Migrations fail on planning, not on technology. This is the sequence we follow, and we will tell you before we start what will change for your staff.
Discovery and assessment
We document what you have: data volumes, mailbox sizes, applications, line-of-business dependencies and current licensing. This is where most surprises get found.
Design and licensing
Tenant configuration, site and library structure, naming conventions, permission model and the licence mix, agreed in writing before anything moves.
Pilot group
A small group moves first, usually across a range of roles, so problems are found on five people rather than on fifty.
Staged data migration
Bulk data is copied and kept in sync ahead of cut-over, so the final switch moves only what has changed and the outage window stays short.
Cut-over
Scheduled outside business hours, with DNS and mail routing changed, endpoints reconfigured and someone on hand on the first morning back.
Training and handover
Short practical sessions on what has changed, written documentation of the environment, then ongoing management under a service agreement.
SharePoint or a file server?
This is the question we are asked most. There is no universal answer, but there are clear indicators.
SharePoint suits distributed teams, external collaboration and organisations that want to retire server hardware. A local file server still makes sense for very large media files, for applications that expect mapped drives, and for sites with poor internet. Many businesses end up with both for a period, and that is a legitimate design rather than a failure.
Start with a cloud review.
We will look at your current tenant, licensing and file structure, and give you a written view of what to fix, what to move and what to leave alone.
