In the past five years, the rapid adoption of cloud based solutions in ANZ organisations has been nothing short of transformative.
Among these technological advancements, Microsoft 365 (M365) has emerged as a cornerstone for businesses Australia wide, with many companies relying entirely on its cloud native suite of tools to enhance productivity, boost collaboration across and streamline operations.
As organisations embrace the cloud, ensuring the availability, performance and security of these services has become paramount.
In 2022, the network monitoring market size surpassed USD 3 billion and is projected to record a 14% CAGR from 2023 to 2032, demonstrating the emphasis organisations are placing on gaining visibility into their M365 ecosystems. The adoption of networking solutions to deliver reliable network performance monitoring and network security services across various enterprise sizes is a further key growth driver.
M365 monitoring requires proactive vigilance and best in class network monitoring tools partnering to safeguard the applications that sit at the heart of your business operations.
Visibility of M365 Key for Modern Businesses
M365 monitoring tools enable ANZ businesses to both track the health of their M365 environment and gain deep insights into user behaviour, identifying bottlenecks in operations and creating a robust security posture. Effective monitoring is crucial for the following reasons:
- Early Detection and Issue Mitigation: Through proactive monitoring of Microsoft 365, businesses can swiftly identify and resolve performance issues and potential disruptions before they escalate, ensuring continuous operations and high user satisfaction.
- Enhanced User Interaction and Performance: Monitoring Microsoft 365 ensures a smooth experience for users by tracking application performance metrics, response times, and user interactions, leading to enhanced productivity and user satisfaction.
- Safeguarding Critical Data: The tools available for Microsoft 365 monitoring play a pivotal role in preventing data loss by tracking user activities and detecting patterns that may pose risks, thus ensuring the protection and integrity of sensitive information.
- Resource Utilisation and Strategic Planning: Insightful monitoring of resource usage within the Microsoft 365 framework aids in informed decision-making for resource allocation and network capacity planning, optimising overall system performance.
- Supporting Business Continuity: Continuous monitoring of Microsoft 365 services guarantees their availability and responsiveness, playing a key role in maintaining business operations and reducing potential revenue losses due to downtime.
- Informed Business Strategies: The data derived from monitoring Microsoft 365 offers crucial insights into user engagement, application usage, and performance trends, empowering businesses to make strategic decisions and optimise operational processes.
- Effective Cost Management: Implementing a robust monitoring strategy can help organisations identify and reduce unnecessary resource usage in Microsoft 365, leading to more efficient budget management and cost savings.
- Ensuring Vendor Responsibility: Regular monitoring holds cloud service providers accountable to their SLAs, providing leverage for businesses in discussions and negotiations to ensure promised service levels are met.
Paessler PRTG: Addressing Microsoft 365 Network Monitoring Challenges
Paessler PRTG provides targeted solutions to the specific challenges faced in monitoring Microsoft 365 networks. From enhancing visibility across complex network landscapes to ensuring robust security event monitoring, PRTG’s comprehensive suite of tools effectively addresses the key issues identified in network monitoring for Microsoft 365.
Challenge: Lack of Visibility
Network monitoring for Microsoft 365 can be challenging due to the lack of visibility into networks and infrastructure between users and cloud services. This makes it difficult to diagnose issues, whether they arise in the user environment, ISP’s network, or within the cloud provider’s environment.
Paessler PRTG Monitoring Solution: Increased Visibility
Paessler PRTG offers a solution to this challenge by providing comprehensive and user-friendly tools for monitoring the entire network. It includes pre configured Microsoft 365 sensors for easy setup and real-time visibility into network performance, quickly identifying and addressing issues.
Challenge: Network Delivery and ISP Network Visibility
Understanding how user traffic reaches cloud-based apps and gaining visibility into third-party ISP networks are crucial for diagnosing and addressing network issues effectively.
Paessler PRTG Monitoring Solution: Enhanced Network and ISP Monitoring
PRTG enables detailed monitoring of network traffic, including ISP networks. It provides insights into the traffic patterns and performance, allowing for better management and troubleshooting of network-related issues.
Challenge: Application and End-User Experience Visibility
Ensuring the availability and performance of Office 365 apps globally is important for a good user experience, but this can be challenging due to distributed networks and apps.
Paessler PRTG Monitoring Solution: Application and User Experience Monitoring
PRTG offers tools for monitoring the functionality of Microsoft 365 programs and services around the clock. It provides alerts in case of errors and disruptions, ensuring minimal downtime and maintaining user productivity.
Challenge: Security Event Monitoring
Monitoring for security breaches, unauthorised access, or malware activity within the network is vital but challenging due to the complexity of the network environment.
Paessler PRTG Monitoring Solution: Comprehensive Security Monitoring
Paessler PRTG includes features for security event monitoring, constantly scanning for signs of unauthorised access or other security breaches. It integrates with SIEM systems, enhancing the overall security posture.
Challenge: Integrated Monitoring for Network and Application Health
Integrated monitoring of network and application health is needed to determine the source of performance issues accurately.
Paessler PRTG Monitoring Solution: Integrated Monitoring Capabilities
PRTG allows for an integrated view of application and network performance. It provides detailed statistics and reports, helping in pinpointing the source of performance issues effectively.
As we move into 2024, the need for robust network monitoring of Microsoft 365 environments becomes increasingly crucial. Paessler PRTG stands out as a comprehensive solution, adeptly addressing visibility, security, and performance challenges. To explore how Paessler PRTG can transform your organisation’s network monitoring capabilities and to experience a trial, book a meeting with HAT Distribution today.