Category: Uncategorized

CollabDays Microsoft 365 Community Day

Posted by on in Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

Learn from the best Microsoft 365 speakers in the industry.

CollabDays is a Microsoft 365 community organised learning day. This free to attend, one day event offers delegates the chance to hear from some of the most high-profile Microsoft 365 speakers in the industry.

The next CollabDays event takes place on Wednesday 27th September 2023 at the National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park. And we’re really excited to be there!

Featuring a series of sessions including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Power Platform, each session is delivered by internationally renowned experts and quite often Microsoft MVPs – and presents the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about these technologies.

We’re also looking forward to visiting The National Museum of Computing. This venue houses the world’s largest collection of functional historic computers and WW2 machines, including Enigma, Lorenz the working Turing-Welchman Bombe, the rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer, and the WITCH, the world’s oldest working digital computer.

Register to attend here. We look forward to seeing you there!

Microsoft Purview – compliance in a box

Posted by on in Compliance Centre, Information Governance, Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

How to govern, protect, and manage your data estate

Microsoft Purview seems to be the new kid on the block. Everyone is talking about it – but what exactly is it, what can it do and, moreover, does your organisation need it? Marc Stephenson, Director here at Metataxis, takes a look and shares his thoughts on this Microsoft solution:

According to www.dictionary.com: Purview. Noun. The range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc. The range of vision, insight, or understanding.”

I think Microsoft has actually chosen a good name for the formally known as the “Compliance Center” product suite. (Please Microsoft can we try not to re-skin, re-factor or generally re-arrange this important area of functionality for a while now!)

At Metataxis, we are starting to find that getting to grips with Microsoft Purview is a growing demand.

What is Microsoft Purview?

Microsoft officially describes this tool as: “a unified data governance solution to help manage and govern your on-premises, multicloud, and software as a service (SaaS) data. Easily create a holistic, up-to-date map of your data landscape with automated data discovery, sensitive data classification, and end-to-end data lineage.”

Understand and govern data across your entire data estate

For years, organisations have recognised that they need to “do something” to get their compliance and records management ship in order. Today, with more sensitive data stored across apps, clouds, and devices, it’s never been harder to understand and govern sensitive information, identify data risks and manage regulatory requirements to remain compliant. And this is why only recently its has started to drive operational need.

And therein lies the key word: “operational.”

Many organisations already have compliance regimes in place, covering various levels of thoroughness, value, and application, but until they are actually in use, in other words, operational, it’s just good intentions, and maybe for some simply just box-ticking.

How Metataxis can help

Metataxis consultants are technical experts in all aspects of information risk, compliance, and records management, but crucially, we’ve spent many years implementing real-world Microsoft 365 systems for our clients. The art of this is the ability to translate the business need for compliance into a workable and scalable set of Microsoft 365 configuration settings.

Alas, this invariably involves some compromises, especially if you don’t have an E5 subscription, and only have an E1 subscription.

Thankfully, Metataxis has developed several approaches to leverage whatever Microsoft licence subscription you have and whatever compliance regime you have, into something that will work for your organisation. After all, your organisation’s “range of operation, authority, control, concern, …vision, insight, or understanding” is kind of important.

So, if you’re looking for governance, protection, and compliance solutions for your organisation’s data and assets across your environment – simply get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss how we can help you with Microsoft Purview.

Information Architecture framework supports Microsoft 365 implementation

Posted by on in Information Architecture, Information Governance, Uncategorized

19 May 23 – New information architecture framework and information governance framework for UK constabulary.

Metataxis is delighted to have delivered a comprehensive information architecture framework along with an information governance framework to ensure the successful roll out of Microsoft 365 for a large UK police force.

Having adopted Microsoft Teams during the pandemic to boost collaboration, this public sector organisation needed a clear Microsoft 365 governance and resourcing model to ensure the new platform is used appropriately and remains compliant.

The information architecture framework clearly presents the best ways to structure and manage information stored in Microsoft 365 applications across the organisation, including Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. We have also provided a set of clear recommendations and parameters for a successful information governance implementation, by defining roles and responsibilities within the organisation and looking at how the force managed compliance using Microsoft Purview.

Armed with these well-defined, compliant, information architecture and information governance frameworks, the police constabulary now has a solid base to start building their architecture and confidently kick start their Microsoft 365 journey.

Noeleen Schenk, Director at Metataxis concludes: “Bound by strict data compliance regulations and governance rules, many public sector organisations are challenged with meeting their information management requirements. With these new information architecture and information Governance frameworks, the force is now well placed to commence the successful implementation of their Microsoft 365 project, confident all governance and compliance regulations are met.”

The value of information management for Microsoft 365

Metataxis are experts in designing and delivering information management frameworks for Microsoft 365. We understand the value and importance of a well-structured, clear information architecture to support both private companies and public sector bodies effectively manage data security and meet all regulations.

Read more about our information architecture and information governance services or simply contact us to discuss how we can help your organisation today.

Microsoft Search: How to make Office 365 more powerful

Posted by on in Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

What is Microsoft Search?

Microsoft Search empowers users to find the information they need by unlocking knowledge and expertise. Integrated with Microsoft 365, it is a valuable tool that helps you quickly find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re searching for people, files, organisation charts, sites, or answers to common questions, you can use Microsoft Search throughout your work day to get answers.

Where do I find Microsoft Search?

When you’re signed in to Microsoft 365, you’ll find the new search box at the top of several of the apps in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 search

How does Microsoft Search work?

Microsoft Search is really powerful but can often be confusing to use. It includes SharePoint search (at many different levels), Office 365 search, Microsoft Teams search and it even integrates with Bing, so you can obtain search results both from the web and from your organisation—in any browser and on any device.

Conduct a smarter search

This new tool offers a host of configuration options that attempt to make the search experience efficient for users. It includes the application of machine learning and adapts to each individual user’s search query history. This makes it really personal – so other users might see different results than you, even when you both search for the same words.

Good search is essential to any system’s overall findability. Search allows people to find content they aren’t aware of or don’t know exists. For many users, search is the key feature of any Microsoft 365 implementation, especially intranets and collaboration systems. The main challenge for many organisations is that configuring search is difficult – there are just so many options to consider.

The value of well configured search

Well-configured Microsoft Search will not only allow your users to find what they are looking for; it will give them confidence that the system works for them. This in turn drives user adoption which means the machine learning aspects of search get better, which makes search better, and so a positive feedback loop is created.

How we can help

Microsoft Search is a new search offering that helps you save time by bringing you the best of the web and work in a single experience. But to really work– it needs to be configured correctly.

Metataxis can help you architect and configure Microsoft Search based on many years of real-world experience. We can explain the available search options, their pros and cons, and provide you with all the configuration detail you need to make a success of search. That way you can always find what you are looking for. If you would like to learn more, simply contact us today.

Metataxis joins Microsoft CAB & Records Management experts to support app development

Posted by on in Records Management, Uncategorized

Oct 2022 – Metataxis joins Microsoft Records Management Customer Advisory Board working group.

Metataxis is thrilled to be a member of the Microsoft Records Management Customer Advisory Board (CAB) working group.

Microsoft CAB working groups enable industry professionals to get together and suggest and share feedback with Microsoft, in order to help them develop and enhance their current capabilities to address customer challenges and new requirements.

The Microsoft Records Management Customer Advisory Board working group is made up of records and information governance professionals from the UK, United States, Australasia and Europe, including representatives from government and private sectors, consultants and National Archives institutions.

These compelling sessions offer the opportunity for Records Management experts to present and propose the developments we would like Microsoft to consider that would best serve our records management requirements.

Siobhan King, Senior Consultant at Metataxis, explains: “These valuable meetings enable us to share our challenges, experiences and requirements with other industry experts from across the globe, and in turn, support the ongoing development of Microsoft 365. Our most recent CAB meeting with Microsoft was a lively and well informed event, where we discussed the next round of records management development requests on our wish list, including version management and expiry dates.” 

Microsoft runs a quarterly cycle for considering improvements, based on the proposals put forward by industry professionals. The next round for reviewing development requests will take place in October.

Metataxis provides records management, retention and disposal solutions and to over 250 clients in the public, private and third sectors. If you would like to learn more about our record management services, simply contact us.