Secure hybrid workspaces and bolster digital collaboration with Cloud Backup
The exponential 8X increase in the daily active usage of Microsoft Teams has coincided with the proliferation of hybrid and remote workspaces. Market experts project that worker and workplace flexibility are here to stay. Morning Consult’s weekly tracker of US adults who have gone remote during the coronavirus pandemic found that 43 percent would feel uncomfortable returning to the office. In fact, surveys indicate that more than 50% of workers would indeed look for a new job if remote work were no longer an option in their current role moving forward. Staying connected and organized in secure hybrid environments has never been more critical.
Microsoft Teams has enabled this dramatic work-life transformation, thanks to remote work productivity gains despite the pandemic challenges. While this increases collaboration possibilities, it also increases security risks. With usage and adoption of Microsoft  Teams, data has proliferated, and increasingly exposed as users work in varied workspaces. Guests can upload potentially malicious files to Teams channels. Employees can accidentally upload or share files with sensitive or confidential data. Unmanaged devices, external from the organization, can connect to Teams and potentially steal or compromise data within channels.
It is however important to understand that Microsoft Teams is not a monolith. It is an amalgamation of multiple existing Microsoft applications, including SharePoint, Exchange Online, OneDrive, Wiki, Planner, and more. Surprisingly, the most significant stumbling block for Microsoft Teams is other Microsoft tools. With the plethora of options, people are still perplexed about which tool to use in which situation. When a new Team is created, it can incorporate some or all of these components. It is important to understand how to be most productive while using Microsoft Teams. and where there may be most exposure to business critical information.
Microsoft Teams Channels are foundational to digital collaboration
Channels are the collaboration spaces within a team where the actual work gets done; these dedicated sections within the team provide the basis for all digital productivity. Channels allow you to have conversations with different people from the team, project, or topic; internal or external to an organization.  They are a place where you can chat, hold meetings, add files, and collaborate with ease. Each channel can provide a persistent chat-based communication method that lets members separate topic-based conversations by channel. As hybrid work continues to remain the new normal, the distributed teams model has resulted in increasing usage of Microsoft Teams private channels.  Based on feedback from our partners, it is now the most requested backup feature from customers.
A private channel is helpful in these scenarios:
- A group of people in a team want a focused space to collaborate without creating a separate team.
- A subset of people in a team wants a private channel to discuss sensitive information, such as budgets, resourcing, strategic positioning, and so on.
For these reasons, we’re excited to share the latest enhancements for SkyKick Cloud Backup, delivering capabilities that increase customer value and protection for today’s modern work scenarios.
As of Monday, January 28, SkyKick supports the complete backup and restore of Microsoft Teams Channels – Standard and Private – including files and posts. As Private Channels are a secure group within a team, SkyKick also backs up and restores the members of each of those private channels.
SkyKick Cloud Backup: Teams and Channels now available (A – E); Up Next: Chat (F)
The hybrid work environment is here to stay. Is your organization ready?
The pandemic is winding down in most places, but experts believe that workplaces will continue to feel the effects for a long time. Hybrid and remote work are in fact likely to become even more commonplace. Microsoft Teams continues to shine as a versatile hybrid office tool. However, the need for reliable, secure backup as ransomware and malware attacks skyrocket has never been greater. SkyKick Cloud Backup delivers peace of mind by allowing organizations to secure what matters, freeing up time and resources to drive profitability and productivity.
Don’t get stuck playing catch-up to the rest of the world. Keep innovating and ensure secure work environments with SkyKick Cloud Backup.
Let us help you take action
Join MSP, Cloud and Cybersecurity sales expert Erick Simpson as he presents a brand-new 4-part Webinar and Workshop series.
Watch the first On-Demand webinars in this series, where we reveal MSP growth strategy for the post-pandemic world.
- The top 3 services that business owners are lining up to buy in 2022
- How high-performing MSPs are gearing up to sell, deliver and manage them
- The strategy you need to adopt to take full advantage of these opportunities
- The technical, security and backup strategies that increase efficiencies and profits while reducing risk
- Bonus: Insights and product demo of why SkyKick Cloud Backup is the right fit for your practice