This article is the first in a 3-part series on the data protection required for AI-readiness:
Comprehensive > Compliant > Complete
Recently, Microsoft announced that accelerating AI transformation will be a primary focus in FY25, offering MSPs a significant opportunity to guide their customers through this journey. With its availability in the SMB sector, customers are increasingly anxious about their readiness for AI. However, before jumping into AI deployment, it is important to start with the fundamentals. Join us as we explore why robust M365 adoption and comprehensive protection are the first steps before moving toward AI.
Leveraging corporate data with Copilot
As businesses look to boost innovation and efficiency through technology, Microsoft Copilot provides a competitive edge. One of Copilot’s most powerful features is its ability to harness corporate data to generate better responses. The more data fed from Microsoft 365 (M365) applications; the more effective Copilot can become. As an MSP, it is important to understand the extent of your customers’ M365 usage, whether they are using email or the full suite of services. Your customers‘ usage will often correlate to the amount of data available. This foundational data allows Copilot to deliver more relevant insights, driving stronger business outcomes.
Maximize your Microsoft investment through strong usage
Before harnessing Copilot’s cutting-edge capabilities, businesses must seek to make the most of their existing(M365) subscription. Utilizing the comprehensive suite of M365 sets the stage for Copilot’s capabilities across the platform. Copilot is designed to integrate seamlessly across the M365 ecosystem, and the advantages are fully appreciated only when there is substantial customer adoption.
Additionally with businesses consolidating the number of SaaS applications to drive efficiency– it is important for customers to understand the cost and potential disadvantage of leveraging non-Microsoft platforms for collaboration and communication. This is where partners can drive adoption by educating customers on the benefits of leveraging newer M365 workloads like Microsoft Teams and Planner.
The importance of comprehensive data protection
Data protection remains a critical priority, regardless of how extensively M365 is used. Reliable backup solutions are essential to guard against data loss, corruption, or breaches, ensuring that critical information is always secure and recoverable. It is important to consider a data protection solution that covers all the services that your customers use, as data can be created across the Microsoft 365 platform. It is also important to think about whether your current data protection solution can protect newer workloads like Microsoft Teams and Planner. As an MSP, you have a key role in advocating for and implementing these necessary data protection measures.
Ensuring Copilot-readiness
To prepare your customers for Copilot, ensure they have adopted M365 and have a solid backup solution in place. SkyKick Cloud Backup provides a comprehensive and efficient way to safeguard all M365 data including Microsoft Outlook, Exchange, OneDrive for Business, Teams, and Planner. Don’t wait until it’s too late—ensure your customers have the data protection they need to fully leverage Copilot’s capabilities.
We’re here to help!
To help you get ahead, SkyKick has translated Microsoft’s top 5 priorities for the new fiscal year into a practical AI transformation journey that you can implement as your customers begin adopting AI technologies like Copilot. To discover how SkyKick can assist you in executing these steps, check out our recent blog to learn more!
