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January 14, 2025

Why Consolidation Beats Fragmentation with Assure 365

Businesses of all sizes constantly seek ways to optimise their IT operations while reducing costs and complexity. With countless tools, vendors and systems, many organisations find themselves bogged down by complexity instead of focusing on what really matters: growth and security. The result? Missed opportunities, higher costs and increased vulnerability to cyber threats. 

Did you know the average organisation uses 10-15 security vendors and between 60-70 security tools? This overwhelming sprawl, highlighted in the 2024 Gartner® Cyber Security Vendor Consolidation Report, leads to alert fatigue and inefficiency. It’s no wonder that by 2024, 75% of organisations were already consolidating their security vendors to regain control and simplify operations. 

Enter Assure 365— your trusted partner for cutting through the noise. By combining advanced security tools with managed services, we help businesses unlock the full potential of their Microsoft 365 investments, ensuring they’re secure, resilient and ready for what’s next. 

This article explores why consolidation outperforms fragmentation and how Assure 365 delivers enhanced security, operational efficiency and business growth—all while addressing the complexities of modern IT environments. 

The Problem with Fragmented IT Environments 

Fragmentation often occurs when businesses rely on a patchwork of tools and services from different vendors to manage their IT infrastructure. While this approach may seem practical in the short term, it often leads to long-term complications, including: 

  • Increased Complexity: Managing multiple systems and vendors is time-consuming and demands significant effort from your IT team. 
  • Higher Costs: Fragmented solutions often come with overlapping features and redundant expenses. 
  • Security Gaps: Disparate systems can create blind spots, which makes it challenging to identify and respond to threats. 
  • Tool Sprawl: Using too many security tools can lead to alert fatigue, management complexity and a lack of integration.  
  • Visibility Challenges: Relying on multiple tools can obscure the big picture, increasing vulnerabilities and creating board-level concerns about return on investment and the effectiveness of security strategies. 

For SMBs, these challenges can be particularly daunting, as they often lack the resources to manage complex IT ecosystems effectively and it creates difficulty to show the business impact the investment is having. 

Why Consolidation is the Future 

Consolidating your IT operations into a unified platform offers numerous benefits that directly address the issues posed by fragmentation. Here are the key reasons why businesses are moving towards consolidation: 

  1. Enhanced Security Management 

Assure 365 utilises Microsoft Security within Microsoft 365 to provide a fully managed service. By leveraging Microsoft’s comprehensive security tools, businesses can maximise their investments while reducing the risks associated with fragmented systems. A unified security framework ensures better integration, advanced threat detection and identity protection. 

  1. Tool Consolidation 

Managing too many security tools often leads to inefficiencies and increased complexity. Assure 365 reduces this burden by consolidating essential security functions into a single platform. This eliminates alert fatigue and streamlines operations, enabling IT teams to focus on proactive strategies rather than firefighting. 

  1. Improved Visibility 

A consolidated platform offers greater visibility across your IT environment, making identifying vulnerabilities and responding to threats easier. Assure 365 provides actionable insights and business-led reporting bolsters security and addresses board-level concerns about ROI and strategy effectiveness. 

  1. Streamlined Vendor Management 

Managing multiple vendors involves significant time and effort, from onboarding and training to contract renewals and integration. Assure 365 simplifies this process by offering a single, managed solution, reducing the burden on IT teams and ensuring consistent service delivery. 

  1. Scalability 

Assure 365 grows with your business. Whether adding new users or expanding your services, a consolidated platform can quickly scale to meet your evolving needs without compromising security. 

Assure 365: The All-in-One Solution for SMBs 

Assure 365 is not just about productivity tools—it is a comprehensive managed security service that ensures your Microsoft 365 investments are maximised to deliver protection and resilience. Here’s how Assure 365 stands out in addressing the critical security needs of SMBs: 

  • Security-Driven Focus: Assure 365 prioritises cybersecurity by leveraging Microsoft’s enterprise-grade tools, such as Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Defender and advanced data loss prevention, ensuring your organisation remains secure against evolving threats. 
  • Managed Services for Resilience: Our managed security services provide continuous monitoring, proactive threat detection and support to strengthen your business’s defences and enhance resilience. 
  • Maximised Investments: By integrating Microsoft’s security capabilities, we help you realise the full potential of your existing technology while addressing the challenges of tool sprawl and fragmented solutions. 
  • Customised Security Solutions: Assure 365 delivers tailored services that align with your business goals, providing clarity and confidence in your IT security strategy. 

Unlike a full-service Microsoft 365 Managed Service Provider, we focus on delivering cybersecurity consulting and managed security services to safeguard your business operations and foster long-term growth. 

Real-World Benefits of Assure 365 

Many SMBs have already experienced the transformative benefits of adopting Assure 365. By educating businesses about Microsoft 365 licensing and the features available, we ensure that organisations can fully utilise their existing tools or make informed decisions about reviewing and consolidating their licences. This approach maximises value while enhancing security and resilience. 

An investment firm previously using separate tools for email security, file storage and endpoint protection found that Assure 365 simplified operations. Integrating these functions into one platform cut IT costs by 30% and improved their response to security threats. A review of their Microsoft 365 licenses revealed underutilized security features that enhanced protection without extra costs. 

This dual focus on security tools and productivity demonstrates the tangible return on investment businesses can achieve with Assure 365, making it a valuable cornerstone of their IT strategy. 

CyberOne: Your Partner in Maximising Microsoft Licenses 

At CyberOne, we understand the challenges of managing a fragmented IT environment. That’s why we offer Assure 365 as a key solution to help businesses consolidate their IT operations and achieve greater efficiency. 

Why Choose CyberOne? 

  • Expertise: Our team of certified professionals has extensive experience in delivering Microsoft solutions tailored to your business needs. 
  • Customised Solutions: We work closely with you to ensure that Assure 365 is configured to meet your unique requirements. 
  • Ongoing Support: Our proactive support ensures that your IT environment remains secure and up to date. 

Take the First Step Towards Simplification 

Fragmentation is holding your business back. It’s time to simplify your IT operations with Assure 365 and focus on what truly matters—growing your business. 

Contact CyberOne today to learn how Assure 365 can protect your business operations from threats. Let’s work together to make your business more secure, efficient and ready for the future. 

Register to Our Webinar on Microsoft 365 Licenses: Business vs. Enterprise 

Join Luke Elston on January 30th for an exclusive webinar, Demystifying Microsoft 365 Licenses: Business vs Enterprise. Learn how consolidation can simplify operations and help your business thrive. Don’t miss this opportunity to streamline your strategy!