CTS - Computer Technology Specialists
Microsoft 365 Complete Guide
Microsoft 365 Business Premium gives Melbourne SMBs access to Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune, and Entra ID in a single subscription — but the full value depends on deliberate configuration, not just licence assignment.
Melbourne IT support with visible local credentials
CTS - Computer Technology Specialists has supported Melbourne SMBs since 2000. Contact: 1300 790 780, hello@cts.au, L30 - 35 Collins St Melbourne 3000.
Certifications, affiliations and technology partners
Microsoft Partner, ACSC Essential Eight aligned, ISO 27001 practices, NBN Business Accredited Adviser, Cisco Partner, Dell Partner, HPE Partner, Arcserve Partner, Broadcom Partner, Kyocera Partner.
Microsoft 365 plans compared — which tier suits your business
Microsoft 365 comes in several tiers: Business Basic (cloud-only apps, Exchange, Teams), Business Standard (adds desktop apps and a wider feature set), and Business Premium (adds Defender for Business, Intune, Entra ID P1, and advanced compliance tools). For most Melbourne SMBs managing sensitive client or financial data, Business Premium is the right tier — the security and device management tools it includes are not available in lower tiers and would need to be purchased separately if required.
Email, Teams, and SharePoint — core productivity
Exchange Online replaces hosted or on-premises mail servers with a managed, highly available email platform. Microsoft Teams provides chat, video calls, and channel-based collaboration. SharePoint Online stores team files with version history, co-authoring, and access controls. OneDrive provides per-user cloud file storage synced to desktop. These four services replace most of the infrastructure smaller businesses previously hosted on physical servers or through separate providers, consolidating cost and eliminating local backup dependencies for document storage.
Microsoft Defender and Intune — the security layer
Microsoft Defender for Business (included in Business Premium) provides managed EDR across Windows workstations and servers, with automated investigation and remediation. Microsoft Intune provides mobile device management — enforcing device compliance policies, managing app deployment, and enabling remote wipe of company data from lost or stolen devices. Together, Defender and Intune are what transforms Microsoft 365 from a productivity platform into a security-enabled environment. Many Melbourne businesses pay for Business Standard and miss out on these controls entirely, which is a significant gap.
Microsoft Entra ID and conditional access
Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the identity foundation of Microsoft 365. Conditional access policies built on Entra ID enforce MFA based on user, device, location, and risk — requiring stronger authentication when someone logs in from an unmanaged device or an unusual location. For Melbourne businesses subject to Essential Eight requirements, Entra ID conditional access is the mechanism that delivers MFA across all Microsoft 365 services. Business Premium includes Entra ID P1, which is required for most conditional access scenarios.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 — readiness and governance
Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an AI assistant that works across Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, drawing on the data accessible to the signed-in user. Before enabling Copilot, businesses must address data governance — Copilot will surface information from overpermissioned SharePoint sites, unlabelled sensitive documents, and shared mailboxes if these are accessible to the user. CTS recommends completing a sensitivity label and permissions review before Copilot rollout to avoid unintended data exposure.
How CTS configures and manages Microsoft 365 for Melbourne businesses
CTS manages Microsoft 365 tenant configuration, security policies, and ongoing administration for Melbourne businesses. This includes Exchange Online setup, Teams governance, SharePoint structure, Intune device enrolment, Defender policy configuration, Entra ID conditional access rules, and licence management. Microsoft 365 administration is included in all CTS managed IT agreements — new users are provisioned, departing users are offboarded, and the tenant security posture is maintained and reviewed quarterly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium?
Business Standard includes desktop Office apps, Exchange, Teams, and SharePoint. Business Premium adds Microsoft Defender for Business (EDR), Intune (device management), Entra ID P1 (conditional access and MFA policies), and Azure Information Protection. For most businesses holding sensitive data, Business Premium is the appropriate tier — the security tools in Standard are minimal by comparison.
Does Microsoft 365 back up our data?
Microsoft provides high availability and geo-redundancy for its platform, but it does not provide point-in-time restore for individual user data. If an email is deleted and the 93-day retention window passes, or a SharePoint file is permanently deleted, Microsoft cannot restore it. CTS recommends a third-party Microsoft 365 backup solution that provides long-retention, point-in-time restore for Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams data.