CTS - Computer Technology Specialists
Cloud Migration for Melbourne Property Advisory
A Melbourne property advisory firm engaged CTS to move off an ageing on-premises file server that no longer suited a mobile, deal-driven team. Advisers spent much of their week out of the office at properties and client sites, fighting a slow VPN to reach documents. CTS migrated the firm to Microsoft 365 and Azure with secure access from anywhere, predictable costs and improved resilience — and retired the on-premises server.
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.
The challenge
The firm's infrastructure assumed people worked at their desks, but its advisers were rarely there.
- An ageing on-premises file server nearing the end of its life
- Advisers frequently off-site, reliant on a slow and unreliable VPN for documents
- No multi-factor authentication protecting access to client and deal data
- Hardware approaching a costly refresh the firm wanted to avoid
- A single on-premises server representing a clear resilience risk
The CTS solution
CTS moved the firm's documents and applications to the cloud and secured access for a mobile team.
- Migrated file storage to SharePoint Online and OneDrive with version history
- Moved line-of-business applications to Microsoft Azure where appropriate
- Enforced MFA and conditional access through Entra ID
- Enabled secure document access from any location without a legacy VPN
- Applied cost controls and right-sizing to keep cloud spend predictable
- Implemented cloud backup for resilience
Mobility and resilience
The firm's advisers can now work the same way from a property, a client's office or home as they would at their desk.
- Secure access to current documents from any device, anywhere
- No dependence on a slow VPN or a single office server
- Resilient cloud infrastructure with no on-premises single point of failure
The results
The firm now runs as a genuinely mobile business on secure, resilient cloud infrastructure.
- Secure document access for advisers from any location, without a VPN
- Retired the on-premises server and avoided a costly hardware refresh
- MFA and conditional access protecting client and deal data
- Predictable, controlled cloud costs
- Improved resilience with no single on-premises point of failure
Technologies deployed
Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Entra ID (conditional access and MFA).
Frequently asked questions
How does cloud migration help a mobile advisory team?
Moving documents and applications to Microsoft 365 and Azure lets advisers securely access current files from any location and device, without depending on a slow VPN back to an office server. For a property advisory firm whose people are mostly out of the office, that removes a daily source of friction and risk.
Is client data secure when staff work remotely?
Yes. CTS enforced MFA and conditional access through Entra ID, so access is protected even when staff work from properties, client offices or home — a significant improvement over unprotected VPN access to an on-premises server.
Did the firm avoid buying new server hardware?
Yes. By migrating to the cloud, the firm retired its ageing on-premises server and avoided the capital cost of refreshing it, moving instead to predictable monthly cloud costs.