The Arraya Blog

Years ago, I worked for a small company in Allentown, PA. It was my first IT Manager role and my responsibilities were all-encompassing. Unlike previous jobs which let me focus on Microsoft technologies, I suddenly had to support everything from servers to desktops, email and applications, data centers, networks and voice. It was my very […]

The cloud has had an impact on almost every facet of life in IT – and the way in which Microsoft technologies are consumed is no exception. In the old days, customers used to have one partner, a LAR (Large Account Reseller) or LSP (Licensing Solution Provider), from whom they purchased their Microsoft licenses. The LAR […]

There are plenty of roads which lead companies to embark on or expand upon an Office 365 deployment. Things like mobility, email, file sharing and social collaboration are on that list, and each one can have a positive impact on an organization.  Those elements require careful planning and consideration before their full value can be […]

There’s been some interesting news regarding Google Apps for Work recently. First was the announcement that Google is making a very aggressive move in its battle to win the hearts of the Enterprise. At a high level, Google will give away Google Apps to companies with a Microsoft EA as long as they promise to subscribe […]

If you’ve ever listened to Julia White, General Manager of Office at Microsoft, speak about Office 365, then you know two things. Microsoft updates Office a lot. As in over 400 improvements in one year, a lot. Secondly, Microsoft has decreased the amount of time it takes to roll out a customer-requested update. This has […]

Office 365 and Active Directory are made for each other. Through Directory Synchronization (DirSync or Azure AD Connect), Active Directory can be extended out into the cloud, allowing for easier management of identities across platforms. Customer impressions differ from reality though. Even with a good partner message, some customers forget about the benefits and begin […]

Windows 10 has been touted by Microsoft as the most secure operating system ever. Only time will tell whether or not this will hold true. It is certainly a visually pleasing and robust operating system, as is evident by the 27 million downloads that have happened through August 8th. With a lot of Enterprises skipping […]

Microsoft just welcomed a pair of massive – and also very different – organizations into the Office 365 (O365) fold. All told, these deals represent a combined commitment of roughly 400,000 licenses, which will be utilized by end users across the globe. A level of trust is an essential precondition in any IT engagement. However, […]

I have a confession to make. I’m new to consulting. However, I have been working with Microsoft technologies for over 15 years now. From support to architecture to managing IT teams, I’ve seen Microsoft from many different angles. Now that I work for Arraya Solutions, I can experience Microsoft from a new side – as […]

It is a fact of our modern life. Mobile devices and ubiquitous access back into our company allows us to work on our own terms. Employees love it, but IT Security hates it. There is a huge inherent risk when we allow our company’s sensitive data to be accessed with a username and password. We […]