Remote Access
Microsoft Solutions Partner – Modern Work
Your Business, Empowered by Microsoft 365
Work from anywhere. Collaborate in real time. Stay secure on every device. Blowfish Technology deploys and manages Microsoft 365 Business Premium – giving your team the tools they need without the complexity of managing it themselves.
The Modern Workplace
Work Has Changed. Your Tools Should Too.
The way businesses operate has fundamentally shifted. Employees expect to work securely from anywhere – at home, in the office, on the road – on any device, without compromising the security of business data or the productivity of their team.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the platform that makes this possible. It brings together the Office apps your team already knows, enterprise-grade communication tools, cloud storage and – crucially – the security layer that most businesses are currently missing.
Blowfish Technology deploys, configures and manages Microsoft 365 for North West businesses – making sure you’re not just licensed, but actually getting the full value from the investment.
Improved Productivity
Integrated tools that let your team collaborate, communicate and create – wherever they are.
Hybrid Working
Full functionality from any device, any location – without compromising security or access.
Enterprise Security
Defender, Intune, Conditional Access and MFA built in – not bolted on as an afterthought.
Predictable Costs
Simple per-user monthly pricing. Scale up or down as your team changes.
Our Recommended Plan
What’s in Microsoft 365 Business Premium?
Business Premium is the plan we recommend to almost every business – it’s the only plan that combines full productivity tools with enterprise security features like Intune, Defender and Conditional Access.
Full Office Applications
Always up-to-date desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher – installed on up to 5 PCs, 5 tablets and 5 smartphones per user.
Enterprise Email & Calendar
50GB mailbox per user through Outlook with Exchange Online. Send attachments up to 150MB and access your email, calendar and contacts from any device.
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings, calls and file sharing in one hub. Keep your whole team connected whether they’re in the office, at home or anywhere in between.
1TB OneDrive & SharePoint
1TB of personal cloud storage per user via OneDrive, plus SharePoint for team document management – automatically synced across all devices so files are always up to date.
Premium Only
Microsoft Defender for Business
Next-generation antivirus, endpoint detection & response, and automated threat remediation across Windows, macOS, Android and iOS – not available in Standard or Basic.
Premium Only
Microsoft Intune – Device Management
Apply security policies to all company and personal devices. Keep business data in approved apps only. Remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices – not available in Standard or Basic.
Premium Only
Conditional Access & Azure AD P1
Control exactly who can access what, from which devices and locations. Enforce MFA automatically. Block risky sign-ins before they become incidents – not available in Standard or Basic.
Premium Only
Microsoft Purview – Data Protection
Discover, classify and label sensitive data. Encrypt emails automatically. Prevent unauthorised sharing of confidential information – not available in Standard or Basic.
Always Up to Date
Microsoft handles all updates – apps, security patches and new features are deployed automatically. No manual updates, no outdated software, no vulnerabilities left unpatched.
Orange bordered cards = features exclusive to Business Premium – not available in Business Standard or Basic.
Plan Comparison
Business Basic vs Standard vs Premium
Not all Microsoft 365 plans are equal. Here’s what you get – and more importantly, what you don’t get – at each tier.
| Feature | Business Basic | Business Standard |
Recommended
Business Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web & mobile Office apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Teams – chat, meetings & calls | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Exchange email (50GB mailbox) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| OneDrive (1TB per user) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SharePoint | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Defender for Business (EDR) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Intune (device management) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional Access & Azure AD P1 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Purview Information Protection | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Defender for Office 365 (anti-phishing) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto-expanding archiving & eDiscovery | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
|
Entry level – limited security
|
Better apps – still no security tools
|
Full productivity + enterprise security
|
Why we recommend Business Premium: Basic and Standard give you the apps – but they leave your business exposed. Without Defender, Intune and Conditional Access, you have no endpoint protection, no device management and no way to enforce security policies. Business Premium closes those gaps and is required for Cyber Essentials compliance.
The Blowfish Approach
How We Deploy Microsoft 365
Getting licensed is the easy bit. Getting properly configured – with security baselines, device policies and your data migrated safely – is where most businesses get it wrong. Here’s how we do it.
Assessment
We audit your current setup – existing email, file storage, devices and any legacy systems – to understand exactly what needs to move and identify any risks before we start.
Tenant Setup & Licensing
We configure your Microsoft 365 tenant, apply security baselines for devices, users and applications, and set up Intune policies – ensuring your environment is correctly hardened from day one.
Migration
Email, contacts, calendar data and files are migrated to Microsoft 365 with zero data loss. We handle cutover carefully – typically outside business hours – to minimise disruption to your team.
Device Enrolment
All company devices are enrolled into Intune, compliance policies applied and Defender activated. BYOD devices (personal phones and laptops) are containerised so business data stays separate.
User Training & Adoption
Technology is only valuable if your team uses it properly. We provide targeted onboarding – covering Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and security tools – so adoption is fast and effective.
Ongoing Management
We continuously monitor your Microsoft 365 environment, apply security updates, review compliance posture and handle licence changes as your team grows or changes. It’s always looked after.
Why Blowfish
A Microsoft Partner You Can Actually Talk To
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work, Blowfish Technology has the accreditation and expertise to deploy and manage Microsoft 365 properly. But more importantly, we’re a local North West business – you’ll always speak to someone who knows your setup.
Common Questions
Microsoft 365 FAQs
What’s the difference between Business Standard and Business Premium? ⌄
Business Standard gives you the full desktop Office apps and Microsoft Teams – but it has no endpoint security, no device management and no advanced identity protection. Business Premium adds Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune, Conditional Access, Azure AD P1 and Purview Information Protection. For most businesses, these security tools are essential – and Business Premium is the only plan that includes them.
We already have Microsoft 365 – can you take over the management? ⌄
Yes – this is something we do regularly. We’ll carry out a full audit of your existing tenant, identify any misconfiguration or security gaps, apply the correct baselines and take over day-to-day management. Many businesses are surprised to discover how much they’re paying for features they’re not using, or missing security settings that leave them exposed.
Do I need to back up my Microsoft 365 data separately? ⌄
Yes. Microsoft is responsible for platform uptime, not for backing up your data. Their native retention is limited and not designed for recovery from accidental deletion or ransomware. We recommend pairing Microsoft 365 Business Premium with our dedicated Microsoft 365 Backup service for complete protection.
Can we migrate from Google Workspace or another email platform? ⌄
Yes – we manage migrations from Google Workspace, Hosted Exchange, on-premise Exchange and other platforms. We handle the full process including email, calendar, contacts and file migration, planned to minimise disruption to your team.
Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium meet Cyber Essentials requirements? ⌄
When properly configured, Business Premium provides the controls needed to meet Cyber Essentials requirements – including MFA, device management, access control and malware protection. We configure your tenant specifically to meet these requirements, which is why we recommend Premium over Standard or Basic for any business pursuing certification.
Ready to Build Your Modern Workplace?
Whether you’re starting fresh, migrating from another platform or taking over an existing Microsoft 365 setup – Blowfish Technology will make sure it’s done properly.