Microsoft 365 is a powerful collaboration platform that brings together a suite of productivity tools. But switching on Microsoft 365 won’t miraculously transform a business overnight. Yes, Microsoft 365 offers immense potential, but only when it is correctly deployed and adopted. Unlocking the full capabilities requires in-depth knowledge of the platform.
The best way to get the most value is by having on tap access to expertise, guidance, resources, and training. Without this level of assistance, businesses risk wasting their technology investment and experiencing decreased take-up among their users.
This is where the FastTrack service comes in. It’s all about supporting organisations through these processes so they can get the most value out of their investment.
But there’s a big problem.
Many organisations who utilise Microsoft 365 in their day-to-day operations have never heard of FastTrack. Even if they have, they likely don’t know exactly what it is, and how it can help their team realise the full value of their Microsoft products. More critically, they may not realise the missed opportunity of not leveraging this highly valuable and completely complimentary service.
In this blog we’ll look at the many misconceptions circulating about the FastTrack program, and how you can utilise it to unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 investment.
The concept of FastTrack has been rattling around Microsoft HQ for a number of years, taking various forms before officially adopting the name “FastTrack”. Over the years, the service has often been misperceived as a deployment service – a service for rolling out Microsoft 365 across an organisation. This is incorrect and has, unfortunately, resulted in a poor take-up by the very audience it was designed to assist.
So, before we get into what FastTrack is, let’s set a few things straight:
FastTrack is not about helping you deploy Microsoft 365
FastTrack is not about getting Microsoft 365 up and running
FastTrack is not about encouraging the increase of licensing or the purchase of additional Microsoft products
Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s answer the most common questions asked about FastTrack starting with the program 101s.
What is FastTrack?
FastTrack is a no-cost* consulting engagement that can be leveraged for any aspect of your Microsoft 365 environment – whether you are just starting your migration to the cloud or are widely using M365 across your business. It’s the health check and preparation that precedes, or follows, your initial deployment. Think about it like having seasoned guides accompany you on a journey through the Microsoft 365 landscape.
* It’s no cost because it’s already included as part of your M365 licensing. More on that below.
Who is eligible for FastTrack?
Any customer with a subscription to Microsoft 365 is able to access partner resources and expertise around planning, onboarding, migration and adoption – at no extra cost and for the life of their subscription.
How much does FastTrack cost?
That’s a bit of a trick question because FastTrack has no price tag attached. It is provided as an included and wholly complimentary service to customers with a subscription to Microsoft 365.
Who delivers the FastTrack service?
The FastTrack program allows partners like Data#3 to help guide customers through Microsoft Cloud solution deployment and ongoing solution optimisation. The program is limited to select partners who have demonstrated a high level of expertise and commitment to the Microsoft platform. As a FastTrack partner, Data#3’s Microsoft experts deliver the FastTrack program throughout Australia.
How is FastTrack accessed?
FastTrack offers remote guidance. Whenever you have a question, you can contact your Data#3 Account Manager or contact us.
What is included in the FastTrack program?
FastTrack is a combination of resources, engineering expertise and guidance delivered by Data#3’s Microsoft experts. They are there to provide you with best practice support and advice, and ultimately help you reduce implementation time, and migration costs.
This is complemented with self-serve resources via the FastTrack online portal, including:
Is there a limit to how often you can access FastTrack?
There are no limits. You can use FastTrack as many times as you need for the life of your subscription.
Now let’s move on to how FastTrack supports your company to get the most out of your Microsoft 365 solution.
What specific Microsoft 365 solutions does FastTrack support?
FastTrack supports the full range of Microsoft 365 solutions, including (but not limited to):
What challenges does FastTrack help businesses overcome?
FastTrack service providers like Datat#3 can help resolve a range of challenges that businesses may encounter when leveraging Microsoft 365:
What assistance does FastTrack offer during the onboarding stage of Microsoft 365?
Data#3’s FastTrack team provide guidance to help you identify and prioritise next steps, set business goals to measure success, and learn about available resources as you plan for rollout. During the onboarding stage, you work remotely with the FastTrack team as we help you ready your environment and get a project plan in place to start the process of moving to, or optimising, your use of cloud services.
What assistance does FastTrack offer following the deployment of Microsoft 365?
Following deployment, FastTrack continues to offer assistance to ensure ongoing success. This includes monitoring and optimising the performance of Microsoft 365 services, promoting user adoption through training and resources, troubleshooting technical issues, and providing support for lifecycle management tasks such as updates and migrations.
Can FastTrack assist with troubleshooting and resolving issues within the Microsoft 365 environment?
Yes, when businesses face technical issues or roadblocks within their Microsoft 365 environment, FastTrack provides access to Data#3’s experienced engineers and technical resources to offer guidance and expertise to diagnose the problem and identify potential solutions for your team to implement.
Can FastTrack provide guidance on optimising costs and maximising ROI within Microsoft 365?
Yes, the service offers guidance to optimise costs and maximise ROI within Microsoft 365 by, for example: Analysing current usage to identify cost-saving opportunities. Advising on the most suitable licensing options. Assisting in resource allocation to minimise unnecessary expenses. Promoting user adoption of key features for increased productivity. Implementing best practices for cost optimisation and ROI measurement.
We’ve already deployed Microsoft 365, is FastTrack still beneficial?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been using Microsoft 365 for years, about to deploy it, or have just finished deploying it – you can, and should, access FastTrack through Data#3 right now.
Why should I choose Data#3 as my FastTrack service provider?
We know Microsoft 365 inside and out. We are Microsoft’s largest Australian partner and also an Azure Expert Managed Service Provider, Cloud Service Provider and Gold Productivity Partner. We holds 16 Gold Partner Competencies and 7 Advanced Specialisations. Plus. we have members on two Global Partner Advisory Councils, including Azure Infrastructure and Azure Data Services.
Get on board Microsoft FastTrack with Data#3
For more information, connect with a Data#3 CSP Specialist, or contact your Account Manager today.