Old gateway appliances and high network latency are at the root of slowed adoption and migration of Microsoft cloud-connected Office 365 productivity suite, according to a new study by security vendor Zscaler.
The Lowdown: The 2019 Office 365 Migration Survey found that 41 percent of enterprises cited high network congestion as a major factor impacting user experience of the productivity suite. Most enterprises are looking to bypass their network gateways and make direct Internet connections to make Office 365 more efficient and effective, the survey found.
The Details: Of the enterprises participating in the Zscaler survey, nearly 40% claimed that the need for upgrading their gateway appliances is impeding their ability to adopt Office 365. Another 63% say that network performance and high latency issues are impeding user experiences with the productivity suite.
The Impact: If the Zscaler survey is taken at face value, the network latency and impact of underperforming legacy hardware are challenges and opportunities. Solution providers can improve customer engagements and experiences by upgrading their legacy equipment to help improve performance or migrating users to cloud-based alternatives. In either case, the Zscaler study shows attached sales opportunities for solution providers selling subscriptions and professional services to Office 365.
Background: Microsoft Office is one of the most successful and prolific software suites ever brought to market. Currently, according to Microsoft, more than 1.2 billion seats of Office are in use. Office 365 is the highly successful successor to the on-premises licensed version and a gateway to other cloud services. However, Office 365 has only achieved 10% penetration, giving it tremendous headroom for growth as Microsoft continues to wean the market off its traditional licensed version.
The Buzz: “Modern cloud applications require modern cloud architectures. Many organizations mistakenly deploy Office 365 on top of their current legacy networks, which leaves users with a poor experience and dropped connections,” said Punit Minocha, senior vice president of Business and Corporate Development at Zscaler. “Office 365 was designed to be located as close to the user as possible, but traditional networks fail to deliver the same advantage.”
