Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 for Essex businesses, set up properly once
Most businesses already pay for more of Microsoft 365 than they use, and a fair number are running on defaults nobody ever reviewed. Forge sets the tenant up deliberately, moves what needs moving, and hands it over documented.
Forge is based in Essex and works with small and medium-sized businesses across Essex, London and the surrounding areas — on-site where being in the room helps, remote everywhere else — alongside its wider business technology work across Essex and London.
The tenant, in layers
- Identity & access
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Migrated, with a planned cut-over
- Documents
- SharePoint and OneDrive
- Security
- Configured, not left on defaults
The problem
Where Microsoft 365 usually goes wrong
Rarely because the platform is wrong for the business. Usually because it was set up in a hurry and never revisited.
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Licensing nobody has reviewed
Licences assigned when someone joined, never changed since — including for people who left. Others are on a plan that does not cover what they actually need.
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Email still somewhere else
The business is on Microsoft 365 for documents but email sits with an old provider, so nothing quite joins up and there are two places to administer.
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Security left on defaults
Multi-factor authentication partially rolled out, admin accounts used for day-to-day work, and no clear picture of who can reach what.
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Nobody owns it
The person who set it up has gone, there is no documentation, and every change is a small archaeology project.
What Forge provides
Tenant, migration and hand-over
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Tenant setup and licensing
A tenant configured on purpose: the right plans for the people who need them, and security settings decided rather than inherited.
- Tenant and domain configuration
- Licensing matched to what people actually do
- Identity and access setup with Microsoft Entra ID
- Security configured rather than left on defaults
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Email migration into Microsoft 365
Moving email and mailboxes from your existing provider into Microsoft 365 with a planned migration and cut-over. For Essex businesses the cut-over can be done on site, which is usually where being in the room pays for itself.
- Mailbox migration from an existing provider
- Existing email retained wherever possible
- Cut-over planned around the working week
- Previously delivered: business email migrated from IONOS to Microsoft 365
- See how Forge migrated a recruitment business from legacy IMAP email to Microsoft 365 on a fixed deadline
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Building on what you already pay for
Once the tenant is in order, a lot becomes possible without buying anything else — which is usually the cheapest way to solve the next problem.
- Document storage and structure in SharePoint and OneDrive
- Digital forms and approvals with Power Apps and Power Automate
- Custom applications that reach your tenant through Microsoft Graph
- Documentation and hand-over, with aftercare where agreed
In practice
Microsoft 365 as the foundation, not the destination
For GB Solutions UK, the Microsoft work and the software work were part of the same engagement: business email was migrated from IONOS to Microsoft 365, the tenant was configured, SharePoint document libraries were organised, and secure identity and access was set up. The three bespoke portals then plugged into that environment through Microsoft Graph, so documents are filed in the client's own tenant and staff sign in with the work accounts they already had.
Related services
Consultancy
Microsoft 365 consultancy in Essex for a tenant you already have
Not every engagement starts with a migration. Plenty start with a tenant that works well enough that nobody has looked at it in three years. For businesses in Essex that review is often done on site; elsewhere it is done remotely with the same outcome.
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A straight read of what you have
What is configured, what is on defaults, who can reach what, and which of it is deliberate. Small businesses rarely need a full audit programme — they need someone to look and then say plainly what is worth changing and what is fine.
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Licensing matched to what people actually do
Plans assigned when somebody joined and never revisited, licences still attached to people who have left, and users on a plan that does not cover the thing they use every day. Reviewing that is usually the first practical saving available.
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Advice as things change, not a retainer you cannot leave
Once a tenant is documented and handed over, support continues where that is agreed: changes to services, new starters and leavers, and a second opinion before a decision rather than after it. There is no long-term contract required to stay.
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Where the consultancy leads next
Often to something that costs nothing further to licence: document structure in SharePoint, or workflow automation built on tools the subscription already includes. Businesses near Forge can also see the Essex and London business technology page for how on-site work is arranged locally.
Questions
Microsoft 365 in Essex & London
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Do you work with small businesses in Essex?
Yes. Forge is based in Essex and works with small and medium-sized businesses across Essex, London and the surrounding areas, with on-site visits where being in the room helps and remote work for everything else.
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What does Microsoft 365 setup actually include?
Tenant and domain configuration, licensing matched to what people actually do, identity and access setup with Microsoft Entra ID, and security configured rather than left on defaults. Where needed, Forge also plans and carries out mailbox migrations from an existing email provider into Microsoft 365 carefully, with the aim of preserving existing mail and minimising disruption.
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Do you offer Microsoft 365 consultancy for small businesses?
Yes. Alongside new tenant setup and migrations, Forge reviews Microsoft 365 tenants that are already running: what is configured, what is still on defaults, who can reach what, and whether the licences match what people actually do. The outcome is a plain list of what is worth changing and what is fine as it is, with the work itself and any ongoing advice agreed from there.
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Can you handle a Microsoft 365 migration for a business in Essex?
Yes. Forge is based in Essex and plans and carries out Microsoft 365 migrations for small and medium-sized businesses across Essex, London and the surrounding areas. The cut-over is planned around your working week, with on-site visits where being in the room helps and remote delivery where it does not.
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How does a Microsoft 365 (or “Office 365”) migration work?
“Office 365 migration” is still the common name for moving email and related services into Microsoft 365. Forge Digital Technology plans the migration around your working week, configures the Microsoft 365 tenant, licensing and security around the cut-over, and moves mailboxes from your existing email provider into Microsoft 365, retaining existing email wherever possible and scheduling the switch to minimise disruption. Forge works with businesses across Essex, London and the surrounding areas, and has previously migrated a recruitment business from legacy IMAP email to Microsoft 365 on a fixed deadline.
Next step
Not sure what your tenant is currently doing?
That is a common starting point. A free consultation will give you a straight view of what you have, what you are paying for, and what is worth changing. You will be talking to Yiannis Christodoulou, who founded Forge and does the work rather than passing it to a delivery team.