- Sector: Payments & Financial Technology
- Delivery Scope: Environment Discovery, M365 E5 Migration, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID Rollout, Service Readiness Planning
- Key Partners: Microsoft
- Strategic Outcome: ISO 27001 Support & IT Operating Cost Reduction
Project Impact at a Glance
35%
Reduction in infrastructure operating costs
ISO 27001
Security posture hardened for certification
M365 E5
Fully deployed across worldwide teams
Global
Standardised hybrid working across offices
The Challenge
To support aggressive 3-year international expansion goals, the client needed to replace disparate legacy collaboration tools, reduce third-party licensing spend, and achieve the rigorous security controls needed for ISO 27001 accreditation.
- Sprawling IT Estate: Multiple standalone communication tools drove up software licensing fees and created management silos
- Hybrid Security Demands: A dispersed international workforce required secure endpoint management and identity-driven access controls
- Unrealised Licence Value: The client held advanced Microsoft 365 E5 licensing but had not yet deployed its advanced security, data classification, and device management features
The Solution: Phased Cloud Workplace Modernisation & Managed Adoption
Sword conducted extensive discovery, built detailed migration roadmaps, and deployed Microsoft 365 enterprise tools across global business units, establishing a secure operating model backed by Microsoft Intune and Entra ID.
Discovery & Service Readiness
Audited existing infrastructure, evaluated legacy identity directories, and created structured deployment and change management blueprints.
Collaboration & Identity Modernisation
Rolled out Microsoft Teams, Exchange Online, and OneDrive, while consolidating identity access through Entra ID and deploying Microsoft Intune for managed endpoints
Data Governance & Compliance Enablement
Implemented Microsoft data classification and information protection policies, aligning technical controls to ISO 27001 mandates.
Measurable Business Outcomes
Commercial Gain
Cut infrastructure operating costs by 35% by eliminating overlapping third-party software licences.
Operational Resilience / Risk Mitigation
Replaced legacy end-of-life software vulnerabilities with continuous Microsoft 365 security updates and supported ISO 27001 readiness.
Speed, Agility & User Experience
Zero-touch provisioning via Microsoft Intune enables secure laptop deployment to remote professionals worldwide in hours.
Future-Proof Scalability & Independence
Standardised global hybrid working workflows on unified Microsoft Teams and Microsoft SharePoint environments.
More Information
Sword implemented phased migrations with thorough pilot testing, automated mailbox syncing, and dedicated user-readiness sessions across international time zones.
Decommissioning redundant point solutions for video conferencing, file storage, and mobile device management in favour of the existing Microsoft E5 agreement eliminated overlapping licence fees.
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