TeamsHub: An Objective ‘Stand Out’ In the Crowded Universe of M365 Management

For most organizations, Microsoft 365 and Teams ticks most of the boxes for a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that allows team members to work together effectively from anywhere. However, with so much capability comes significant complexity in managing the platform. That’s why Cyclotron, a 2023 U.S. Partner of the Year Finalist, created TeamsHub.

TeamsHub promises to make it easier for IT administrators to manage governance, lifecycles, security automation and compliance, user training and adoption, monitoring and reporting, and provisioning/de-provisioning. But how good of a job does TeamsHub actually do—especially compared to other available solutions? This is a question many of Cyclotron’s prospective clients ask at some point, and Cyclotron CEO Amber Bahl thought they deserved an objective answer.

“In developing TeamsHub, we spent a great deal of effort in researching the tools that were already in-market and taking note of what they did and didn’t do well. These understandings helped inform the blueprint for what TeamsHub would become,” says Amber Bahl, CEO of Cyclotron. “Our goal was to create something that was truly best-in-class. And while current TeamsHub users would likely say we achieved that goal, I thought it’d be valuable to have a knowledgeable, third-party expert review TeamsHub and deliver an unbiased opinion.”

To that end, Cyclotron tapped Balu Ilag, a former Microsoft MVP and currently a unified communication and collaboration engineer with Juniper Networks. He is also the author or co-author of four books on the subject: Introducing Microsoft Teams, Understanding Microsoft Teams Administration, Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Guide, and Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

In summary, Mr. Ilag gave Cyclotron a 4.8/5 rating, finding TeamsHub to be:

· A comprehensive, user-friendly tool that helps M365 governance automation, security, administration, and lifecycle management.

· A standout choice for organizations that also want proactive threat management and backup/restore capabilities.

· A “well-thought-out solution” for maximizing an organization’s Microsoft Teams and M365 experience.

In terms of specific capabilities, here are Mr. Ilag’s detailed impressions:

· GOVERNANCE: TeamsHub's M365 Proactive Governance brings automated naming and URL conventions ensure that every team, site, or channel is created with a consistent naming pattern, making them easier to locate and manage. Its granular collaboration restrictions allow administrators to define who can create or edit content, add members, and create channels, thus providing better control and data protection.

· LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT: TeamsHub automates the management of a team/site/community’s lifecycle, from creation to archiving or deletion. For instance, in a hospital scenario, a team might be created for a specific patient case involving doctors, nurses, and specialists. Once the case is closed, TeamsHub's M365 Lifecycle Management can automatically archive or delete the team based on the inactivity period defined, keeping the M365 environment clean and clutter-free.

· SECURITY: TeamsHub ensures the security of sensitive data with features like guest access management and domain approval processes. It also facilitates external file sharing and tracking, allowing users to share reports or research data securely while keeping track of who access the information, as well as providing M365 Security Analytics.

· REPORTING: With TeamsHub's detailed M365 reporting engine focused on Teams usage, organizations can monitor how effectively their staff is utilizing Teams for collaboration. Teams voice reports can also ensure Teams calls are of high quality.

· PROVISIONING: TeamsHub allows for quick and efficient creation of Teams and sites with its advanced templating feature, which allows for templates to be created to serve specific collaboration scenarios, which might include channels for specific roles and pre-installed apps with appropriate access rights.

“We’re pleased to see that TeamsHub objectively measures up and does, in fact, deliver the kinds of benefits that empower organizations to operate effectively in a cloud-based business environment,” adds Mr. Bahl. “We’d like to thank Mr. Ilag for his time and attention-to-detail in putting TeamsHub through the paces, so our prospective clients can gain greater peace-of-mind when considering TeamsHub.”

To learn more about TeamsHub by Cyclotron and hear some of our client success stories, please reach out to us at innovate@cyclotron.com.