Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 — Cloud for South Africa
Microsoft Azure operates two South African data centres — Johannesburg and Cape Town. Your data stays in-country. Your workloads run on hyperscale infrastructure. But Azure and Microsoft 365 deliver their full value only when configured and managed correctly. OAS bridges the gap between Microsoft's platform and the expertise needed to secure and optimise it for your business.
The Platform Is Only the Starting Point
Most South African businesses already have a Microsoft agreement. They pay for Microsoft 365. Many have Azure subscriptions. Yet the majority use less than 30 percent of the capabilities they are already paying for.
Email works. Teams works. SharePoint is half-configured. Security policies are at defaults. Compliance features are untouched. Conditional access is not enforced. Defender settings have never been tuned.
You are paying for enterprise security and productivity. You are getting email and Word.
OAS changes that.
Azure Cloud Infrastructure
Azure provides the hyperscale cloud infrastructure that South African enterprises need — with the critical advantage of local data centres.
South African Data Centres
- South Africa North (Johannesburg) — primary region with Availability Zones for high availability
- South Africa West (Cape Town) — secondary region for disaster recovery
Your data stays within South African borders. POPIA compliance is built into the infrastructure. No exceptions. No extra cost.
Azure Migration Services
OAS manages the full migration lifecycle — from assessment through execution to ongoing management:
- Assessment — evaluate your on-premises workloads for cloud readiness
- Planning — define the migration strategy for each workload (lift-and-shift, re-platform, or modernise)
- Execution — migrate workloads to Azure SA infrastructure with minimal disruption
- Optimisation — right-size resources, implement cost controls, and tune performance
Whether you are moving a single application or your entire infrastructure, OAS handles the complexity.
Azure Infrastructure Management
Migration is not the finish line. OAS provides ongoing Azure management — cost optimisation, security monitoring, patching, and performance tuning. Your Azure environment is actively managed and optimised, not just provisioned and forgotten.
Hybrid Identity With Microsoft Entra
Most South African enterprises run hybrid environments — on-premises Active Directory synchronised with Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure AD). OAS configures and manages:
- Azure AD Connect — synchronisation between on-premises AD and cloud identity
- Conditional access — policies that control who can access what, from where, on which devices
- Multi-factor authentication — enforced across all users and applications
- Privileged identity management — just-in-time access for administrators
One identity across on-premises and cloud. Secure access with intelligent policies.
Microsoft 365 — Properly Configured
OAS does not just enable Microsoft 365. We configure it correctly from day one and manage it ongoing.
Security Configuration
Your M365 security posture depends on configuration, not licensing. OAS configures:
- Conditional access policies — enforce device compliance, location restrictions, and risk-based access
- Data loss prevention (DLP) — prevent sensitive data from leaving your organisation via email, Teams, or SharePoint
- Microsoft Defender settings — tuned for your environment, not left at defaults
- Compliance policies — retention, eDiscovery, and audit logging configured for regulatory requirements
Microsoft Defender Suite
For organisations on M365 E5 (or with E5 Security add-on), the full Microsoft Defender Suite provides comprehensive threat protection:
- Defender for Endpoint — endpoint detection and response
- Defender for Office 365 — email and collaboration security
- Defender for Identity — identity threat detection
- Defender for Cloud Apps — shadow IT discovery and cloud application security
- Security Copilot — AI-powered security agents included with E5
OAS deploys and manages the full Defender stack, integrating it with SentinelOne and Splunk within the broader security framework.
Teams and SharePoint
Secure collaboration with proper controls:
- Information barriers — prevent inappropriate communication between groups
- DLP controls — sensitive data protected across Teams conversations, channels, and files
- External sharing policies — controlled access for external partners and contractors
- Retention policies — automatic data lifecycle management for compliance
M365 Audit and Optimisation
Already running Microsoft 365? OAS audits your current deployment and activates the security, compliance, and productivity features you are already paying for but not using. Most organisations discover significant untapped value.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
Azure Virtual Desktop is Microsoft's native virtual desktop solution, running on Azure SA infrastructure.
Windows 11 Multi-Session
Multiple users share a single Windows 11 instance. Desktop costs reduce significantly — multiple users share resources without compromising their experience.
FSLogix Profiles
User profile containers follow users across sessions. Fast logon times and persistent personalisation — users find their settings exactly as they left them, regardless of which host they connect to.
RemoteApp
Publish individual applications from Azure without delivering a full desktop. Applications appear as local windows on the user's device. Simpler, faster, and more cost-effective than full desktop delivery.
Key Capabilities
- Azure SA regions — Johannesburg and Cape Town, POPIA-compliant cloud infrastructure
- Azure migration — assessment, planning, execution, and ongoing management
- M365 security configuration — conditional access, DLP, Defender, and compliance policies
- Microsoft Defender Suite — endpoint, email, identity, and cloud app protection
- Hybrid identity — Entra (Azure AD) with conditional access and MFA
- Azure Virtual Desktop — Windows 11 multi-session, FSLogix, RemoteApp
- M365 audit — activate untapped security and productivity features
- Cost optimisation — ongoing Azure resource management and right-sizing
Delivered as a Managed Service by OAS
OAS differentiates from Microsoft licensing resellers by providing expert configuration and ongoing management:
- Configuration expertise — M365 security and compliance configured correctly from day one
- Azure management — ongoing monitoring, patching, cost optimisation, and performance tuning
- Integration — Azure services integrated with Citrix, SentinelOne, and the broader OAS-managed security stack
- Citrix-on-Azure — Citrix DaaS running on Azure SA infrastructure, combining Citrix session management with Azure's local data centres
- Local expertise — SA-specific knowledge of POPIA requirements, local network infrastructure, and SA business practices
Your Microsoft Investment, Fully Realised
You are already paying for Azure and Microsoft 365. OAS ensures you get the full value — security configured, compliance enabled, and infrastructure managed. Enterprise capability without enterprise complexity.