Microsoft Strategic Partner — Azure, M365, and AVD Expertise
Azure cloud (SA data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town), Microsoft 365 productivity and security, and Azure Virtual Desktop. The foundational cloud platform for SA enterprises.
Overview
OAS delivers Microsoft cloud solutions with the depth that comes from over 40 years in enterprise IT. As a strategic Microsoft partner, OAS goes beyond licence provisioning — every engagement includes architecture design, security configuration, and ongoing managed services.
Microsoft's South African Azure regions in Johannesburg and Cape Town give local organisations data sovereignty and low-latency access to enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure. OAS helps clients deploy, secure, and optimise their Microsoft estate to extract full value from their investment.
What Strategic Partnership Means for Your Organisation
OAS's Microsoft partnership provides tangible advantages for every client engagement:
- Local Azure expertise — OAS architects and manages Azure workloads running in South Africa North (Johannesburg) and South Africa West (Cape Town), keeping your data within SA borders for POPIA compliance
- M365 security configuration — OAS deploys conditional access policies, DLP rules, and Defender settings rather than simply enabling mailboxes
- Citrix-on-Azure integration — OAS runs Citrix DaaS and CVAD workloads on Azure infrastructure, combining Citrix session management with Azure's local data centres
- Hybrid identity management — OAS configures Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure AD) for hybrid scenarios, syncing on-premises Active Directory with cloud services
- Full lifecycle support — From initial assessment through migration, configuration, and long-term managed services under a single accountable partner
Microsoft Portfolio Delivered by OAS
Azure Cloud Platform
Azure provides the infrastructure foundation for OAS's cloud services — virtual machines, storage, networking, databases, and application services supporting both Windows and Linux workloads. Availability Zones in Johannesburg deliver high availability for mission-critical applications.
OAS uses the Azure Well-Architected Framework and Landing Zone templates for structured, secure cloud migrations. Every Azure deployment follows a standardised architecture that meets enterprise governance requirements from day one.
Microsoft 365
Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and the full Office productivity suite. OAS deploys M365 at E3 and E5 tiers with proper security hardening — not just basic mailbox provisioning.
Many SA businesses pay for E3 or E5 but only use email and Word. OAS audits existing M365 environments and activates the security, compliance, and collaboration features organisations are already paying for.
M365 E5 Security — Microsoft Defender Suite
The comprehensive security bundle includes Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft Entra ID Protection. E5 customers now receive Security Copilot AI agents for automated threat investigation and response.
OAS configures and manages the full Defender suite — ensuring policies are tuned to each client's risk profile rather than left at default settings.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
Microsoft's native virtual desktop solution delivers Windows 11 multi-session desktops, RemoteApp, and FSLogix profiles from the South Africa North region. AVD is included in certain Windows licences, making it a cost-effective option for organisations with straightforward desktop virtualisation requirements.
For enterprises requiring multi-cloud support, advanced session management, or complex application delivery, OAS recommends Citrix DaaS. For simpler use cases, AVD provides capable virtual desktop delivery on the same Azure infrastructure. OAS helps you choose the right platform for your workload.
Microsoft Intune and Purview
Intune provides unified endpoint management for mobile and desktop devices. Microsoft Purview (formerly E5 Compliance) delivers information protection, data loss prevention, insider risk management, and compliance tools. OAS deploys both as part of a comprehensive Microsoft security posture.
Azure Data Sovereignty for South African Enterprises
South Africa North (Johannesburg) is the primary Azure region with Availability Zones for high availability. South Africa West (Cape Town) serves as a secondary region for disaster recovery. This dual-region presence means SA organisations can meet POPIA data residency requirements without compromise.
OAS designs Azure architectures that keep sensitive data within South African borders while maintaining the performance and redundancy that enterprise workloads demand. For organisations in regulated industries — financial services, healthcare, government — local data residency is not optional.
Microsoft Solutions Delivered by OAS
Azure Virtual Desktop
Windows 11 multi-session desktops, RemoteApp, and FSLogix profiles on Azure South Africa infrastructure. Cost-effective virtual workspace for simpler environments.
ExploreMicrosoft 365
Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Microsoft Defender security suite. The productivity backbone for SA enterprises — secured and optimised by OAS.
ExploreMicrosoft Azure
IaaS and PaaS cloud services from data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The only global hyperscaler with South African regions for POPIA-compliant data sovereignty.
Explore