The workplace has changed permanently. SMBs are increasingly working in hybrid environments, relying on a mix of cloud-based collaboration tools to get things done.
More recently, SMBs are grabbing the rise of AI with both hands, fueling a new digital transformation.
But while these transformations unlock new opportunities, they also come with increased risk.
It’s a balancing act. On one side, SMBs need to consider the employee experience, creating the ideal workflows to reduce friction and increase productivity. On the other, they have to maximise security, minimise cloud costs and ensure the entire IT ecosystem is robust and resilient.
Our recent study of SMB operations across the APAC region shows that 80% of decision-makers rank improving customer experience (CX) as a critical business objective. A further 67% rank employee experience gains as equally critical.
At the same time, 64% are targeting improved ability to adopt flexible, scalable ways of working and 63% confirm that reducing enterprise risk is a must.
How IT is responding to these objectives reveals the road ahead – and emerging opportunities for partners to respond.
Taken altogether, these priorities all contribute to those primary goals of improving CX and EX, adopting flexible, hybrid modern work models and doing so in a way that reduces risk for users, and for the business. However, achieving these goals won’t come without challenges – most notably increased complexity and risk. Partners with solutions that can minimise these barriers whilst supporting the prime objectives will be well placed to compete over the next two years.
Let’s explore how solutions from Microsoft, uSecure, Nerdio and Probax combine to meet these critical SMB business objectives and IT priorities, head on.
The modern workplace is now more connected than ever, with distributed teams using cloud-based tools and AI-powered platforms to work flexibly, collaboratively and productively.
As exciting as that all sounds, the reality is all too often a sprawling, tangled web of tools, users and vulnerabilities.
What once was a desktop and a shared drive is now a stack of cloud apps, virtual desktops, remote endpoints and AI copilots – some integrated, some … not so much.
Just mapping the ideal workflows and data flows through these complex ecosystems can be a major challenge.
Each layer also introduces its own risks and vulnerabilities into the stack – from security measures and compliance headaches to the overwhelmed IT teams tasked to manage it all.
SMBs don’t want to choose between productivity and protection. They want both. They need both.
This is where Crayon’s partners can deliver real, transformative business value by offering SMBs integrated, scalable and secure tech stacks designed for how we work today.
Modern collaboration goes beyond just using tools like Teams or Zoom. It includes the experience of working securely from anywhere, engaging with AI agents, assistants and tools. Data needs to be accessible from everywhere, but must be protected even as employees switch devices, apps and networks.
Enhances employee productivity through AI-assisted document creation, meeting summaries, email generation and data analysis.
Focuses on the human element of cyber risk, offering security awareness training, simulated phishing, and behaviour-based learning.
Simplifies the deployment and management of Microsoft 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) automated workflows, standardised configurations and policy baselines.
Provides automated and policy-based backup for Microsoft 365 apps like SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, and Teams, ensuring business continuity and recoverability.
Together, these tools create a modern collaboration stack that delivers speed, intelligence and security—key attributes for SMBs looking to compete and grow.
Integrates natively into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and more.
It requires a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licence and a Copilot add-on, with tenant-level deployment via the Microsoft admin portal.
Plugs into Microsoft 365 and Azure AD, enabling risk scoring, reporting, and automation of training workflows.
Purpose built for MSPs. A complete Microsoft cloud management platform with multi-tenant management, monitoring and alerts for Mi365 and Azure.
Integrates directly with Microsoft Graph API to ensure secure, granular backup of Microsoft 365 data.
It also supports automation via PowerShell and REST APIs.
Composed entirely from cloud-native technologies with deep Microsoft integration, the stack eliminates many of the incompatibilities, conflicts and workarounds that can frustrate IT managers whilst making it easy for partners to deploy an end-to-end solution quickly and efficiently, with minimal custom integration required.
Each vendor provides a strong channel programme:
By combining these solutions, partners can add a packaged, scalable Workplace-as-a-Service offering into the catalogue that meets business objectives, builds trust and supports recurring revenue.
This stack is optimised for efficiency:
Together, these elements reduce administrative overhead, improve client satisfaction, and support high-margin service delivery.
When you choose Crayon, you’re placing a winning bet on distribution, done differently.
We back our mission to create value for our partners.
Helping you respond to increased demand for AI-powered, secure, modern work solutions for SMB customers is just one way we get it done.
We’ll work with you to accelerate time to market with:
Ready to talk about solutions that deliver into the business objectives for your customers?
Drop your details into this form, using the free text field to enter “Collaboration Stack” and our team will be in touch to help get the ball rolling!
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