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Great Minds Make Great Tech with Claude Morings Jr

It’s been an exciting month for us here at CloudM as we get set to officially launch our US subsidiary, CloudM Inc. With over 10 years of experience in the US market already, this natural evolution promises to deliver an even better customer experience for our amazing North American customers.

What better time to celebrate the staff that have supported our US market and made this next step possible. And, who better to speak to than US employee no.1 – Claude Morings Jr.

Hi Claude – Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hey! I’m the Global Product Support Manager here at CloudM. I joined 4 years ago (this month to be exact) as CloudM’s very first US employee.

Wow! And now we have 13 US based employees and growing, with a US subsidiary being established. You must’ve seen some changes in the past 4 years

Absolutely. Personally, I’ve been able to grow the Support Team out from a solely UK based operation to a truly global department, with dedicated, knowledgeable staff located around the globe (including APAC), delivering true 24 / 7 support.

None of this was in place, and to have that set on my shoulders as a deliverable when accepting the role was a lot of pressure. But, it has created the amazing support team we have now, which I’m extremely proud of.

In the US, helping the business get the right people in place and seeing the business grow to generate the revenue to get here, establishing CloudM Inc., has been so rewarding. In the last year alone, the number of US based employees has skyrocketed and it’s only set to continue. That can only be good for our customers.

So, what do you enjoy about working at CloudM?

Firstly, my team. My favorite parts of the week are when someone within the team achieves a goal, receives good feedback, or puts a process in place that benefits them and their colleagues. I was given the opportunity to build the team and put people in those positions to showcase their talents so it feels like validation.

I really like how we make remote working work, even across multiple time zones and regions. It’s great to feel like one team with colleagues across APAC, Europe and North America (from sea to shining sea).

Saying that, getting the opportunity to meet up in person is amazing. I’m from a small town in North Carolina, and while I have traveled across the world during my 12 years in the Army, my family is amazed when I tell them I’m visiting the head office based in the UK or that I get to go to Spain for a company kickoff meeting.

What is your favorite CloudM value?

My favorite value is to appreciate others. I can crack on, try new things, and get involved, but showing others that they’re appreciated (and feeling appreciated) makes the other values easier to achieve.

Any advice for someone looking to join the CloudM team?

It will be challenging, but we will have fun and you will feel supported. At CloudM, you will only fail if you choose to. The team here is pretty good at circling the wagons around someone who needs extra assistance, sharing their own experiences and knowledge.

It’s a great time to get involved. The CloudM team, globally and in the US, is growing and there are so many opportunities for personal and career growth. If you are hard working, eager to learn and challenge yourself, CloudM is a great place to work.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CloudM
CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years.

Our team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform for you to get the most from your digital workspace. Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives your business through a simple, easy-to-use interface, helping you to work smarter, not harder.

By automating time-consuming tasks like IT admin, onboarding & offboarding, archiving and migrations, the CloudM platform takes care of the day-to-day, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

With over 35,000 customers including the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Uber, our all-in-one platform is putting office life on auto-pilot, saving you time, stress and money.

CloudM announces brand new B Corporation certification

CloudM, a cloud migration and management software provider, has announced today its certification as a B Corporation, joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit.

CloudM has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

CloudM has achieved certification across five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. Thanks to CloudM’s efforts, the company has been able to reach a score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.

In addition to completing the certification, CloudM also legally commits to a purpose beyond profit in the future as an extension of this brilliant achievement. Further to this, CloudM is also an official Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter supporter which means it takes looking after its people seriously and can evidence this.

The recent certification is all part of CloudM’s “Do Good Plan” which is about encouraging everyone to do the right thing, supporting the people and the planet. As part of this initiative, CloudM has “Culture Champions” with specific specialisms and targeted aims ranging from environmental sustainability to racial equity. From getting the chance to sit on hiring panels to coordinating team events, CloudM’s Culture Champions aim to make a real difference in the lives of employees.

Gary Bennion, Chief Technical and Customer Officer, from CloudM, said:

“We are pleased to have achieved the B Corp certification and to represent the cloud services industry. This was a really important step for the business as we truly believe in the power of doing good as a business and focusing on the environment, people and the planet as much as profit. Beyond the certification we hope to continue to make an impact on the world around us as we all move towards a more sustainable future for everyone.”

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are delighted to welcome CloudM (and CTS) to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good.”

Born out of a UK based Google Partner in 2018, CloudM has grown to become one of the world’s leading data movement and management solutions, with over 40,000 customers in over 107 countries across the globe, including the likes of Netflix, Uber, Booking.com and Spotify. CloudM has performed over 75 million migrations to the cloud and are on a mission to make it easy to manage Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace user data.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CloudM
CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years.

Our team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform for you to get the most from your digital workspace. Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives your business through a simple, easy-to-use interface, helping you to work smarter, not harder.

By automating time-consuming tasks like IT admin, onboarding & offboarding, archiving and migrations, the CloudM platform takes care of the day-to-day, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

With over 35,000 customers including the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Uber, our all-in-one platform is putting office life on auto-pilot, saving you time, stress and money.

A true partnership for success: The evolving relationship between Kempinski Hotels and CloudM

The Company

Kempinski is a luxury hotel management group celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Steeped in history, the iconic company dates back to 1897, crowning them Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.

A growing collection of distinguished properties proudly bears the Kempinski name. Their illustrious portfolio currently boasts 81 of the world’s most breathtaking destinations spread across 35 countries, each possessing their trademark exclusivity and European flair.

Kempinski’s prestigious heritage is equally matched by its ambitious vision for the future. And the group understands that embracing technology is the key to offering a world-class guest experience for another 125 years.

The evolution of the relationship

Kempinski has been a valued CloudM customer since 2010 when they used CloudM Migrate to transition from Novell GroupWise to Google Workspace.

Their relatively early adoption of Google Workspace shows their early commitment to cloud solutions: they could see the value on offer and understood the pivotal role the technology would play in the future.

Moving to the cloud enabled Kempinski to create a flexible, agile platform which allowed them to react to market opportunities faster than their peers and capitalize on innovation opportunities as they’ve presented themselves.

CloudM has played a central role in Kempinski’s tech stack ever since. Kempinski benefits from the CloudM Automate features with our Staff Directory being at the heart of their staff collaboration.

CTS, our partner and sister company (as part of the CTS Group), manages the Onboarding and Offboarding Workflow features on Kempinski’s behalf, setting up automation that work behind the scenes to streamline Kempinski’s day-to-day operations.CloudM’s automated onboarding solutions help new employees integrate seamlessly into the company.

New employees are granted immediate access to the resources they need for their role, including shared documents and calendars.

From company policy and culture training, to team introductions and job benefits, everything is accessible from day one, making new employees’ experience as straightforward and stress-free as possible.

At the opposite end of the employee journey, CloudM’s Offboarding Workflow feature automates Kempinski’s offboarding process, revoking passwords and permissions for employees the moment they leave the company.

Both of these features free up untold labor hours that would otherwise be spent manually onboarding and offboarding members of staff.

Holly Simpson, the Account Manager for Kempinski at CTS, recognises the values of CloudM’s features. She said: “Our fruitful relationship with Kempinski stretches back over a decade now. And only grows stronger with each passing year. The CloudM features form an integral part of the efficient, automated, managed service that CTS delivers to keep the hotels running day-to-day.”

Shaping CloudM’s Archive solution

Kempinski’s more recent uptake of the CloudM Archive module shows a continuing confidence in CloudM (and CTS) to sit at the center of their digital operations.When Google replaced their free Vault Former Employee (VFE) licenses with paid Archive User (AU) licenses, at a cost of ~€50 each per year, Kempinski was potentially looking at an eye-watering bill in the hundreds of thousands.

So they turned to CloudM for help.CloudM rose to the challenge, providing a managed migration of thousands of Kempinski’s archived profiles to cloud storage quickly and automatically, using CloudM Migrate. This slashed their expected expenditure drastically while keeping their offboarded user data secure, easily accessible and compliant.

We used CloudM Migrate to perform this initial transfer because it was the fastest way to move the data. Then, we added the Archive step to Kempinski’s offboarding policies so anyone offboarded in the future would automatically have their data archived to the same storage bucket (or another of their choice).

Archived data can be retrieved in just a couple of clicks and data is automatically purged forever after a set length of time to keep businesses compliant.

“We’re proud to have embraced CloudM solutions for over a decade now. And we believe they are providing solutions geared for the future. They’re an essential part of our strategy going forward.”

Here’s to the future

CloudM simply wouldn’t exist without collaboration with our customers. We’ve consistently grown out of our customers’ requests, needs and feedback.

“Kempinski has been a partner in the truest sense of the word,” says Gary Bennion, CloudM’s Chief Technology and Customer Officer. “They have collaborated closely with us for years to help shape CloudM and they continue to be a key customer.”

We’re currently working with Kempinski to centralize and manage their staff user data across HR, SSO (via a third party application), Google Workspace, People Application, and CloudM. This will undoubtedly further strengthen our relationship and may even lead to the creation of new products.

Our symbiotic relationship with Kempinski has enabled both of us to achieve greater success, and our ongoing dialogue fosters continuous growth and innovation.

So, as Kempinski raises a glass and reflects on 125 years of excellence, CloudM looks forward to supporting their future success.

Want to benefit from the same features that Kempinski, and other industry leading companies such as Spotify, Netflix and Uber, use?

With over 35,000 customers worldwide, CloudM’s user management features have helped companies put office life on auto-pilot by automating time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on the big picture, eradicate human error and save both time and money.

For more information on our platform, request a free 15 minute demo call with one of our team.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CloudM
CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years.

Our team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform for you to get the most from your digital workspace. Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives your business through a simple, easy-to-use interface, helping you to work smarter, not harder.

By automating time-consuming tasks like IT admin, onboarding & offboarding, archiving and migrations, the CloudM platform takes care of the day-to-day, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

With over 35,000 customers including the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Uber, our all-in-one platform is putting office life on auto-pilot, saving you time, stress and money.

How to Guarantee a Completely Secure Migration to M365

Many organizations are now choosing to migrate to Microsoft 365 for a number of reasons including collaborative working options and Microsoft 365. Doing so has a number of advantages, but the movement of data can be difficult. A main consideration during the migration process can be maintaining data integrity whilst securing the data throughout the migration. Here are some migration security measures to consider to ensure a secure migration to Microsoft 365.

 

Encryption of Data
End-to-end encryption is the most secure way to communicate securely and with privacy online. The messages are encrypted at both ends of the conversation which prevents anybody in the middle from reading the private communications. Neither hackers nor unwanted third parties can access the encrypted data on the server.

CloudM Migrate has end-to-end encryption between migration endpoints. The option to Self Host CloudM Migrate will completely isolate your migration data from your source environment to the destination cloud tenant.

Both primary and secondary servers use the following components to temporarily store migration data during a migration.

  • Encrypted SQLite databases (AES256)
  • Encrypted temporary file storage (AES256)

Where CloudM Migrate requires a username or password to interact with a system, and stores sensitive data like this, that data is stored encrypted within SQL Server (AES256). SQL Server 2019 Express is installed by default but you can specify your own SQL instance.

Know your source data
Before you start migrating data, you need to know exactly what it is you’re moving. Ensure you know the format of the data, where it is in the system, and if it does actually need to be migrated. Ensure the data is clean and any data that does not need to be kept, can be disposed of to reduce costs and decrease the chance of security risks.

Know your destination
Knowing everything about where the data is coming from is half the battle, the other half is knowing where it’s going.

Ensure that you know the exact destination your data will be going to. From simple things like username conflicts to license fees, the new system will have its own set of rules and regulations.

For example, if you are moving from a legacy endpoint to Microsoft 365, you need to know that all data will be working as expected and the appropriate security compliances are in place. It is also important to ensure everything will be compatible
Back up data
Before the migration begins, ensure all data has been backed up, especially the files you will be migrating. If there are any issues or problems during the migration, such as corrupt or missing files, then you can always restore from the backup.

Get us to help
Migrations are a specialized area, bringing with them their own challenges and solutions, and the right advice from experts like us can make things go a lot smoother. It’s important to understand your limitations, as mishandling a migration can have disastrous consequences.

We know how important security is during migrations. Move to the cloud with confidence with guaranteed data integrity with zero downtime for users with our secure cloud migration tool.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CloudM
CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years.

Our team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform for you to get the most from your digital workspace. Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives your business through a simple, easy-to-use interface, helping you to work smarter, not harder.

By automating time-consuming tasks like IT admin, onboarding & offboarding, archiving and migrations, the CloudM platform takes care of the day-to-day, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

With over 35,000 customers including the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Uber, our all-in-one platform is putting office life on auto-pilot, saving you time, stress and money.

Introduction to CloudM Migrate Self Hosted

Cloud migrations are complex, always changing, and unique to every organization. You need the flexibility and control to tackle your project in the way that suits you best. This is why we have multiple migration deployment options to suit all businesses. In this blog, we break down exactly what CloudM Migrate Self-Hosted is as well as explain security, endpoint, and installation information so you have more guidance when selecting a deployment option. Definition CloudM Migrate Self-Hosted is the downloadable version of CloudM Migrate, ideal for large and complex migrations. Migrate (Self-hosted) is highly configurable, allowing you to complete the most complex and demanding migrations seamlessly. Using our web interface, you can run a multitude of virtual machines to complete your self-hosted migration to Microsoft 365. Once set up in your environment, Migrate (Self-hosted) can securely migrate your mailboxes, files, SharePoint sites, mailbox archives, and more to Microsoft 365. Security If the organization has compliance obligations that do not permit you to use a third-party service, Migrate Self-Hosted is most appropriate. The software can be run behind your own organization’s firewall, critical data is kept internally and no other party has access to it. CloudM Migrate already has end-to-end encryption between migration endpoints. The option to Self Host CloudM Migrate will completely isolate your migration data from your source environment to the destination cloud tenant. CloudM has adopted the ISO 27001 standard as its framework and is externally certified. ISO27001 is one of the most popular information security standards in the world, focusing on protecting three key aspects of information; confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Installation Basic installation will install all components to a single machine and is suitable for performing migrations from a single server or as the main server in a multi-server migration. If you have specialized requirements, have a pre-existing SQL Server instance you would like to use, or will be performing multi-server migrations using a server farm, you should also review the advanced installation documentation. The following components makeup and are used by CloudM Migrate:
  • Web Application and Primary Service
  • Secondary Service
  • SQL Server Express 2017
  • Redis
Clustering With Self-Hosted the option to create a cluster of CloudM Migrate servers can be leveraged to increase migration velocity. Each CloudM Migrate cluster node can handle processing 20 migration threads. While this does increase velocity, more nodes do have ever-decreasing returns in overall velocity as destination throttling ramps up. Legacy Endpoints Moving legacy applications to the cloud can help to address multiple concerns businesses have regarding their data storage needs. Every business wants to be agile, flexible, up-to-date & adapt quickly to demand. CloudM helps businesses achieve these goals by supporting a wide range of source and destination endpoints, enabling migrations from almost any platform including various legacy endpoints. We’re here to help inform you about the most compatible deployment options for your business. Get in touch today to discuss your available options with one of our experienced solutions architects.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CloudM
CloudM is an award-winning SaaS company whose humble beginnings in Manchester have grown into a global business in just a few short years.

Our team of tech-driven innovators have designed a SaaS data management platform for you to get the most from your digital workspace. Whether it’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other SaaS applications, CloudM drives your business through a simple, easy-to-use interface, helping you to work smarter, not harder.

By automating time-consuming tasks like IT admin, onboarding & offboarding, archiving and migrations, the CloudM platform takes care of the day-to-day, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

With over 35,000 customers including the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Uber, our all-in-one platform is putting office life on auto-pilot, saving you time, stress and money.