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Azure Services

Microsoft Azure support for London businesses.

Azure Services

Azure is a powerful platform. For most London SMEs, only a small part of it is actually relevant: flexible remote desktops for your team, virtual machines hosted in the cloud instead of on a server in your office, and a single place to manage who has access to what across your business.

We help you get the most from those three things, without the complexity that usually comes with enterprise Azure deployments.

Azure Virtual Desktop

Azure Virtual Desktop lets your team access a full Windows desktop and their applications from any device, anywhere, without a VPN or a physical office computer. Everything runs in Microsoft’s cloud. Your staff connect from a laptop, a tablet, or a home machine, and they see exactly the same desktop they would at their desk.

For businesses moving away from an on-premise server, or with staff working across multiple locations, Azure Virtual Desktop removes the need for physical hardware and gives you a managed, secure, scalable alternative.

We configure, deploy, and manage Azure Virtual Desktop environments for SMEs, handling the setup of user profiles, application access, session hosts, and security policies. We also monitor performance and manage updates so the environment stays stable and secure as your team grows or changes.

Azure virtual machine management and backup

If your business runs virtual machines in Microsoft Azure, whether to host a line-of-business application, a database, or any other workload, those VMs need managing, patching, monitoring, and backing up just like any on-premise server.

One important point most businesses miss: Azure’s own backup and site replication tools keep your data within Azure. If Azure itself experiences a regional outage or service disruption, those tools go down with it. We use Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure (DBMA), which replicates your Azure VMs to an independent cloud outside of Azure entirely, so your recovery options are not dependent on the platform that may have caused the problem.

We manage your Azure VMs as part of our managed support service, covering performance monitoring, OS patching, security configuration, and backup verification.

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory)

Microsoft Entra ID is the identity and access management platform that sits behind Microsoft 365, Azure, and almost every other Microsoft service your business uses. It controls who can log in, what they can access, and under what conditions.

Getting this right matters significantly more than most businesses realise. Poorly configured Entra ID means former employees may still have access to systems after they leave, personal devices can connect to company data without any security checks, and admin accounts may be exposed in ways that give an attacker access to everything.

We configure and manage Microsoft Entra ID as part of our Microsoft 365 security service, covering user provisioning and deprovisioning, multi-factor authentication enforcement, conditional access policies, privileged identity management, and group and licence management. We also handle the connection between Entra ID and any line-of-business applications that use it for single sign-on.

Who this is for

These services are most relevant to you if:

  • Your team works remotely or across multiple locations and you want a managed, secure desktop environment without relying on individual laptops and VPNs.
  • You have moved workloads or applications to Azure virtual machines and want them properly monitored, patched, and backed up, with recovery options that are not dependent on Azure itself.
  • You are running Microsoft 365 and want to make sure the identity and access layer behind it is correctly configured, so that the right people have access to the right things and former employees do not.
  • You are considering moving from an on-premise server to a cloud-hosted alternative and want to understand what Azure Virtual Desktop or Azure VM hosting would involve.

Part of your managed support contract

Azure Virtual Desktop management, Azure VM monitoring and backup, and Microsoft Entra ID configuration are all available as part of a Network Fish managed support contract. We include them alongside your broader IT support, security, and infrastructure management so there is no separate Azure support relationship to manage.

One monthly fee. One number to call.

The day-to-day complexity of your Azure environment becomes our job, not yours.

Book your free site survey   or call +44 (0) 207 403 4031

FAQ

Common questions

What Azure services does Network Fish support for SMEs?

Network Fish focuses on the three Azure services most relevant to London SMEs: Azure Virtual Desktop, which gives your team a managed cloud-based Windows desktop accessible from any device; Azure virtual machine management and backup, covering monitoring, patching, and independent offsite backup using Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure; and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), the identity and access management platform behind Microsoft 365 and Azure.

We do not offer generic Azure consultancy for large enterprise deployments — our focus is on the practical Azure services that make a real difference to small and medium-sized businesses.

What is Azure Virtual Desktop and is it right for my business?

Azure Virtual Desktop is a Microsoft cloud service that delivers a full Windows desktop and applications to your team over the internet, from any device, without needing a physical office computer or a traditional VPN. It is particularly useful for businesses with remote or hybrid teams, multiple office locations, or staff who work from different devices.

It is also a strong alternative to an on-premise server for businesses that want to reduce their reliance on physical hardware. Network Fish configures, deploys, and manages Azure Virtual Desktop environments for SME clients, including user profiles, application access, session hosts, and ongoing monitoring.

Does Azure back up my virtual machines?

Azure provides its own backup and site replication tools, but these keep your data within Azure’s own infrastructure. If Azure experiences a regional outage or service disruption, those tools may be unavailable at exactly the moment you need them.

We use Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure (DBMA), which replicates your Azure VMs to an independent cloud outside of Azure entirely. This means your recovery options are not dependent on the platform that may have caused the problem in the first place. We manage the backup configuration, monitor completion, and handle any recovery requests on your behalf.

What is Microsoft Entra ID and why does it matter?

Microsoft Entra ID, previously known as Azure Active Directory, is the identity and access management platform that underpins Microsoft 365, Azure, and most other Microsoft services. It controls who can log in to your systems, what they can access, from which devices, and under what conditions.

Poorly configured Entra ID is one of the most common security gaps we find when auditing a new client’s Microsoft environment — including former employees who still have active accounts, personal devices connecting to company data without security checks, and admin accounts with excessive permissions. We configure and manage Entra ID as part of our Microsoft 365 security service.

What happened to Azure Active Directory?

Microsoft renamed Azure Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID in 2023. The product is the same and serves the same purpose, controlling identity and access across Microsoft 365 and Azure environments. You may still see it referred to as Azure AD or AAD in older documentation and within some Microsoft admin portals, but Microsoft Entra ID is the current name. Network Fish manages Entra ID configuration and administration for managed support clients.

Can Azure Virtual Desktop replace our office server?

For many SMEs, yes. If your on-premise server is primarily used to host a shared file store, run a line-of-business application, or provide remote access to a Windows environment, Azure Virtual Desktop can replace that function entirely, removing the need for physical server hardware, on-site maintenance, and the single point of failure that a physical server represents.

We assess whether Azure Virtual Desktop is the right fit during a free site survey, and if it is, we handle the migration, configuration, and ongoing management.

Is Azure Virtual Desktop secure?

Yes, when configured correctly. Azure Virtual Desktop sessions run in Microsoft’s cloud, so your data does not sit on individual laptops or home computers. We configure multi-factor authentication for all Virtual Desktop users, apply conditional access policies so only compliant devices can connect, and manage session security settings as part of the ongoing service.

All data remains within your Microsoft tenant and is subject to the same security controls as the rest of your Microsoft 365 environment.

Do I need a separate Azure support contract alongside my IT support?

No. Network Fish manages Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure VM backup, and Microsoft Entra ID as part of your managed IT support contract. There is no separate Azure support relationship to set up or manage. Everything sits under your existing contract with us, with one point of contact and one monthly fee.

How do I know if my Azure environment is correctly configured?

The most straightforward way is a free site survey. We review your Azure and Microsoft 365 environment as part of the survey, identifying misconfigured settings, inactive accounts, unmonitored virtual machines, and any gaps in backup coverage. We then provide a written report with specific findings and recommendations. There is no charge for the survey and no obligation to act on the findings with us.

What is the difference between Azure VM backup and Microsoft 365 backup?

These are two separate backup requirements. Azure VM backup covers virtual machines hosted in Azure, which typically run servers, applications, or databases rather than individual user data. Microsoft 365 backup covers email, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams data belonging to your users.

Both need independent third-party backup in place because neither Microsoft’s native Azure tools nor Microsoft 365’s native retention features constitute a proper backup. Network Fish manages both as part of our managed support service, using Datto Backup for Microsoft Azure for VM backup and a dedicated Microsoft 365 backup solution for user data.