Working with a server

When moving to Office 365, customers are faced with the question: do I still need my server? For many, the requirement to continue using a server is negated based on the functionality that Office 365 provides and as such they are able to remove their server after their migration is complete.

However, some businesses may still require the services of an on-premises server for a variety of reasons, such as filesystems, databases, and line of business applications.

If companies do keep an on-premises server, they would now be faced with the challenge of maintaining two disparate systems (their server and Office 365).

Generally, a business can maintain a single set of usernames through the implementation of directory synchronization. Historically, in the Office 365 small business plans that was not possible however in late 2014 the plans were changed to accommodate a variety of synchronization functionalities.

Integration options for directory synchronization are covered in...