Partner Case Study | DEFEND
Modern cloud adoption can empower organizations to deliver services efficiently, safeguard sensitive information, and withstand an increasingly complex threat landscape. Yet for public‑sector agencies, where budgets are tightly controlled and compliance obligations are high, embracing the cloud can be challenging. Maintaining security, transparency, and cost efficiency is a delicate balance: the need to move forward with modernization while proving every investment is justified and resilient. DEFEND, a New Zealand–based cybersecurity services provider, has the experience and expertise to support organizations navigating this sort of complexity. The company’s philosophy centers on partnering with clients to maximize their security investments securely, effectively, and with measurable returns. A long‑time Microsoft partner and a 2025 Microsoft Security Partner of the Year, DEFEND has been a Solutions Partner for Security since the designation launched in the program, and they were the first organization globally to earn all four Security advanced specializations. In addition to differentiating DEFEND in the market, these distinctions reflect years of technical alignment, joint workshops, and close collaboration with Microsoft engineering and partner teams. That foundation positioned DEFEND to support New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment (MfE), a central government agency working across environmental policy, national programs, and collaboration with regional and indigenous partners. Trimming tech overgrowth to strengthen and streamline security MfE sought a secure and sustainable way to modernize their cloud environment to more efficiently manage high volumes of data and wide-ranging operations. The organization operates in a landscape where information integrity and public trust carry significant weight, making resilience, transparency, and control essential components of their modernization strategy. At the same time, MfE wanted to reduce their operational overhead. With every dollar spent being rigorously scrutinized, they needed a way to pursue improvements without increasing cost or complexity. Their existing technology stack included multiple security tools and vendors, which contributed to an unnecessary operational burden and was becoming financially unsustainable. Because MfE is one of DEFEND’s longest‑standing customers, the stage was already set for deep, meaningful collaboration. The teams made a strategic decision to consolidate MfE’s security posture using Microsoft as a single vendor. “Rather than having a little bit of Microsoft here and a little bit of another vendor over there, they wanted to consolidate and leverage the Microsoft stack,” said Jono Green, Lead Microsoft Strategist at DEFEND. “Because Microsoft’s adopted Zero Trust themselves, we recognized the Microsoft capabilities aligned really well with what they wanted to do.” MfE’s existing investments in Microsoft 365 provided a strong foundation to implement that Zero Trust security—a principle that safeguards data, apps, and employees by requiring verification for each access request. DEFEND worked with MfE to outline a path to streamline their ecosystem, eliminate fragmentation, and strengthen resilience—all while remaining within budgetary constraints. Continue reading hereNetox on Microsoftin Security Partner of the Year 2025!
Vahvaa Microsoft-osaamista, joka näkyy asiakkaan arjessa Netoxin ja SOL-konsernin yhteistyö on esimerkki siitä, miten Microsoft-teknologioihin pohjautuvat ratkaisut voidaan viedä käytäntöön hallitusti, liiketoimintaa tukevalla tavalla. Yhteistyö käynnistyi pienestä Microsoft Autopilot ‑kokonaisuudesta ja on kasvanut vaiheittain kattamaan päätelaitteet, Microsoft 365 ‑ympäristön, tietoturvan ja jatkuvat IT-palvelut lähes 2 000 käyttäjälle. Netoxin vahvuus on syvä Microsoft-osaaminen yhdistettynä rehelliseen ja käytännölliseen tekemiseen. Ratkaisut rakennetaan asiakkaan arjen, kustannustietoisuuden ja resurssien ehdoilla – ei raskaina projekteina, vaan toimivina kokonaisuuksina, jotka kestävät myös muutoksen. Tämä ajattelutapa, tiivis yhteistyö Microsoftin kanssa ja kyky tuoda uudet teknologiat, kuten Copilot, osaksi hallittua kokonaisuutta ovat keskeisiä syitä siihen, miksi Netox tunnetaan luotettavana Microsoft-kumppanina ja Partner of the Year ‑tason toimijana. Vahva kumppani keskisuurille ja kasvaville organisaatioille Netox tunnistaa roolinsa nimenomaan keskisuurten ja kasvavien organisaatioiden kumppanina. Kaikkea osaamista ei tarvitse – eikä kannata – rakentaa talon sisään, mutta kumppanin on oltava riittävän lähellä arkea. Netoxin koko, toimintamalli ja rehellisyys omasta ydinosaamisesta ovat mahdollistaneet luottamuksellisen yhteistyön, jossa vastuut ovat selkeitä ja tekeminen ennakoitavaa. Microsoft‑ympäristöissä Netoxin asiantuntemus kattaa koko kokonaisuuden: päätelaitteet, identiteetit, Microsoft 365 ‑palvelut, tietoturvan ja jatkuvat palvelut. Asiakkaalle tämä näkyy hallittavuutena, parempana näkyvyytenä ympäristöön ja ennen kaikkea siinä, että IT ja kyberturva tukevat liiketoimintaa huomaamattomasti taustalla. Turvallisuutta ja jatkuvuutta Microsoft-ekosysteemissä Tietoturva on ollut keskeinen osa yhteistyön kehittymistä. Netox ei rakenna erillisiä, päälle liimattuja tietoturvaratkaisuja, vaan hyödyntää Microsoftin ekosysteemin mahdollisuuksia osana kokonaisuutta. Kun identiteetit, päätelaitteet ja pilvipalvelut toimivat yhteen, syntyy ympäristö, joka kestää myös muutoksia ja kasvua. Microsoft‑ympäristön jatkuva kehitys, mukaan lukien tekoälyn ja Copilotin hyödyntäminen, edellyttää kumppanilta ajantasaista osaamista ja kykyä katsoa pidemmälle. Netoxin rooli on varmistaa, että uudet teknologiat tuodaan käyttöön hallitusti ja liiketoiminnan realiteetit huomioiden. Ei teknologia edellä, vaan asiakkaan arjen ehdoilla. Kirjoittaja: Ville Kankare, NetoxAI Is the Headline — but Readiness Is the Real Story for MSPs
AI is everywhere right now. Customers are asking about Copilot. They’re curious about automation. They want faster, smarter ways to work. And on the surface, it all feels exciting—and urgent. But when you spend time with MSPs, a different story often emerges. Behind the AI curiosity are environments that aren’t quite ready. Devices are managed inconsistently. Identity hygiene varies by tenant. Security baselines drift over time. And for MSPs, holding all of this together manually—customer by customer—simply doesn’t scale. That gap between AI ambition and operational reality is becoming one of the most important conversations MSPs can have today. Why AI Success Still Comes Down to the Basics AI doesn’t fail because of a lack of innovation. It fails because the fundamentals aren’t in place. Without secure identities, compliant devices, and consistent policies, AI initiatives struggle to move beyond pilots—or worse, introduce new risk. That’s why so many Copilot conversations eventually circle back to the same question: Are we actually ready for this? This is where MSPs play a defining role. Not as AI hype merchants, but as partners who help customers build the foundation that makes AI practical, secure, and sustainable. At the center of that foundation sits Microsoft Intune. Microsoft Intune: Essential, but How Do You Scale? Microsoft Intune is already included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Many customers own it. Many MSPs support it. Yet adoption and consistency remain uneven. The challenge isn’t Intune itself—it’s the operational model. Managing Intune tenant by tenant, navigating multiple portals, and maintaining consistency across customers creates friction for MSPs. It’s time‑consuming, error‑prone, and difficult to turn into a repeatable service. And yet, Intune is critical. It’s the control plane for users, devices, access, and security—everything AI depends on to work safely at scale. Without Intune done right, AI readiness remains theoretical. Why the Partnership Matters: Microsoft Intune and AvePoint Elements This is why our partnership with Microsoft matters so much. Microsoft Intune provides the foundation. AvePoint Elements makes it scalable for MSPs. AvePoint Elements acts as the MSP operating layer on top of Intune—helping partners standardize, automate, and manage Intune across multiple customer tenants from a single platform. For MSPs, that translates into something very tangible: Less manual effort and portal hopping Consistent Intune baselines across customers Automated user and device lifecycle management Reduced drift, better efficiency, and healthier margins Instead of Intune being “work you absorb,” it becomes something you can package, repeat, and build a business around. From One‑Time Setup to Ongoing Value What we’re seeing with leading MSPs is a mindset shift. Intune is no longer treated as a one‑off deployment. It becomes a managed service—part of a broader story around security, governance, and AI readiness. That might mean standardized Intune onboarding, continuous device and identity hygiene, or positioning Copilot readiness as an ongoing engagement rather than a project. The outcome is powerful and familiar to MSPs who’ve made this transition before: Predictable recurring revenue Operational scale without linear headcount growth Stronger customer trust A clear path from security to AI enablement The Moment for MSPs Customers don’t just want access to AI. They want confidence that it’s being deployed responsibly. MSPs who can provide that confidence—by grounding AI adoption in strong Intune foundations—will stand out in the next phase of the market. That’s exactly what the partnership between Microsoft Intune and AvePoint Elements is designed to enable. A Note for MSP Partners If you’re an MSP thinking about how to: Scale Microsoft Intune delivery Reduce operational friction And turn AI readiness into a repeatable service This is a conversation worth leaning into now. Because in the age of AI, the partners who win won’t just deploy new tools—they’ll make them work in the real world. Join us for “From Copilot to Catalyst: How MSPs Turn AI Readiness Into Recurring Revenue” and explore how Microsoft Intune and AvePoint Elements work better together—helping you turn AI readiness into real, sustainable growth.From Copilot to Catalyst: How MSPs Turn AI Readiness Into Recurring Revenue
AI interest is surging—but most customers aren’t ready to scale it securely or successfully. Gaps in device management, identity hygiene, data governance, and operational consistency often stall AI initiatives before they deliver real value. For Managed Service Providers, this challenge creates a powerful opportunity. In this webinar, you’ll learn how MSPs are using Microsoft Intune as the foundation for helping manage and secure devices, and extending it with AvePoint Confidence Platform: Elements Edition to standardize, automate, and scale AI-ready environments across customer tenants. Together, they enable MSPs to move beyond one-off AI projects and deliver AI readiness as a repeatable, revenue-generating managed service. This session focuses on turning AI demand—starting with Copilot—into a long-term services motion that improves margins, reduces operational friction, and positions your MSP as a trusted AI partner. In this webinar, you will learn how to: Turn AI readiness into recurring revenue Learn how MSPs are packaging AI readiness—starting with Copilot—into repeatable, high-margin managed services customers renew and expand. Scale securely without adding overhead See how Microsoft Intune, extended with AvePoint Confidence Platform: Elements Edition, enables standardized, automated delivery across multiple customer tenants. Move from AI pilots to real outcomes Get a practical blueprint to replace one-off AI projects with scalable services that position your MSP as a trusted AI partner. Register now: From Copilot to Catalyst: How MSPs Turn AI Readiness Into Recurring RevenueUpcoming IT Management and Security in the AI Era events on Tech community!
We’re excited to invite you to IT Management and Security in the AI Era, on Thursday, February 26th, from 8:00AM to 10:30 AM Pacific. This digital event is designed to help IT and security professionals answer questions with clarity and confidence, grounded in the latest Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities and controls. What to expect IT Management and Security in the AI Era brings together insights, demos, and deep dives from Microsoft experts, giving you a practical understanding of how to prepare your environments for Copilot and agents while managing risks responsibly. Topics covered include: Built-in protections in the Copilot platform that help proactively safeguard your organization Practical ways to reduce exposure to common attack vectors in an increasingly AI-driven digital workplace Technical guidance for protecting sensitive data while maintaining productivity Best practices for managing AI agents and controlling costs Measurement, analytics, and usage insights to understand adoption and business impact Guidance on enabling users and assessing the value of Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents across your organization Continue reading and register here!
