Dynamics 365 & Microsoft 365: Cloud Migration for Hilvi Group

Hilvi Group engaged Awara IT to move core collaboration and identity services into Microsoft 365 to reduce operational risk, improve security posture, and prepare the organization for future Dynamics 365 adoption. The scope focused on tenant configuration, secure identity, a hybrid Exchange topology, migration of data from Google Cloud, Teams rollout and device management via Intune. Awara IT executed a phased migration that minimized downtime and preserved regulatory controls required for a UAE-based financial holding.

The result is a single, managed Microsoft 365 platform with improved communications, centralized identity and policy enforcement and measurable reductions in administration overhead. By standardizing on Microsoft technologies and implementing M365 Security E3 controls, Hilvi Group now has a foundation to extend into Dynamics 365 for finance and operations when business priorities dictate.

Müşteri / Sektör / Ülke

Hilvi Group is an investment holding and financial management company operating in the UAE within the Banking & Insurance sector. The organization manages portfolio companies and financial services operations across the region and required a secure, compliant cloud platform to support distributed teams and controlled access to sensitive financial data.

İş zorluğu

Hilvi Group operated with a mixed collaboration and messaging footprint—Google Cloud for document storage and a hybrid Exchange environment for mail—creating fragmented user experiences and administration complexity. The IT team faced challenges maintaining security baselines, enforcing consistent access controls, and delivering timely support for remote and on-site users. For a financial holding, those gaps introduced operational risk and increased audit exposure.

Key triggers for the project were the need to centralize identity, reduce the surface area for security incidents, and prepare for tighter regulatory scrutiny in the UAE. The organization also wanted a predictable migration path that would not disrupt portfolio company operations and would leave the business ready to adopt Microsoft applications such as Dynamics 365 in subsequent phases.

Neden Dynamics 365 seçildi

Awara IT recommended standardizing on the Microsoft cloud portfolio because it provides a unified identity, security, and collaboration layer that aligns with enterprise finance requirements. Microsoft 365 (with M365 Security E3) and Entra ID deliver the conditional access, device management and data protection controls Hilvi Group required immediately. This consolidation reduces integration complexity and operational overhead compared with maintaining parallel platforms.

While this engagement focused on Microsoft 365 and security posture, one selection criterion was compatibility with Dynamics 365—ensuring that tenant configuration, identity model and data governance would support a low-friction future implementation of Dynamics 365 Finance or Customer Engagement when the business moves to consolidate back-office systems across its portfolio.

Uygulanan modüller

• Microsoft 365 tenant configuration and baseline security (M365 Security E3)
• Hybrid Exchange configuration and Exchange Online onboarding
• Microsoft Teams rollout and governance
• SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business migration
• Entra ID (Azure AD) Plan 1 with directory sync and conditional access
• Intune device management and policy enforcement
• Data migration tools and secure transfer from Google Cloud

Entegrasyonlar

• Hybrid Exchange integration with on-premises mail systems
• Directory sync between on-premises AD and Entra ID (Azure AD Connect)
• Data migration pipelines from Google Cloud storage to SharePoint/OneDrive
• Teams integration with Exchange Online and Entra ID
• Intune integration for device compliance and conditional access

Yerelleştirme ve uyumluluk

For a UAE-based financial holding, Awara IT implemented data governance and retention settings aligned with local expectations, including encryption-at-rest and in-transit, role-based access controls and audit logging. Retention and eDiscovery policies were configured to support regulatory reporting and legal holds.

The project maintained segregation of duties for administrators, documented change controls, and produced evidence packages for internal compliance reviews. Where required, Awara IT advised on data residency considerations and ensured that tenant and storage settings met the client’s internal and regulatory obligations in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.

İş değeri

By migrating to a centrally managed Microsoft 365 tenant, Hilvi Group reduced operational complexity and put in place repeatable identity and security controls that are mandatory for financial services firms. Centralization reduced time spent on routine administration, improved service availability for end users, and decreased the frequency and impact of common security incidents. These improvements lower operational risk and support auditable controls for compliance purposes.

Crucially, the project created a technical foundation ready for Dynamics 365 adoption. With tenant, identity and security baselines in place, Hilvi Group can now evaluate Dynamics 365 Finance or Customer Engagement with reduced integration effort and predictable governance.