APAC CIOOutlook

Advertise

with us

  • Technologies
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Big Data
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud
      • Digital Transformation
      • Internet of Things
      • Low Code No Code
      • MarTech
      • Mobile Application
      • Security
      • Software Testing
      • Wireless
  • Industries
      • E-Commerce
      • Education
      • Logistics
      • Retail
      • Supply Chain
      • Travel and Hospitality
  • Platforms
      • Microsoft
      • Salesforce
      • SAP
  • Solutions
      • Business Intelligence
      • Cognitive
      • Contact Center
      • CRM
      • Cyber Security
      • Data Center
      • Gamification
      • Procurement
      • Smart City
      • Workflow
  • Home
  • CXO Insights
  • CIO Views
  • Vendors
  • News
  • Conferences
  • Whitepapers
  • Newsletter
  • Awards
Apac
  • Artificial Intelligence

    Big Data

    Blockchain

    Cloud

    Digital Transformation

    Internet of Things

    Low Code No Code

    MarTech

    Mobile Application

    Security

    Software Testing

    Wireless

  • E-Commerce

    Education

    Logistics

    Retail

    Supply Chain

    Travel and Hospitality

  • Microsoft

    Salesforce

    SAP

  • Business Intelligence

    Cognitive

    Contact Center

    CRM

    Cyber Security

    Data Center

    Gamification

    Procurement

    Smart City

    Workflow

Menu
    • SaaS Solutions
    • Cyber Security
    • Hotel Management
    • Workflow
    • E-Commerce
    • Business Intelligence
    • MORE
    #

    Apac CIOOutlook Weekly Brief

    ×

    Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Apac CIOOutlook

    Subscribe

    loading

    THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING

    • Home
    Editor's Pick (1 - 4 of 8)
    left
    Speed is the Name of the Game

    Meerah Rajavel, CIO, Forcepoint

    Pursuing Business Value and Cost Effectiveness with Cloud ERP

    Casey Hall, CIO & Advisory Partner, Aventine Hill Partners

    Orchestrating a Hybrid Cloud: Using SaaS Solutions with On Premise Applications

    Bill Vancuren, SVP & CIO, NCR Corporation

    A Glimpse into Cloud Computing

    Susie Wee, VP & CTO Of Devnet Innovations, Cisco

    Small Investment, Big Insight: Cloud Analytics

    Julian Quinn, Regional Vp, Asia Pacific, Qlik

    Thoughts from the Frontline of the APAC Cloud Computing Market

    Eric Hui, Director Of Cloud And Service Provider Markets, Equinix, Asia Pacific

    Omnichannel, Millennials, and Drones...Oh my!

    Ruben Martin, Co-Founder & CEO, Quivers.

    SaaS Loyalty Technology Platforms Offering Advantages

    Phil Britt, Owner, S&P Enterprises, Inc.

    right

    The UNICEF Cloud: A Journey beyond the O365 SaaS

    Thierry Beniflah, Chief of Technical Architecture, UNICEF

    Tweet
    content-image

    Thierry Beniflah, Chief of Technical Architecture, UNICEF

    UNICEF was the first UN agency to adopt Office 365 (O365) as its cloud-based office suite in 2013, and in so doing, we became a fully mobile, digital workforce with integrated email, instant messaging, video conferences, team sites and telephony (under implementation). Since then, our cloud adoption has expanded beyond theO365 Software as a Service (SaaS), into other cloud services including, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platforms as a Service (PaaS), thus optimizing and exploiting the efficiencies offered by the cloud.

    Our cloud journey began with an important business driver in adopting O365: reducing money spent on MS licensing fees. The cloud offered 400K less per year compared to on premise licensing.

    We proceeded to convince organizational strategists of the benefits of the cloud, as the new technology was introduced. Is the cloud as secure as on premise servers? What guarantees are offered on the protection of UNICEF’s immunities and privileges? Such questions were widespread and needed to be addressed. After partnering with internal stakeholders, we successfully negotiated terms and conditions that ensured that the risks of going to the cloud were clearly understood. The agreement now forms the basis of our cloud expansion.

    By migrating to O365, we knew that our security would be strengthened, with some privacy tradeoffs in the area of compelled disclosure; an acceptable business risk universally inherent to the cloud. Private keys mitigate that risk.

    Our readiness activities included upgrades to Office 2013 for all UNICEF office desktops and the design and implementation of an identity and access management solution that enabled single sign on to all Office 365 services and integration with directory services.

    Our rollout strategy was to deploy the entire Office 365 suite all at once and retire legacy systems, including file servers, local infrastructure, and disparate Intranets.

    In the meantime, corporate culture and attitude shifted in favour of the cloud, as its advantages became understood, and we implemented the migration globally.

    Today, UNICEF employees benefit from the entire O365 suite of services, including novel ways to communicate and collaborate with external partners. Applications such as Yammer and Delve have helped build a socialmedia culture within the organization.

    UNICEF employees benefit from the entire O365 suite of services, including novel ways to communicate and collaborate with external partners

    “Yammer is being used by over 3,200 staff per month from across the organization and we have more than 100 active groups ranging from organization wide communities of practice and customer care communities to specific interest groups. Yammer connects staff across geography and functions to help solve work related questions, share experience and keep up to date with the latest developments” ~ Ian Thorpe, Chief, Learning & Knowledge Exchange, Policy, Strategy and Networks

    Further strengthening SaaS, we added a new app store to our ecosystem in March 2017, solidifying our mobility strategy. Mobile versions of our applications are no longer an afterthought, accessible in one place, and are readily deployable.

    Moving beyond SaaS, we adopted the Azure cloud in 2015 and it now forms a strong component of our PaaS and IaaS aimed at building operational and programmatic efficiency. While the O365 SaaS is universal, partners decide for themselves whether to go with our PaaS and IaaS offerings for their business systems. These expanded cloud service preclude the need to build new infrastructure and platforms each time we deploy an app, and reduces time to market since development, testing and running are all done in one environment, as opposed to in three separate ones, as in the past. A plethora of custom built apps are now available to us and maintenance and enhancements are easier to deploy with added speed. We also have the added advantage of allowing partners to access data behind our firewall, with mobility capabilities.

    To date, Azure hosts key programmes such as Primero, a programme that enables child protection in more than eight countries.

    Looking ahead, our vision is to continuously unify and integrate SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. We will continue to combine a variety of cloud and on premise services to meet the unique needs of our diversified business units; working with the business to create innovative ways to leverage IT in the interests of children.

    tag

    SaaS

    Firewall

    Identity and Access Management

    Weekly Brief

    loading
    Top 10 SaaS Solution Providers - 2017
    ON THE DECK

    SaaS Solutions 2017

    I agree We use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info

    Read Also

    Advancing the Chemical Industry through Digital Transformation

    Advancing the Chemical Industry through Digital Transformation

    Jan Mandrup Olesen, Global Head of Digital Business, Indorama Ventures
    Cultivating a Sustainable Future through Collaboration

    Cultivating a Sustainable Future through Collaboration

    Jiunn Shih, Chief Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability Officer, Zespri International
    Mastering Digital Marketing Strategies

    Mastering Digital Marketing Strategies

    Tasya Aulia, Director of Marketing and Communications, Meliá Hotels International
    Building a Strong Collaborative Framework for Artificial Intelligence

    Building a Strong Collaborative Framework for Artificial Intelligence

    Boon Siew Han, Regional Head of Humanoid Component Business & R&D (Apac & Greater China), Schaeffler
    From Legacy to Agility Through Digital Transformation

    From Legacy to Agility Through Digital Transformation

    Athikom Kanchanavibhu, EVP, Digital & Technology Transformation, Mitr Phol Group
    Change Management for Clinical Ancillary Teams: Aligning Practice with Policy and Progress

    Change Management for Clinical Ancillary Teams: Aligning Practice with Policy and Progress

    Ts. Dr. James Chong, Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Asia Hospital – Tebrau
    Digital Transformation: A Journey Beyond Technology

    Digital Transformation: A Journey Beyond Technology

    John Ang, Group CTO, EtonHouse International Education Group
    Building A Strong Data Foundation: The Key To Successful Ai Integration In Business

    Building A Strong Data Foundation: The Key To Successful Ai Integration In Business

    Richa Arora, Senior Director Of Data Governance, Cbre
    Loading...
    Copyright © 2025 APAC CIOOutlook. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy and Anti Spam Policy 

    Home |  CXO Insights |   Whitepapers |   Subscribe |   Conferences |   Sitemaps |   About us |   Advertise with us |   Editorial Policy |   Feedback Policy |  

    follow on linkedinfollow on twitter follow on rss
    This content is copyright protected

    However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the link below:

    https://saas-solutions.apacciooutlook.com/cxoinsights/the-unicef-cloud-a-journey-beyond-the-o365-saas-nwid-4187.html