2024-09-22
First Microsoft 365 Implementation in a Saudi Financial Institution
- Customer
- National Finance House
- Project manager on the customer side
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Shadi Kalthoom
IT Manager
- IT Provider
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NourNet
- Year of project completion
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2024
- Project timeline
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September, 2024 - September, 2024
- Project scope
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170 automated workstations
- Goals
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- Empower NFH and all team members to utilize the latest Office 365 applications to enhance productivity.
- Foster efficient communication within NFH by implementing Microsoft Teams across the organization.
- Lead as the first financial institution in Saudi Arabia to successfully deploy Office 365 and Microsoft Teams in compliance with SAMA regulations.
- Project Results
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- The project was notable for being the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, compliant with SAMA’s regulations, and ensuring all data were kept within the Kingdom’s borders.
- Enhance productivity by enabling the use of Office 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Integrate Microsoft Teams into the organization to streamline communication.
The uniqueness of the project
We are the first financial institution to receive approval from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to use Microsoft Teams and Office 365 productivity applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. We implemented an innovative solution with a tailored design to enable seamless use of Microsoft Teams and integration with email calendars. Worth mentioning that any cloud solutions outside of the KSA are strictly prohibited for security and regulatory reasons by SAMA.
- Used software
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We are not allowed to disclose all the BoQ due to data confidentiality. However, I will give a comprehensive view of the infrastructure. First, we installed on-prem dedicated exchange servers along with all associated servers like AD, Witness, and AD Connect inside Saudi Arabia. In addition to the required licenses to run the servers and services. Then, we installed a tool called Hybrid Classic software from Microsoft. Finally, we added Microsoft 365 Business licenses and synced the users with Microsoft Teams and integrated with email calendars.
- Difficulty of implementation
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We encountered several challenges during this project. The first was disabling all cloud services, including OneDrive and SharePoint, within the designed solution. The second challenge involved obtaining approval from the regulator, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), for the proposed design and services. The most significant challenge, however, was ensuring that all data remains stored, secured, and protected within the borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All three challenges have been successfully addressed and implemented.
- Project Description
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The project aims to adopt modern office productivity applications, including Microsoft Teams as a collaboration platform. However, a significant challenge arises due to strict regulatory and security measures prohibiting the use of any cloud-based solutions hosted outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Currently, NFH operates in Office 2016 and Office 2021. It is important to note that Office 2021 represents the final version under the perpetual licensing model, preceding Office 365, which includes cloud services such as OneDrive and SharePoint. The following risks have been identified:
- End of Life for Office 2021: Microsoft will cease support for Office 2021 on October 13, 2026. After this date, the application will no longer receive updates or security patches, posing a threat to operational continuity and data security.
- Cloud Service Restrictions: Financial institutions within Saudi Arabia are prohibited from using any cloud services hosted outside the kingdom due to regulatory constraints by SAMA.
To address these challenges, we found a tailored solution that ensures all company data remains securely within Saudi Arabia's borders. Additionally, any cloud services will be disabled, while Microsoft Teams will be fully deployed and utilized in compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Project geography
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As I mentioned earlier, we are not allowed to disclose all the project details and BoQ. However, the project was fully implemented inside Saudi Arabia in two cities, Riyadh and Jeddah.
- Additional presentations:
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SAN2024 (30856-National Finance House Company).pdf
