QS solutions
Collaboration without Compromising Security

The operation protocol for CIOs has changed drastically over the past few years. Company owned computers are being slowly replaced by personal devices in the wake of the BYOD trend. Also, software and applications are now accessed from the cloud rather than from on-premise systems. The transitions have left IT companies scrambling to find ways to equip systems and users with security measures without reducing functionality and flexibility. In addition to the trend for BYOD, enterprises also need to share their data with external parties and collaborate in the same environment without compromising on security. QS solutions, a company based in Netherlands, has been developing products to help companies collaborate safely with third-parties such as partners, customers and suppliers. “IT is no longer about systems, it's about people. The focus should be on facilitating the individual users,” says Paul Dols, CEO of QS solutions.

QS solutions delivers security solutions that enable companies to work together with third-party companies by leveraging Microsoft-based products. The services offered by QS solutions include deploying Microsoft Azure Active Directory with a single login identity for both on-premises and cloud applications and implementing Azure Rights Management for document encryption. The firm also deploys Microsoft Intune, a product that gives end-users secure access to work-related applications on their personal mobile devices. Implementation services for Office 365, SharePoint, and Dynamics CRM completes the QS solutions portfolio. Using Office 365 and Microsoft’s innovative identity and access management controls, QS solutions allows the IT department to retain the control they want, while the users get the flexibility and functionality they need.

PortalTalk, the company’s flagship product, is aimed at providing selfservice functionality to business users for complex security issues where, in the past, the IT department would have been involved, like when providing third-party access to SharePoint sites in a quick and safe manner. In this scenario, PortalTalk is deployed on top of an Azure Active Directory and integrated with SharePoint Online or on-premises.Authorized business users can then invite third parties to collaborate in a SharePoint site using a simple workflow. Access is granted using the third parties own credentials (email address and password). PortalTalk provides extra governance by requiring the Business User to confirm the third parties access at regular intervals with failure to do so resulting in access being revoked.

The Self-Service functionality even extends to providing access to applications. Using the same workflows and governance functionality, both internal and external users can be given conditional access to data and/or applications. PortalTalk also allows the IT department to configure user roles with specific access rights to simplify the business users’ work while strengthening governance.

To help clients with the implementation of PortalTalk, QS solutions has a team of implementation consultants and change-management experts to guide and train new clients until they are comfortable with the solutions implemented. “The fact that our products have a better level of integration with Microsoft solutions makes our implementations better and faster and this is the key reason that we are ahead of the competition,” says Dols with pride.

PortalTalk provides business users with the flexibility they need

For the future, Dols plans to boost user productivity through extending the self-service functionality of PortalTalk. QS solutions is also securing international-partner channels to increase the reach of PortalTalk. “We are looking for SharePoint implementation partners and Identity and Access Management consultancy agencies in the U.S., Scandinavia, UK and West Europe,” says Dols. “We plan to make PortalTalk an application that is a must-have in all collaborative IT networks.”