FREQUENTLY
ASKED

Most Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium plans include Power Apps for internal use at no extra cost. For apps that connect to premium connectors or use Dataverse extensively, you may need a Power Apps Per User or Per App licence — which adds a monthly cost per user. We assess your current licensing during our discovery session and advise you on the most cost-effective approach before you commit a single rand to additional licensing.

A focused single-process app — such as a leave request tool, inspection form, or purchase approval workflow — typically takes 2–4 weeks from discovery session to go-live. More complex apps with multiple screens, integrations with external systems, and multiple user roles take 6–10 weeks. We scope every project before committing to a timeline, so you receive a realistic estimate upfront — not an optimistic guess that gets revised three times during the project.

Yes. Canvas Apps are fully responsive and run on iOS, Android, and desktop through the free Microsoft Power Apps mobile app — available on both the App Store and Google Play. We build and test every app across device sizes. For field teams that need offline capability, we configure offline-first data sync so the app works without a connection and automatically uploads data when reconnected to the network.

You do — completely. The app is built inside your Microsoft 365 environment, in your tenant. We don't lock you in to BlakFire for maintenance or updates. We hand over maker access so your internal team, or any other developer you choose to work with, can edit the app going forward. We also provide full documentation of the app structure and data model. If you'd prefer we manage ongoing maintenance, we offer a retainer for that — but it's entirely your choice.

Power Apps has over 900 connectors — including SQL Server, Dynamics 365, Salesforce, SAP (via on-premises data gateway), and most REST APIs. We assess your existing systems during discovery and design the integration approach accordingly. If a standard connector doesn't exist for your system, we can build a custom connector via Azure API Management to bridge the gap.

No. We write real code — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. We don't use WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or visual page builders. These tools create performance problems, security vulnerabilities, and design constraints that undermine the quality of what you're paying for. Custom-coded sites load faster, score higher on Core Web Vitals, are significantly more secure, and are fully ownable without dependency on a third-party platform you don't control.

A focused marketing website or landing page takes 2–4 weeks. A multi-page corporate site with custom functionality takes 4–8 weeks. A complex React web app or client portal takes 8–16 weeks depending on scope, integrations, and the number of user roles involved. We give you a realistic timeline in the discovery phase — and we hold to it. Timeline slippage is almost always caused by scope changes or delayed client content, both of which we flag proactively.

Yes, if that's a stated requirement. For content-heavy sites where regular updates are needed, we integrate a headless CMS — such as Sanity or Contentful — that gives your team a clean, intuitive editing interface without ever touching code. For simpler sites, we provide written documentation and a training session so your team can make straightforward content changes confidently. If you'd rather not manage it yourself, our website maintenance retainer covers all content changes on your behalf.

We handle deployment to your chosen hosting platform — whether that's Azure Static Web Apps (often free tier), Vercel, Netlify, or a traditional hosting provider. We configure your DNS records, SSL certificate, CDN settings, cache headers, and any URL redirects needed. If you don't have hosting yet, we'll recommend the right solution based on your expected traffic volume, technical requirements, and budget — and help you get it set up properly.

Yes. The first 30 days post-launch are always included — we fix any bugs, handle unexpected deployment issues, and ensure the site performs as expected across all browsers and devices. Beyond that, we offer a website maintenance retainer that covers ongoing updates, performance monitoring, security patches, SSL management, and content changes on a monthly basis. It's the smart choice for any business that can't afford its website to fall behind or go down.

No. We use Microsoft's native migration tooling and established methodologies with a zero-loss track record. Crucially, we migrate your full historical email, calendar, and contacts into Exchange Online before the MX record cutover — so all historical mail is already in M365 before we switch the domain routing. We verify the migration is complete and accurate before asking you to sign off on cutover, and we conduct a final validation run in the 24 hours before go-live.

Cutover downtime is typically under 15 minutes — which is the window during which MX DNS records propagate globally. We always schedule the cutover outside of business hours — evenings or weekends — to minimise impact. During the pre-cutover migration phase (which can run over several days for large mailboxes), your team continues using their existing email system without any interruption.

It depends on your actual needs. Business Basic (cheapest) gives you Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive — but no desktop Office applications. Business Standard adds Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook as installed apps on up to 5 devices. Business Premium adds advanced security — Microsoft Defender for Business and Intune device management. We assess your team's actual usage requirements during discovery and recommend the most cost-effective licence mix — which often differs by user type within the same organisation.

Yes. We use Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool and other migration utilities to migrate files from Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or local file servers into SharePoint and OneDrive. We replicate your existing folder structure and set the correct permissions on destination libraries — files don't land in a pile for your team to sort out. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are automatically converted to Office format (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) during the migration process.

We train your designated M365 admin on day-to-day management tasks — adding and removing users, resetting passwords, assigning licences, monitoring security alerts, and managing groups in the M365 Admin Center. Full written documentation of your tenant configuration is provided. If you don't have an internal IT person capable of managing this, we offer an ongoing managed services retainer that covers M365 administration, support ticket handling, and monthly security reviews.

We maintain WordPress, Webflow, and custom-coded HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React sites. We also support sites built on headless CMS platforms like Sanity and Contentful. We do not support Squarespace or Wix sites where access to the underlying code is restricted by the platform — in these cases, the platform itself handles core maintenance, and we'd typically recommend migrating to a properly coded site for full control.

Depending on the plan tier, we include approximately 5–8 individual change requests per month. A "change request" is a defined, clearly described update — a text change, image swap, new team member addition, contact detail update, or similar. Full page redesigns, new feature development, or structural layout changes are not included — these are scoped and quoted separately as development work.

Malware removal and recovery from security incidents are included in the maintenance plan — this is one of its highest-value components. Our response process is: take the site offline to stop the spread, restore from the most recent clean backup, conduct a full malware scan and removal, identify and patch the entry point the attacker exploited, implement additional hardening to prevent recurrence, and bring the site back online. You're notified at every step with clear, plain-English status updates.

Yes, we can manage hosting renewals, domain renewals, and DNS records on your behalf — with prior written authorisation from you as the domain owner. We monitor expiry dates and notify you well in advance. We don't host sites ourselves; we work with your existing provider or recommend and set up an appropriate solution if you're starting fresh.

Yes. Maintenance plans run month-to-month with 30 days' written notice to cancel. There are no lock-in contracts or cancellation fees. On cancellation, we provide a full handover document — login credentials, hosting details, DNS configuration, recent backup files, and a summary of your site's technical setup — so you or a new provider can continue without disruption.

Microsoft Intune is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. If you're currently on Business Standard or Business Basic, you'll need to either add standalone Intune licences per user or upgrade to Premium. We assess your current licensing during discovery and recommend the most cost-effective path — sometimes upgrading a subset of users to Premium (those who need device management) while keeping others on Standard is the right approach.

Only if they use a personal device to access corporate data. For BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios, we configure Mobile Application Management (MAM) — which wraps specific corporate apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive with data protection policies, but does not enrol the device in Intune. This means we cannot see personal photos, apps, browsing history, or location on a personal device, and cannot remotely wipe the device — only the corporate data within those specific apps.

Yes. Intune supports macOS management — including configuration profiles, compliance policies, app deployment via the Managed App Store, and software update management. For zero-touch Mac provisioning (where a new Mac sets itself up automatically when powered on), Apple Business Manager (ABM) integration is required. We can configure both Intune and ABM as part of the engagement if your organisation issues Macs alongside Windows devices.

For corporate-owned devices, your admin initiates a full Intune wipe — the device is reset to factory settings and removed from your Azure AD directory. For personal BYOD devices, only corporate data within managed apps (Outlook email, Teams messages, OneDrive files) is selectively wiped. The employee's personal photos, contacts, WhatsApp, and other personal apps are completely untouched. Both operations are performed from the Intune admin portal in under two minutes.

Yes. We offer a managed services retainer specifically for Intune and M365 administration — covering adding new devices, updating configuration and compliance policies, managing app deployments, monitoring compliance dashboards, and responding to device incidents such as lost or stolen devices. This is particularly valuable for businesses without a dedicated IT admin who need reliable, professional management of their device estate.

Microsoft partners and resellers earn commission on the Microsoft licences and products they sell you — which creates a structural incentive to recommend Microsoft solutions even when something cheaper or simpler would serve you better. We are an independent consultancy. Our fee is a fixed consulting fee, not a commission on what we recommend you purchase. We'll tell you when Microsoft is the right answer, and we'll tell you when it isn't.

A focused architecture review or tool selection engagement takes 2–3 weeks from discovery session to final written report. A broader digital transformation roadmap — covering multiple systems and a phased implementation plan — takes 4–6 weeks. We scope every engagement in the initial scoping call, so you know exactly what the timeline, deliverables, and cost will be before you commit.

Yes. All consulting engagements are conducted primarily via video call and shared collaborative documents — we work effectively with clients across South Africa and the broader SADC region without requiring in-person meetings. Where an on-site discovery session would add meaningful value (for example, a complex operational environment we need to see firsthand), we discuss travel arrangements and incorporate the cost into the engagement budget.

We offer focused, hourly advisory sessions for specific questions — a tool selection decision, a contract review, an architecture question, or a sanity check on a vendor's proposal. You don't need to commit to a full engagement scope for targeted advice. Contact us with the specific question you're facing and we'll tell you what format and time commitment makes sense to answer it properly.

Yes. Where the recommendations include work that falls within BlakFire's delivery capability — Power Apps development, Microsoft 365 configuration, Intune setup, web development, or Autopilot deployment — we can transition directly from consulting into implementation with no context loss and no re-briefs. Where recommendations require specialist skills outside our core services, we'll tell you honestly and point you toward the right people to engage.