Errin O'Connor
Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
Errin O'Connor founded EPC Group in 1997. The firm has grown to become one of the longest-tenured Microsoft consulting practices in North America, with 29 years of continuous focus on enterprise Microsoft architecture across SharePoint, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, and Copilot. EPC Group held continuous Microsoft Gold Partner status from 2016 until program retirement in 2022 and currently holds core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.
Errin is a 4-time Microsoft Press bestselling author. His books cover SharePoint, Power BI, Azure, and large-scale migrations and have been distributed across Microsoft technical training programs, Microsoft Learn, and university curricula. The books are referenced in Microsoft's official documentation and are part of the recommended reading lists for Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) programs.
Microsoft Beta Team Origins
Errin is one of a small number of consultants who participated in both the SharePoint and Power BI original beta programs:
- Project Tahoe (SharePoint, 2001-2003) — Microsoft's internal codename for the original SharePoint Portal Server. As a beta team member, Errin worked directly with the SharePoint product group on early architecture, governance patterns, and enterprise deployment scenarios that became standard guidance in subsequent Microsoft documentation.
- Project Crescent (Power BI, 2010-2013) — Microsoft's internal codename for what became Power BI. Errin participated in the beta program from the SQL Server Denali / SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services Power View phase through the Power BI service launch in July 2015.
Federal & Public Sector Architecture
Earlier in his career, Errin was a Lead Architect at NASA, where he worked on enterprise systems modernization for the Johnson Space Center. He also served on federal IT reform advisory teams under the leadership of former Federal CIO Vivek Kundra and former NASA CTO Chris Kemp, contributing to early federal cloud-first policy and the Federal Cloud Computing Strategy that established the foundation for FedRAMP. This background informs EPC Group's continued specialization in FedRAMP, FISMA, and CMMC-aligned Microsoft deployments for federal contractors and prime contractors.
Current Focus — AI Governance & vCAIO
In 2026, Errin's primary focus is enterprise AI governance and the Virtual Chief AI Officer (vCAIO) practice. EPC Group has placed vCAIO leadership at 23 organizations including 9 healthcare systems, 6 financial services firms, 4 manufacturing companies, and 4 technology firms. Engagement model spans three tiers from $5,000-$10,000 per month Advisory through $30,000-$50,000 per month Transformation, providing fractional senior AI leadership while clients build internal capability.
The vCAIO practice operates within EPC Group's broader AI governance framework, which includes a 47-control crosswalk between NIST AI RMF and Microsoft platform settings, EU AI Act readiness assessments for high-risk AI systems, Microsoft Purview AI hub configuration, and Microsoft Copilot oversharing remediation. Every engagement is anchored in audit-defensible governance posture for regulated industries.
Microsoft Press Author
Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Plain & Simple
Microsoft Press · 2013
Microsoft Power BI: Plain & Simple
Microsoft Press · 2017
Microsoft Azure: Plain & Simple
Microsoft Press · 2018
Large-Scale SharePoint Migration
Microsoft Press · 2020
Errin Oconnor delivered by senior Microsoft architects
EPC Group delivers Errin Oconnor as a core practice within the Microsoft consulting portfolio. Engagements are led by senior architects with hands-on Fortune 500 delivery experience and a bench of hundreds of Microsoft-certified consultants spanning SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Azure, Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft Purview.
Every Errin Oconnor engagement is engineered for the regulatory and operational environment it serves. Healthcare deployments carry HIPAA controls from day one; financial services deployments meet SOC 2 and FINRA retention requirements; government deployments map to FedRAMP and CMMC controls with audit-ready evidence.
Fixed-fee accelerators with real scope
Predictable scope, predictable price, predictable outcome. Copilot Readiness, Security Hardening, Tenant Health Check, SharePoint Migration, and Teams Governance ship as defined accelerators where Big 4 firms quote open-ended time-and-materials. Most projects land in the $25K-$150K range for accelerators or $150K-$750K for full programs.
How EPC Group engages
Six-phase methodology applied to every engagement, compressed for fixed-fee accelerators and extended for full programs.
- Discovery — two-week assessment of the current estate, gap analysis, risk register, target architecture, costed remediation roadmap.
- Design — senior architect produces the target topology, identity framework, Conditional Access, Purview, governance model, and security posture, reviewed by client leads.
- Pilot — 25 to 100 user pilot in a real business unit. Migrate, apply baselines, test integrations, capture feedback.
- Wave rollout — migrate in waves of 500 to 2,500 users with communications, training, hypercare, and a per-wave retrospective.
- Adoption — role-based training, Champions network, executive sponsor enablement, metrics tracked against a measured baseline.
- Operate — optional managed-services retainer for license optimization, governance reviews, security monitoring, and quarterly business reviews.
Government and defense contractors
For federal agencies and CMMC-regulated suppliers, EPC Group delivers FedRAMP Moderate and High posture, GCC and GCC High tenants, CUI handling, and ITAR-controlled data segregation. Errin O'Connor (CEO and founder) is a contributor to the FedRAMP framework; that direct authorship shows up in how we architect Conditional Access for government endpoints.
Healthcare and life sciences
For hospitals, payors, and pharmaceutical companies, EPC Group enforces HIPAA, business associate agreements, and Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels for protected health information. Epic and Cerner integration patterns are part of our regulated-industry library, alongside 21 CFR Part 11 e-signature controls for clinical trials and validated SharePoint document workflows for life-sciences manufacturing.
Microsoft-only since 1997
29 years of Microsoft-exclusive consulting. Microsoft Solutions Partner with core designations across Modern Work, Security, and Data & AI.
EPC Group was the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until program retirement in 2022. Errin O'Connor authored four Microsoft Press bestsellers covering Power BI, SharePoint, Azure, and large-scale migrations.
Engagement models
Three engagement models cover most enterprise needs. Most clients start with a fixed-fee accelerator and grow into a full program or a managed-services retainer.
- Fixed-fee accelerators — Copilot Readiness, Security Hardening, Tenant Health Check, SharePoint Migration, Teams Governance. Defined scope and price. Typical range $25,000 to $150,000 over four to twelve weeks.
- Project engagements — full migration or governance program with milestone-based billing. Discovery through hypercare. Typical range $150,000 to $750,000-plus over three to nine months.
- Managed services — tiered retainer for ongoing operations. Named senior architect on the account. From $3,500 per month with a twelve-month minimum.
Talk to a senior architect
30-minute discovery call. No pitch deck. Call (888) 381-9725 or schedule a discovery call and a senior architect responds within one business day.