Fast, cloud-based, and secure, Office 365 is Microsoft’s classic suite of programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. But what is Office 365, and how is it different from Microsoft’s old Office Suite programs? Is it different from Microsoft 365?
As a business owner, you should already be using Microsoft 365 for its wide range of computing services. Besides the classic Microsoft Office programs, Microsoft 365 offers Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Exchange Server, Yammer, SharePoint, and more. Microsoft’s offerings include features originally offered only through Microsoft Enterprise.
Rebranded as Microsoft 365 in 2020, Office 365 has been an essential platform for many businesses of all sizes since its launch to general consumers in 2013. Businesses of all sizes need safe and secure word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software to perform numerous tasks in their offices and jobsites. Keep reading to learn more about why you need to use Office 365 for your business.
What Is Office 365?
Microsoft 365 is the rebranded offerings of Office 365, meaning that Microsoft 365 has the same Office Suite programs at its core. Microsoft 365 also offers several levels of subscription plans to include other products that had been exclusive to the Business and Enterprise subscriptions.
Products and services that Microsoft 365 offers include:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft OneNote
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Access
- OneDrive
- Microsoft Teams
- To Do
- Skype
Users can also utilize several online services through their Microsoft accounts, including Outlook.com to access their email from anywhere, Office on the web to use any of the core Office programs online, ClipChamp for online video editing, and other online services.
Enterprise-level services include Exchange Server, SharePoint, Microsoft Power Platform, and Yammer. These services allow employees, business partners, executives, and others to connect and share using cloud-based storage and cooperative editing.
Microsoft 365 also offers several levels of subscriptions, including:
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Business
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise
- Office 365 Enterprise
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise
When choosing between subscriptions for Microsoft Office 365, cloud-based computing options and the number of computers you want to install the service on are two key factors in making your decision. You also need to consider growth in the future and whether you need certain features in a higher-level package now.
8 Reasons Why You Need to Use Office 365
If you own a business and are still using Google’s G Suite of business apps, it’s time to make the switch to Microsoft 365. There are several reasons to choose Microsoft’s professional cloud-based software, including:
1. Easy to Use
After over 30 years of developing computing software, Microsoft’s programs are intuitive, with simple-to-understand integration between Microsoft software and other programs and services. Additionally, Microsoft offers several training courses to help users understand how to implement their programs in their business operations and daily work tasks.
2. Office 365 Is Secure
Microsoft offers consistent scanning for security weaknesses in your systems, including your emails and documents. You can also feel safe using Microsoft 365’s other communication and coordination services.
3. You Can Work Anywhere, Anytime
Microsoft 365 offers online access to your most important software, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more. If your team works from remote locations, rest assured that their integrated Microsoft 365 softwares allow them to work from anywhere.
4. Better Planning
You and your team can sync your calendars, make appointments, and send calendar invites with a few clicks. You can also add items to your team members’ calendars, such as if you need to schedule a last-minute Zoom meeting to review the quarter’s numbers or make corrections to a project.
5. You Don’t Need to Be an IT Expert
Installing Microsoft 365 is simple enough that you don’t need an IT team to manage it. You can allow access to new users or remove users directly from the administrative portal. However, if you’re a busy business owner, you may want to have an IT service manage your authorizations and access to ensure that new employees download all essential Microsoft products to their workstations.
4. Office 365 Is Cloud-Based
Employees can take work with them if they spend time out of the office working in the field or calling on customers. Cloud-based computing with Microsoft 365 makes it easy to stay up to date with important documents anywhere.
5. Effective Collaboration Solutions
Microsoft 365 allows users to collaborate like never before with co-authoring, calendar management, Microsoft Teams integration, and more. Employees can work with you, their colleagues, clients, and more through Microsoft’s online tools.
6. Your Privacy Is Protected
Microsoft is one of the most secure companies in the world. Managing your data using Microsoft 365 helps to ensure that your company information is safe.
7. Setup Is Easy
Simply download which software you need to implement your business operations. When you log into your computer, Microsoft 365 syncs to grant access to your software and file systems. It also protects your information if a user logs in as a guest, blocking access to authorized apps on your computer.
8. Sync Your Profiles Across Multiple Devices
Authorized users can access their apps and files through the cloud. You and your employees can work offline and upload changes through OneDrive automatically when you have an internet connection.
Connect with the Best Office 365 Backup Solutions Services
So what is Microsoft Office 365? This cloud-based suite of programs gives you a professional edge over using the Google Apps G Suite. With automatic updates, cloud storage, and the security and brand recognition of Microsoft, you know your services through Microsoft 365 are tailored for daily use by people all over the world.
For help getting set up with Microsoft 365, turn to the IT experts at Succurri, proudly serving clients in and around Seattle, WA. Call us today or contact us online to learn more about getting a Business or Enterprise solution with Microsoft 365 for your company.
