As a Microsoft partner we will work with you to select the best and most cost effective Office 365 solution for your business.
What is Office 365?
Office 365 is a subscription plan that includes access to the cloud based versions of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint etc.
There are Office 365 options for both home and business use, but obviously as a business you will need the version specifically designed for businesses.
Saying that, there are a number of options available to different sized businesses with varying levels of applications and pricepoints to suit.
Office 365 for Business Plans
- Office 365 Business
- Office 365 Business Premium
- Office 365 Business Essentials
Office 365 Enterprise Plans
- Office 365 ProPlus
- Office 365 Enterprise E1
- Office 365 Enterprise E3
What are the benefits of Office 365?
For the business
- Takes advantage of cloud technology reducing your need for on premise servers and high upfront costs.
- Office 365 is scalable. It’s able to support the needs of businesses from one to thousands of users.
- Greater control on costs as due to a monthly per user cost for each subscriber.
- Built in security to help keep your data safe, such as encryption and remote data wiping.
- Permissions based data access so the right people have access to the right data.
For your team
- The flexibility of remote working. Work wherever you have an internet connection.
- A more flexible way of working for your team.
- Increased collaborative working.
- Easier communication.
- If you choose a plan with both the desktop and cloud versions, you will have the confidence that your work will automatically sync next time you connect to the internet.
- Ability to use multiple devices.
- Dedicated cloud storage, file sharing and synchronisation.
- One-click screen sharing
- Instant messenger
- Video calling
- Shared calendars
For your clients
- Efficient calendar and meeting booking features.
- Online meetings with external users
- State of the art email system for better communication.
Office 365 FAQ’s
What can Office 365 for Business include?
- Word
- Excel
- Powerpoint
- Skype for Business
- Exchange Online (hosted email for business)
- OneDrive for Business
Do you get desktop versions?
Many of the Office 365 plans include the desktop versions of the latest Office Applications to install across multiple computers and devices (PCs, Macs, Android tablets, Android Phones, iPad, and iPhone). The current offering is;
- Word
- Excel
- Powerpoint
- OneNote
- Outlook
- Publisher (PC Only)
- Access (PC Only)
What do we need for the online only version?
An up to date version of Office
So for Office 35 to work effectively, you really need to have the latest version of Office, Office 2013 and 2011 for Mac. Previous versions may result in reduced functionality, but if you’re still on versions such as Office 2003 or earlier, you’re going to have to upgrade. We can of course advise and help you with this.
The Internet!
This isn’t intended to be flippant! However in order for Office 365 to install and run effectively for your business, you will need a good internet connection.
Depending on what plan you choose, the options with desktop versions of Office will allow you to work offline too, so it’s helpful to really think about your business needs before selecting a plan.
Can we still buy Microsoft Office?
Microsoft Office suites are still available as one time purchases of the latest version. This will allow you to install the well-known applications like Word, Excel and Powerpoint to one PC or Mac.
They do not update automatically so should you wish to update it, you will need to buy the latest version as and when it becomes available.
Features to benefit your business and your people.
OneDrive
OneDrive offers you a way to save documents ‘in the cloud’. It allows you to access your documents from any device, anywhere. It gives you the flexibility to work on documents both on and offline with synchronisation to ensure you don’t lose your work.
Integration with SharePoint enables colleagues to share work and collaborate on documents more easily too.
We will talk you through how OneDrive will work for your business in practical terms and the potential benefits for your team.
SharePoint allows you to share and manage content and applications with your team, enabling you to find information quickly and easily. It is great for team collaboration allowing departments to communicate through private groups with access to specific files.
SharePoint is used in a variety of guises in different organisations so speak to us about the best way to utilize the benefits for your business.
Teams
Teams is a chat based workspace that allows colleagues to communicate with one another wherever they are. The benefits allow a constant thread of real-time communication throughout departments.
It can improve efficiency and increase the pace when time is of the essence. Useful features like conference calls and live video take online meetings to the next level.
We use Teams at the office, so have seen and felt the benefits first hand. We’d be happy to share our experience and talk to you about how it could help your business stay a step ahead.
