You may have read somewhere that Microsoft has created a new brand for its bundled work and productivity services: Microsoft 365. This new branding has caused some confusion for customers; it certainly caused some confusion for us at first!
After wrapping our heads around the new change, we can (with confidence) explain this change to you and what it means for customers that use Microsoft solutions.
Office 365 was a software as a service (SaaS) version of the classic productivity suite most of us know from years of use. We’re talking about Word, Excel, and Outlook as the primary apps, with some additional productivity and collaboration tools such as Teams, SharePoint Online, and Yammer.
Office 365 also came with Exchange Online, a business-class email and shared calendar system that removes the necessity for a self-hosted solution.
Microsoft 365 is a more robust business solution that covers the Office productivity suite and Exchange Online solution from the Office 365 service it replaced. In addition, Microsoft 365 comes with licensing and support for Windows OS, and includes Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) solutions that offer advanced cyber threat protection.
With Microsoft 365, customers receive free updates for both Windows and Office so they are running the most current versions with the latest features.
Microsoft 365 Subscription Plans
There are currently two top-level categories for Microsoft 365 subscription plans:
Microsoft 365 for Business
Microsoft 365 for Enterprise
The Microsoft 365 for Business plans are best for small-to-medium businesses and organizations with up to 300 users. There are four tiers of Microsoft 365 for Business plans available for customers to choose from based on their technology requirements. Customers can also switch plans based on their growth or restructuring needs, making Microsoft 365 a highly scalable solution.
Microsoft 365 for Enterprise plans are designed for larger organizations that need more horsepower in their IT solutions. This can include more cloud-based storage for users, more powerful and robust security and compliance tools, and access to Microsoft’s Power BI Pro business intelligence tools.
Just like Office 365, Microsoft 365 plans are based on a per-user subscription model which makes it easy for organizations to track their IT costs while avoiding those pesky capital expenses.
Questions?
Our team of industry analysts can help your organization find the perfect fit with a Microsoft 365 package. Get in touch with us if you are looking for information on the best Microsoft solutions for your team.
Ascent3 IT is an Edmonton based IT Support and Consulting company focused on helping small and medium businesses get the most out of their IT budget.