Office 365

Use cloud-powered email to reach customers and coworkers wherever work takes you.

Collaborate in Microsoft Teams, the new hub for teamwork where can chat, organise meetings, and share files.

Save files to OneDrive with one terabyte of online storage, allowing access across devices and on the go.

Run business with the Business Apps, managing customer scheduling, invoicing, referrals, and more, all from one place.

Microsoft starts rolling out Office 2019 for Windows and Mac
Because it's a subscription offering, those desktop programs are updated automatically when a new version is available. If your subscription is current, you get the latest versions, which are typically updated every six months, on the same calendar as Windows 10.

Office 365 is available in Home and Personal editions that are aimed for use by families, students, and individuals.

In this guide, we cover the multitude of Business and Enterprise editions; these editions offer a more advanced feature set than the Home and Personal editions, with collaborative applications and management tools that are designed for meeting enterprise security and compliance challenges.

WHICH ONLINE SERVICES ARE IN OFFICE 365?
The exact mix of apps and services available with an Office 365 subscription depends on which edition you've chosen. The following five services are common to all business and enterprise plans:

Exchange Online

This business-class email offering gives every Office 365 subscriber in your organisation a 50 GB mailbox, with the ability to access email through a web browser or using the Outlook app on Windows, a Mac, or mobile devices. Malware and spam filtering are built in, as are basic features like shared mailboxes and (for some Office 365 subscriptions) advanced features like eDiscovery.

OneDrive for Business

Every Office 365 subscriber gets 1 TB of personal OneDrive storage, with sync clients available for every desktop platform. The Windows 10 client uses the same sync client as the consumer OneDrive service, keeping data in a separate location. The Files on Demand feature allows users to view and manage cloud-based storage using File Explorer. Administrators of Enterprise plans can upgrade users to unlimited storage if a terabyte is not enough.

SharePoint Online

The SharePoint interface is now sleek where it was once clunky, allowing teams to share files and sync information in File Explorer using the same desktop client as inn OneDrive. Both SharePoint and Exchange Online include administrative controls to restrict users from sharing confidential information outside the organisation.

Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams

These two collaborative platforms cover much of the same ground, offering unified communications, HD video conferencing, and instant messaging for Office 365 subscribers in an organisation. Microsoft Teams offers a more modern feature set and should be attractive to organisations that are looking at apps like Slack.

Additional services

Some Office 365 plans include services targeted for specific audiences. The Office 365 Business Premium plans, for example, include a range of services for small and medium-size businesses such as invoicing and customer relationship management tools. All Enterprise plans include the Yammer social networking service and Power BI Pro, an advanced business analytics tool.

WHICH DESKTOP APPS ARE AVAILABLE IN OFFICE 365?
Every Office 365 plan with access to desktop apps includes the following Office 2016 applications for Windows 7 and later and for MacOS: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. On Windows PCs only, Access and Publisher are available. These apps are updated automatically to the latest version, with monthly security updates and twice-annual feature updates. All Office 365 plans will include Office 2019 apps when those are released.

Office 365 subscriptions provide per-user licenses, which means that the apps can be installed and used on up to five phones, five tablets, and five PCs or Macs simultaneously. From their own subscription portal, a user can manage installs without having to enter product keys or worry about activation. By contrast, perpetual-license versions of Office are typically licensed for use on one device only and cannot be transferred.

Web-based versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint offer fairly robust tools that allow editing of files stored in OneDrive for Business. These tools work in any desktop browser without requiring additional software. Most business plans also offer Outlook on the web.

On mobile devices, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are available for iOS and Android; these allow viewing and editing capabilities when you sign in with an active subscription. Mobile apps are also available for Office 365 services, including OneDrive, Skype for Business, and Microsoft Teams.

WHICH EDITION IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
For small businesses, three Office 365 plans support up to 300 users. All prices quoted below are current as of October 2018 and assume an annual commitment. (Monthly plans without a commitment typically cost about 25 percent more.)

Office 365 Business Essentials (£5 per user per month) includes only the online services, including Exchange Online and OneDrive for Business, without access to Office desktop apps. This plan is appropriate for organisations that want to have managed email and cloud storage but have an existing investment in Office desktop programs.

Office 365 Business (£8.25 per user per month) drops most of the online services and includes only the Office desktop apps and OneDrive for Business. It's a good choice for small businesses that want easy access to Office apps and cloud storage but don't want to switch their email to Microsoft's servers.

Office 365 Business Premium (£12.50 per user per month) includes all of the online services and desktop apps.

For larger organisations, Microsoft offers four Office 365 Enterprise plans that support an unlimited number of users.

Office 365 ProPlus (£12 per user per month) includes only the desktop apps plus OneDrive for Business cloud file storage. It does not include Exchange Online email or any other online services.

Office 365 Enterprise E1 (£8 per user per month) offers online services and online versions of the Office apps, but does not include desktop apps. Organisations that want to stick with specific Office editions while moving email and cloud storage to Microsoft's servers will find this plan appropriate.

Office 365 Enterprise E3 (£20 per user per month) combines the full assortment of online services and desktop apps and is the most popular plan for larger companies. It includes advanced email hold and discovery features for dealing with litigation issues.

Office 365 Enterprise E5 (£35 per user per month) includes some advanced eDiscovery features, but justifies its higher price tag with enterprise-grade security features. For example, every Office 365 Enterprise E5 subscription is automatically an endpoint for Office 365 Threat Intelligence and can be integrated with Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection.

In addition to those preconfigured plans, individual Office 365 services are available on an a la carte basis. Additional plans are available for nonprofit organiations, governmental agencies, and educational institutions.

Office 365 plans are also available as part of a relatively new bundle called Microsoft 365, which includes Windows 10 and the Enterprise Mobility + Security management platform.

MANAGING OFFICE 365 IN AN ORGANISATION
Office 365 includes a management dashboard that administrators can use to manage licenses, subscriptions, features, and security. That console can be overwhelming, and even then some features can only be managed through PowerShell commands.

Even in small organisations, it's crucial to have a skilled Office 365 administrator who can manage users and configure security options properly. Unless you have in-house staff with proper training, it's worth outsourcing this management task to a managed service provider.

Office 365 portal Users can access web-based services and also manage installations of Office desktop apps.

Office 365 Admin Center For those users who have also been assigned administrator roles, this portal includes configuration options for managing users and groups, licenses, and billing. Options at the bottom of the navigation pane allow access to admin centers for specific services, such as Exchange Online and OneDrive for Business.

Azure Active Directory Admin Center Every Office 365 business subscription also includes a free Azure Active Directory account. Administrators can manage users and devices from this portal and can also configure relationships with outside organisations and existing local servers. Note that some features require premium Azure AD subscriptions.

SECURING ACCOUNTS AND CONTENT
Office 365 services are designed to be secure by default. You can make several changes to default settings to strike the proper balance between security and convenience.

First, enable multi-factor authentication by signing into the Azure Active Directory portal as a global administrator. Each user needs to provide alternate means of contact, such as a phone number for receiving SMS messages. The Microsoft Authenticator app is especially useful as a primary means of generating one-time codes or receiving push notifications for signing in to Office 365 services.

Office 365, now known as Microsoft 365, has revolutionised the way businesses and individuals manage their productivity and collaboration needs. As a comprehensive suite of cloud-based applications, it offers numerous advantages but also comes with its own set of challenges. This article explores the usefulness, challenges, and necessity of Office 365 in today's digital workplace.

Usefulness

Office 365 provides a wide array of tools designed to enhance productivity, communication, and collaboration. Its usefulness can be highlighted in several key areas:

1. Comprehensive Suite of Applications: Office 365 includes familiar applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, along with newer tools like Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. This integrated suite covers virtually all office productivity needs.
2. Cloud-Based Access: Being cloud-based, Office 365 allows users to access their documents and applications from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is invaluable for remote work and on-the-go productivity.
3. Real-Time Collaboration: With applications like Teams and SharePoint, Office 365 facilitates real-time collaboration. Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, streamlining workflows and enhancing team productivity.
4. Automatic Updates and Security: Office 365 ensures that users always have the latest features and security updates without needing manual intervention. This reduces the risk of vulnerabilities and keeps the software up to date.
5. Scalability and Flexibility: Office 365 can be scaled to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Its subscription model allows organisations to choose the plans that best suit their requirements and budget.

Challenges

Despite its many advantages, adopting Office 365 also presents several challenges:

Cost Management:

• Subscription Model: While the subscription model offers flexibility, it can become expensive over time, especially for large organisations with many users. Budgeting for recurring costs is crucial.

Data Security and Privacy:

• Cloud Security: Storing data in the cloud raises concerns about data security and privacy. Ensuring that sensitive information is protected and compliant with data protection regulations is a significant challenge.
• User Error: Despite robust security measures, human error, such as weak passwords or phishing attacks, can still compromise data security.

Migration and Integration:

• Complex Migration: Migrating existing data and workflows to Office 365 can be complex and time-consuming. Ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption to business operations requires careful planning.
• Integration with Legacy Systems: Integrating Office 365 with existing systems and applications can be challenging, particularly in organisations with a diverse IT infrastructure.

Training and Adoption:

• User Training: Ensuring that employees are adequately trained to use the new tools and features can be a daunting task. Resistance to change and a lack of technical skills can hinder adoption.
• Feature Overload: The sheer number of features and applications available in Office 365 can be overwhelming. Users may find it difficult to fully utilise all the tools at their disposal.

Connectivity and Performance:

• Internet Dependency: As a cloud-based service, Office 365 relies on internet connectivity. Poor internet performance can affect access to applications and data, impacting productivity.
• Performance Issues: Users may experience performance issues, such as slow load times or application crashes, which can disrupt work and cause frustration.

Necessity

In today's digital age, the necessity of Office 365 is underscored by several key factors:

1. Remote and Hybrid Work: With the rise of remote and hybrid work models, having a robust, cloud-based productivity suite like Office 365 is essential for maintaining business continuity and enabling effective collaboration.
2. Competitive Edge: Organisations that leverage the advanced features of Office 365 can gain a competitive edge through improved efficiency, streamlined workflows, and enhanced communication.
3. Security and Compliance: Office 365 offers advanced security features and compliance tools that help organisations protect sensitive data and adhere to regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of data breaches and legal issues.
4. Cost-Effective Scalability: The subscription-based model of Office 365 allows businesses to scale their usage according to their needs, avoiding large upfront costs associated with traditional software licenses.
5. Innovation and Adaptability: Microsoft continuously updates Office 365 with new features and improvements, ensuring that organisations have access to the latest tools and technologies to stay innovative and adaptable in a rapidly changing business environment.

Office 365 is a powerful and versatile productivity suite that offers significant benefits for businesses and individuals alike. Its comprehensive range of applications, cloud-based access, real-time collaboration features, and automatic updates make it an invaluable tool in the modern workplace. However, adopting Office 365 also presents challenges related to cost management, data security, migration, user training, and internet dependency.

Despite these challenges, the necessity of Office 365 in today's digital age is clear. Its ability to support remote and hybrid work, enhance competitive advantage, ensure security and compliance, offer cost-effective scalability, and drive innovation makes it a critical component of any organisation's IT strategy. By carefully managing the challenges and fully leveraging the benefits, businesses can harness the full potential of Office 365 to achieve their productivity and collaboration goals.