8 Benefits of Microsoft 365 to your Business
Efficiency, Collaboration, and Communication are at the core of an effective organisation. With a plethora of tools available to businesses today, it can be time-consuming and frustrating just to find the right tools for your organisation. While some on-premise applications still have their place, they were very much designed for a static business environment. Most organisations have started or planning to start their digital transformation and the most crucial step along the path is the adoption of cloud technologies.
Microsoft 365 for business, previously known as Office 365 is so much more than just Microsoft Office in the cloud. It is an entire ecosystem of tools and applications that fuel business growth. Here are some of the key benefits of Microsoft 365 for Business.
1. Access – Anytime/Anywhere
Microsoft 365 for Business allows your organisation to store all your files securely in the cloud. What this means for you is that you can access files and work with them using the Microsoft 365 apps, anytime and anywhere from an array of digital devices. This is especially important for the many organisations that have mobile or remote working teams.
2. Scalability
As I’ve already mentioned, Microsoft 365 for Business is an entire ecosystem of tools and apps that are designed to fuel business growth. As your business grows you can add new apps and create your own custom solutions. When you scale up, your team continue to work with tools already familiar to them and you don’t have to invest in new tools or new systems.
3. Collaboration
It doesn’t matter whether your team is located in the same building or spread across the world, collaboration is key to success and at the heart of Microsoft 365 for Business. The platforms many apps are designed to seamlessly integrate with one another along with many 3rd party apps. Think just how productive your team will be as they create and edit documents in real-time from anywhere.
4. Always up to date
The original on-premise Microsoft Office was vital to organisations all over the world, but you would likely find that different users were using different versions, with many outdated and missing the latest features. With a Microsoft 365 for Business subscription, your version will always be the latest, most compatible, and most efficient version with the very latest tools and updates.
5. Predictable Spend
Microsoft 365 for Business is a subscription-based service, which means that you pay a monthly or annual fee. This then allows you to move this IT cost from capital to an operating expense. The subscription economy is well and truly here and here to stay and it’s not just in business. Think about all the different subscriptions you now pay as a consumer from your mobile phone to your streaming service of choice. Even the motor industry is getting in on the act with many modern car brands providing additional subscription-based apps and services via the infotainment system.
6. Mix and Match Plans
Microsoft 365 for Business has various plans, each with different apps and features. Not every employee will have the same technical needs and so you can mix and match your plans so that you only pay for what you need, and should an employee need extra features you simply upgrade their plan.
7. Installation on up to 5 devices per user
Multi-device usage is increasingly commonplace with much of the workforce not tied to a single desk or a single location. Remote working wasn’t just a fad of the pandemic; yes, many organisations were forced into adopting it to remain viable but what many call, the great experiment of 2020 has worked. Productivity actually increased and most organisations are planning to permanently adopt flexible working conditions for their workforce. The modern mobile worker may well use the desktop at the office, the laptop at home and a tablet on the move and needs to have the same access to files and applications on all devices. Microsoft 365 for Business allows a user to install all the programmes (included in their plan) including Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc, on 5 devices.
8. Security
Often the greatest concern for organisations considering a move to a cloud environment is the security of their data. The cloud isn’t any more or less secure than your on-premise system and security depends on the measures you’ve put in place to protect your systems and your data. Microsoft 365 has a lot of built-in security features to help protect your organisation’s data including, Message Encryption, Advanced Threat Analytics, Mobile Device Management and Data Loss Prevention. The security of your data is, however, your responsibility and while Microsoft protects your data at an infrastructure level you still need to protect it at a data level. Microsoft holds deleted data for between 30 and 90 days, however, the average length from data compromise to discovery is 140 days. Having a reliable Microsoft 365 data backup service in place is recommended to ensure that you are fully compliant with data retention and regulatory policies for your region and more importantly to ensure that you never lose your valuable data.
If you would like to know more about Microsoft 365 for Business and how it can help fuel your business growth, call us on 01 8424114 or email hello@it.ie. You can also visit our dedicated website Office365.ie where you can compare plans and request a free trial to evaluate the benefits to your business.
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