You can find all the apps you need to accomplish your professional or academic objectives in Microsoft 365, also known as Microsoft Office 365. Read more about the Microsoft 365 features and advantages that will enable you to accomplish those objectives effectively.
Also, those who have never used Microsoft Office will benefit from this guide’s explanation of how Microsoft 365 might support their professional or academic endeavors.
What Is Microsoft 365’s Purpose?
With the help of Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office has been migrated from the hard drive to the cloud. You may now share files and apps with anyone in the world and access them. You do not need to buy software and licenses for each device if you use Microsoft 365. Also, a more safe and effective way of accessing and sharing is made possible by having access to sophisticated security measures, device management, and a ton of storage capacity in one place.
Using Microsoft 365, communication with others is possible using group chats and online meetings, in addition to the security and effectiveness of cloud storage.
Features of Microsoft Office 365
Experienced users of these programmes will be familiar with some of these capabilities and advantages. But adopting cloud-based storage with up to 1 TB of online storage per user will be more effective for saving, accessing, and sharing files created on Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Here is how each element of Microsoft 365 contributes to improved communication and file-sharing capabilities:
OneDrive
Microsoft 365 is familiar with this type of storage. Since OneDrive has been a crucial component of Microsoft Office since 2007, it should come as no surprise that it is included in the Microsoft 365 bundle.
Your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files can be stored and protected on OneDrive regardless of whether you have a personal, commercial, or educational account. You can access your files from any location and on any device. You can allow others to modify files by sharing folders with them. Everyone will be kept informed if the shared folder is kept synchronised with the changes.
PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and now Clipchamp
Microsoft Word is a well-known word processing programme that can create commercial documents and forms as well as academic research papers. While PowerPoint helps arrange ideas to convey in a slideshow presentation, Microsoft Excel helps organise, format, and calculate data with formulas within a spreadsheet system.
And finally, a video editor called Clipchamp has been included in the Microsoft 365 bundle to round off its efficiency. More people are employing video as part of their corporate marketing strategies or educational endeavours in addition to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Prior to Microsoft 365, you had to download these programmes and pay for them, using up space on your local drive. Consequently, to use the apps, you would need to enter licence keys on each device. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Clipboard are now accessible from any device via a single cloud-based location.
Microsoft Security
You get cutting-edge security and peace of mind with Microsoft 365 thanks to Microsoft Defender 365. Depending on the level of security you require, three alternative plans are offered. Advanced security features offered by Exchange Online Protection, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, and Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 include:
- Data loss prevention to safeguard confidential corporate information
- A threat assessment
- If a device is stolen or misplaced, data can be deleted thanks to device management.
- Additional defence against sophisticated attacks buried in emails or attachments
- Even though all three plans offer investigative and responsive action features, the amount of security required rises when switching to the higher-tier plans.
Outlook
Microsoft Outlook, which allows you to access and send emails from any device, is another component of the Microsoft 365 package. You can share and manage your calendar in Outlook to organise meetings more effectively.
Microsoft Teams
You need a collaboration tool to improve communication because it is rare for students, teachers, staff members, and supervisors to be in the same place.
Teachers should, for instance, be able to instruct pupils who are not present in a classroom. It should be possible for students to collaborate on projects or study sessions. Meetings between managers and distant workers are necessary. Microsoft Teams is useful.
Advantages of Microsoft 365
Let’s examine the advantages that these features bring to businesses, schools, and families now that we have a better understanding of the features of Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 for Business’s advantages
Employees or teams do not need to be in one place to collaborate or complete workflows, which is one of Microsoft 365’s major advantages for enterprises. When using Microsoft 365 through an internet connection, staff can collaborate or complete workflow functions practically immediately.
Additionally, the cloud server that makes it simple for team members to exchange and edit documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and videos is helpful when members of the team are dispersed throughout the country or the globe or are working remotely.
Other advantages of Microsoft 365 for companies include:
- Instantaneous teamwork significantly raises productivity.
- Sensitive data loss is prevented by advanced security measures.
- You can choose from a variety of flexible programmes and customise them to your company’s needs.
Microsoft 365’s advantages for students
With Microsoft 365, the educational process can be improved for both teachers and students. With the use of Office 365, there will be no more time lost when professors or students are late for class. Without having to be in the same classroom, teachers can grade completed assignments or papers and share them with students.
On snow days or during illness outbreaks, teachers can teach using Microsoft Teams. Also, students can work together on projects or in study groups using Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 Family Advantages
One to six people can share the Microsoft 365 Family package, formerly known as Office 365. The users may be members of your family or not. Yet, the advantages of disseminating this plan keep family members—including kids—safe.
For instance, a perk of the Microsoft 365 family plan is the ability to keep tabs on kids’ and teens’ online activities, including the websites, apps, and games they access. You can examine this information on the Family Safety app or receive weekly emails from Microsoft 365 Family with this information.
You can choose to activate additional features of the Microsoft 365 family package on the Family Safety app, including:
- Settings for limiting screen time
- Content vetting
- Keep track of recent purchases and keep spending under control.
- Find your family members.
- Monitoring for safe driving
Disadvantages of Microsoft 365
Businesses, schools, and families can all benefit from Microsoft Office 365, but there are certain drawbacks as well. By being aware of these, you can act to fully utilise Microsoft 365’s benefits.
Access to updated files will be hampered by a poor or non-existent internet connection, or by frequent internet outages.If you are aware that there won’t be an internet connection, you can download the necessary files, carry on with your work, and then upload them.
If Microsoft 365 security features conflict with your workflow policies, certain plans let you manage your data using your security features. For instance, importing a specific file type can be required. Choose a plan that gives you access to your data if Microsoft 365 security mechanisms prevent that from happening.
You might not be able to use all of Microsoft 365’s features if you use outdated or old computers and gadgets. Furthermore, because Microsoft 365 is constantly being updated, your systems or devices may only be partially or not at all compatible with Microsoft 365, preventing you from taking advantage of all the functions that are available.
What happens if no one you need to collaborate with has a Microsoft 365 subscription? Documents can be viewed and edited by outside parties by utilising the Office Online application.
Using Microsoft 365 when working in the office, at home, or elsewhere
Regardless of size or sector, Microsoft 365’s capabilities and advantages anticipate the demands of every organization. Workflows can be greatly improved using the features and capabilities of Microsoft 365, fitting workdays into workhours.
Also, Microsoft 365 can help students’ academic endeavors be more innovative and time efficient. Families will also appreciate the protection and safety provided by the Microsoft 365 family bundle. Contact us to schedule a call with a specialist to learn more about Microsoft 365.