We’re seeing more and more references to Office 365 and Microsoft 365 online, but what exactly are they? Which one should you choose? What benefits do they deliver? Is there really a distinction between the two? Discover more in this post.
What exactly is Office 365?
Office 365 is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that combines traditional Microsoft Office desktop applications, Microsoft application services, and new productivity services, all of which are available as consumable services from Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
Microsoft launched this subscription-based service in June 2011, and it is paid on a monthly or annual basis, providing an extremely cost-effective way for organisations to consume their productivity workloads.
Office 365 includes the same core desktop applications as traditional Microsoft Office versions, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as a suite of other apps and online services for cloud file storage, secure communication, and collaboration. Planner, OneDrive, Exchange, SharePoint, Yammer, and Microsoft Teams all work together to provide an exceptional user experience.
What is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft officially rebranded Office 365 a few months ago, on April 21, 2020, effectively changing the name from Office 365 to Microsoft 365—but only for specific licence types, namely the small and medium business SKUs.
Until recently, Microsoft 365 was an enhanced variant of Office 365 that also included options for Windows 10 desktop licences, the Intune device management solution, and more, providing a true one-stop solution for organisations willing to put all their faith in Microsoft as a solution provider.
All applications included in the various versions of Office 365 remain the same, as do service levels and subscription packages for current customers; the only difference is the brand name.
This change allows Microsoft to connect the powerful productivity features and services of Office 365 with the platform-centric features of Microsoft 365, continuing the company’s trend of unifying its brands under fewer banners.
With the world on lockdown, many of us missed the rebranding launch. However, the new brand name, Microsoft 365, is gradually being adopted, and we expect to see more references to it as it spreads across the web. Microsoft’s official line is “Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365,” and despite the rebrand, we expect to see the suite referred to as Office 365 for some time.
What exactly is the distinction between Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365?
Microsoft brand names can be perplexing. Over the years, the terms “Office” and “Microsoft” have been thrown around a lot! Here’s a quick rundown of the key differences between them:
Microsoft Office (2013, 2016, and 2019) is a software suite that you buy upfront with a one-time perpetual licence, install on your computer, and use for the rest of your life. To use all of the new features in the latest version, you must purchase a new copy of the latest edition. In addition, Microsoft Office has been around for nearly three decades, with early versions combining Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a discounted bundle.
Surprisingly, as part of Microsoft’s transition to subscription-based models, the latest versions of Office are now available to all users on a subscription basis. Office can now be purchased as a subscription for single home use licences all the way up to the world’s largest enterprises, whereas previously subscription pricing was only available to volume customers.
Microsoft 365 (which we now know was formerly Office 365) is the cloud-based service that requires a monthly or annual subscription to access all the Microsoft tools and apps hosted on Microsoft servers, including online versions of Microsoft Office, so there is no need to install it on your PC physically.
Built as a cloud-first service but based on on-premises products (such as SharePoint Server and Exchange Server), users always have access to the most recent version because Microsoft updates the platform on a regular basis.
Microsoft 365 will gradually become the de-facto licence for most organisations, with several options for all-in-one subscriptions that include access to Microsoft cloud services, Microsoft Office, and Windows 10.
Why do companies use Microsoft 365?
Because it is a subscription-based cloud service, the software and services are automatically updated when a new version is released, ensuring that you always have access to the most up-to-date features and functionality. With almost constant updates, you’re always up to date on features and patches, and there’s no more waiting for updates on the three-year cycle that Microsoft was previously known for.
Organizations that use cloud services do not need to install server software or maintain any hardware to run them. This simplifies life for the IT team by automatically distributing product updates, patches, and new releases, and it saves money for the finance department.
A joint study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Forrester Consulting revealed a 154 percent ROI for a small- to medium-sized business switching to Microsoft 365 in less than 5 months.
Microsoft 365 also includes email hosting and cloud storage space, allowing users to save documents to the cloud and access them wherever and whenever they need to, with secure access to content, conversations, tasks, and calendars from any device.
Productivity tools enable employees to share knowledge, communicate more effectively, and achieve more in less time, and this is where Microsoft 365 truly shines.
All the apps and services in Microsoft 365 are connected, enabling enhanced teamwork and empowering employees to work better and faster together through tools such as team chat, group emails, online meetings, and the co-authoring and sharing of files.
Improved collaboration and communication are critical components of productivity, and Microsoft 365 has been shown to significantly reduce time spent on administrative tasks – for management, users, and IT – so that you can all focus on innovation to propel your business forward.
What are the pros of Microsoft 365?
- There are several advantages to using Microsoft 365:
- Improved collaboration and communication
- Greater productivity
- Anywhere access
- IT control and efficiency
- Automatic upgrades
- Ease IT burdens while increasing desktop user functionality.
- Empower employees
How to deactivate an install of Microsoft Office 365
1. Go to www.office.microsoft.com/myaccount.
2.Sign In to the Microsoft Account.
3. Under My Account, there will be an Install Information category with a list of computers.
4. Each computer listed has a copy of Office installed. Click the blue Deactivate link under the date installed to deactivate.
5.Select OK to confirm the deactivation of the Office installation.
6.Office has now been deactivated, and it can be installed on a different computer.
What are the disadvantages of Microsoft 365?
To access your data in Microsoft 365, you must always have an internet connection. There is no work if there is no internet.
Furthermore, if your critical systems are incompatible with Microsoft 365, you may need to make some costly system upgrades before migrating. Some organizations struggle with data privacy as well, handing over all their confidential data to Microsoft, but there are workarounds and mitigations to keep some data on-site to meet your own comfort levels.
However, the most common issue we see with Microsoft 365 in business is governance. Many organizations are struggling to maintain control of Microsoft 365 due to uncontrolled growth, stale content, compliance issues, and the complex provisioning of Microsoft Teams, Office 365 Groups, and SharePoint.
We assist users, management, and IT administrators in regaining control, consistency, and calm in Microsoft 365. We can improve Microsoft 365 governance by preventing Teams sprawl, preserving content for compliance, and simplifying provisioning.
So, if you are looking to bring back control to administrators, self-service to users, and peace of mind to management, get in touch.