Certainly you’ve heard of Microsoft Office. In fact, you’re probably a user of the 2010 or 2013 version of the software. But are you familiar with Office 365?
Office 365 is a version of the Microsoft Office Suite that runs in the cloud. Meaning, it runs on a host of servers out on the internet. Though still a relatively new way to use software, cloud computing is quickly gaining traction in a variety of business environments, mostly due to the many advantages that being in the cloud offers.
First and foremost, Office 365 does not use local Exchange servers for email; it is all hosted in the cloud. What this means is that instead of your single local Exchange server, there are a cluster of Exchange 365 servers handled by Microsoft. This eliminates your company’s need to host and maintain an Exchange server. Not only does this save on energy costs, but backups and fail-overs are all done on Microsoft’s end; you don’t have to do a thing. This allows you to keep focused on the task at hand, and leaves the day-to-day maintenance to Microsoft.
The rest of Office 365 Suite functions much like its locally-installed counterpart, with virtually no differences in daily operation. Additionally, from an ownership standpoint, Office 365 brings with it one significant benefit; the ability to recover and recycle users. To explain, let’s use a hypothetical scenario: Tom has been working at your company for several years and is getting ready to retire next month. Tom is an Office 365 user, and has the software installed on both his laptop and desktop. Tom’s replacement, Nancy, is starting the week after Tom departs. You want to make sure Tom no longer has access to his account once he leaves, while also guaranteeing that Nancy can easily log in. With Office 365, the only thing you would need to do is remove Tom’s old account from your Office 365 licenses and replace it with Nancy. No additional purchases are required, no bothersome disc management, and no change in your monthly costs. You are merely swapping out Tom for Nancy.
Wondering if Office 365 might be a good fit for your company? Call us for a free consultation.
Micro Visions can walk you through the decision process, answer any additional questions you may have, and help develop a plan for a seamless migration.
