Anyone who has ever worked in business – and plenty of people who haven’t – will be intimately acquainted with Microsoft Office, a suite of tools encompassing such household names as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, among others. These productivity apps are the bedrock of many people’s work, education and home lives.
Now, with Microsoft 365, their creators have built an online eco-system which integrates them all and makes them instantly accessible from any device. The advantages this offers should not be underestimated. By storing the data contained within these apps in the cloud and allowing remote access to them from anywhere in the world at any time, Microsoft have made huge strides in facilitating collaboration and streamlining your business practices.
Unsurprisingly, the sheer range of opportunities that this opens up is confusing to many people, if not overwhelming. That’s why the team of Microsoft 365 specialists here at silverlimes have created this informative guide, explaining what it is, how it works and why it’s good for your business.
So, what is Microsoft 365 exactly?
Of course, subscribers to Microsoft 365 will gain access to the full suite of Office tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher – but they’re also getting so much more. They’ll also be free to use Microsoft’s secure cloud services, such as OneDrive, Exchange, SharePoint and Teams, as well as 1TB of online storage, monthly updates and on-demand support.
All in all, that’s a very attractive package for any business looking to take things to the next level. Equipped with that kind of technological firepower, you can organise your company’s online operations, collaborate seamlessly and exchange information with your colleagues, clients and partners, automate login access among team members and benefit from Microsoft’s robust cyber security measures, all in one neat package.
What is Microsoft 365 used for?
It might be easier to ask, what isn’t Microsoft 365 used for? Handling all your word processing documents (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), presentations (PowerPoint), emails (Outlook) and conferencing (Teams) needs, Microsoft 365 is a panacea for your company’s online operations. And that’s only scratching the surface of what it can do for you!
The fast speeds, limitless server capacity and mobile compatibility that Microsoft 365 offers allows your staff to access, amend and exchange documents at the drop of a hat, conduct meetings online and build your business remotely, from wherever they are in the world. It’s no longer necessary to clock in at a physical office, since Microsoft’s virtual one meets all your needs and more.
What are Microsoft 365 services?
Beyond the Microsoft Office suite with which many of us all are already familiar, Microsoft 365 brings a number of unique services and capabilities. Here’s a quick rundown of the some of the main ways in which it can be helpful to you and your company:
- Collaboration – As well as gathering all of your relevant documents and data in one single place that can be accessed, amended and shared by all of your team at once, Microsoft 365 also offers the ability to effortlessly chat online and host video calls with its sophisticated conferencing software.
- Mobile compatibility – With Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps available across a number of different platforms and devices, staff members can log in from their phone, tablet or laptop and simultaneously author documents with their colleagues.
- Organisation – With a 50GB-capacity email inbox, bespoke domain names and an interactive calendar, you can stay on top of your in-tray and organise your schedule for the hours, days, weeks and months ahead, all remotely and all at the touch of a button.
- User access – Create new user profiles and delete old ones, enact user permissions for individual members of the team, safeguard sensitive documents with copy- and forward- prohibitions and patrol the defences of your company’s intellectual information by controlling who has access to it, when and for how long.
- Cyber security – Take advantage of world-beating software that stops cyber criminals in their tracks and protects your email against malware, spam and other threats. Not only does this keep your company safe online, but also ensures it meets all national and international obligations with regard to data security compliance.
- Support – Experiencing technical difficulties with your site? No matter the issue and regardless of the time it occurs, Microsoft 365 have a dedicated support team on hand to answer your queries and offer you advice online and over the phone, 24/7/365.
- Updates – While standalone versions of Microsoft Office must be manually updated and repurchased with each new incarnation, subscribers to 365 get automatic access to monthly updates and patches, including security fixes, performance enhancers and new features.
- Expansion – Through the use Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Lists, you can plan out daily schedules, set tasks and targets, track KPIs and keep abreast of your company’s performance as you graduate to the next level of your commercial potential.
Of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding what Microsoft 365 can do for you – and that understanding is crucial when it comes to leveraging the software to its full potential. Helping you to fully comprehend those capabilities and reach that potential is what we do best.
Take advantage of Microsoft 365 today
Would you like to take full advantage of the awesome power that Microsoft 365 can bring? silverlimes are here to help. We’re fully versed with all aspects of this enterprising suite of tools and services, meaning we’re best placed to help your company identify the areas in which it can benefit most from the software.
What are you waiting for? Our team of expert Microsoft 365 consultants are on hand to discuss the unique needs and goals of your business, then map those against the capabilities that the technology boasts and execute a plan guaranteed to succeed. You can call us on 0116 319 4402 or email us at hello@silverlimes.co.uk for a free, no-obligation quote to start you on your way. Get in touch today!
