Insights

When deciding to move to the cloud, businesses don’t always appreciate the diversity of options available.

Even within Microsoft products, it’s not just a case of signing up to ‘the cloud’ and planning your migration.

Microsoft 365 provides a range of services over and above the standard Office 365 package. In this blog, we discuss what Microsoft 365 is and why it is the perfect combination of apps, services, and experiences for your business.

Office 365, Microsoft 365 – what’s the difference?

In the seven years since Office 365 was launched, it’s become well known within the wider business community. Microsoft 365, however, is a relatively new product, and the distinction between the two distinct subscription services isn’t always clear.

Office 365

Office 365 is the cloud platform which houses the ‘Microsoft family’ of apps and services that enhance productivity and collaboration: Word, Excel, PowerPoint Teams, SharePoint, Outlook and much more. It’s a subscription-based service which businesses pay per user per month.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a broader package that includes Office 365 as well as Windows 10 Pro and top-level security support in the form of Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS). Microsoft 365 wraps software, operating system and security into one tightly-integrated platform.

Office 365 is useful for companies who just want to access Microsoft apps wherever they do their work. But for those that want all elements of their digital infrastructure to work seamlessly together, Microsoft 365 is the best option. There are three main reasons why:

1. Watertight security

In a world where users increasingly work on their own devices in remote locations, it’s more important than ever that companies secure their digital infrastructures. Microsoft 365 includes Enterprise Mobility + Security, the best-in-class security and mobile device management protection on the market. It covers identity and access management, threat protection, security management, information protection and more.

The system provides IT managers with careful control over permissions to ensure information can only be accessed by the appropriate people. Combined with some of the market’s leading cybersecurity protections, Microsoft 365 allows your team to divert attention away from protecting your business and towards delivering value.

For years, systems largely relied on passwords and pin-numbers to maintain security. But in reality, passwords aren’t as secure as you think – around 73% are duplicates. People forget them, and they take time to input – which is why people use similar or duplicate passwords for everything.

Microsoft 365 uses intelligent solutions to solve this problem, ensuring the system—not the user—is responsible for security. Features like Windows Hello (included in Microsoft 365) use complex facial recognition algorithms to verify the identity of the user without the need for self-service password control.

2. An integrated platform

Microsoft 365 brings all your important apps and services together into a single unified platform. Windows 10, Office 365 apps and EMS were designed to work seamlessly together. Office 365 is already a heavily-integrated platform, but Microsoft 365 takes it a step further by adding a modern operating system and enterprise-grade security to the productivity platform. As a subscription product, you can break the cycle of waiting for patches, updates and new releases, as your network is automatically updated with the latest changes and fixes.

3. Flexible working for flexible workers

People work on the go and from remote locations today more than ever before; sending emails off on the train or editing documents in the local coffee shop. Today’s businesses need digital infrastructures that allow them to achieve this.

Microsoft 365 stores all of your company’s files in a central, cloud-based location. Workers can log on from their personal devices and access the same digital setup as if they were at their desk. Whether they’re on the other side of the office, or the other side of the world, they’ll be able to view the same applications, tools and files.

Microsoft 365 also makes the way workers interact with technology as dynamic and flexible as possible. Once upon a time, users were restricted to two methods of navigating their platform: mouse and keyboard. Now, there are more ways to operate Windows 10, including voice, touch, gesture, and digital pen, using tools like Cortana, Windows Ink and Windows Edge. The Microsoft 365 platform adapts to a user’s method of working with information – not the other way around.