What is Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)?
Read about all the features and benefits of the Microsoft 365 suite
Microsoft 365 is a productivity platform that gives you access to a suite of well-known professional apps, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as other services such as Exchange.
Microsoft 365 has features and benefits like no other. By subscribing to Microsoft 365, you’ll always have the newest and most updated versions of the apps it offers. It’s also designed to be easy to use both as a desktop app and online. As a cloud application, you can work from anywhere as all the apps are hosted on Microsoft’s servers.
Brief Summary
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a cloud-based platform designed to help you increase productivity. It’s a subscription service that includes apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which you can use on your computer, mobile device or online.
Microsoft 365 is a fantastic tool for your business or organisation. In addition to the standard suite of apps, the platform offers strong security, great communication channels, and additional data analysis functions.
How does Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office 365) work?
Microsoft Office used to be sold as boxed software, with its applications bundled all together. When you bought a computer, you could also purchase a Microsoft Office bundle. Today, there is still an option to buy a standalone Microsoft Office package. However, the products included are limited, and you’ll need to buy a new package or upgrade your current package to enjoy the latest features and upgrades.
Microsoft 365 itself is a subscription service. It must be purchased as a subscription so you can benefit from all the features and upgrades offered by Microsoft.
By subscribing to Microsoft 365, you’ll always have the most up to date version of the Office app suite. You won’t need to pay a sum to upgrade an app; it will automatically update the software for you without any extra cost.
As a user, you don’t need to install any software; you can enjoy the cloud solution without the hassle. Additionally, you don’t have to maintain any hardware – the infrastructure is entirely handled at Microsoft, resulting in you not needing an IT expert to help with problems that may arise.
Microsoft has designed their suite to be as convenient and easy to use as possible, which is apparent as Microsoft Office is used by millions of people worldwide.
What’s included in Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is packed with apps and features to make your professional life easier. It includes apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Depending on what type of plan you’ve subscribed to, you can also access Publisher, Exchange, and SharePoint.
Furthermore, you can host your own files online and access them whenever and wherever since you also get up to 1TB of cloud storage with OneDrive.
Access to Microsoft 365 apps
You can access your Microsoft 365 suite of apps on all your devices, making it a breeze to work on the go.
Let’s say you realise you need to produce a quick draft for an article while you’re on a train without your laptop. No problem, simply do it on your phone. All you need to do is download the app and log into your account. Later, you can access your draft on your computer, as it’ll be saved in the cloud.
With the Microsoft suite, you can easily allow other people to read and edit your draft. You can share your draft with other people who can make comments or changes because Microsoft 365 applications are cloud-based. Sharing documents in a cloud-based environment, for example, is one of the reasons why this suite is so popular with businesses and organisations.
Data security has become a focal point in people’s lives, and businesses and organisations must increasingly comply with data security regulations. Thus, another reason for Microsoft 365’s popularity is its security measures. It offers data monitoring, privacy protection, and an excellent uptime service level agreement.
Other features included in Microsoft 365
Besides the creation apps that are included in the Office 365 suite like Excel and Word, you also get access to apps that help you connect with your colleagues. These include Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook, to name a few:
OneDrive
Depending on what type of plan you choose to subscribe to, you can get access to OneDrive. OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service for your personal files. The service enables you to store all your documents, images, videos, etc., online on your cloud-based drive.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a communications tool that allows you to set up and take meetings digitally. Microsoft Teams also features collaboration tools such as document sharing and project management services.
SharePoint
SharePoint is a robust collaboration platform developed by Microsoft that is designed to facilitate collaborative teamwork and improve productivity within organisations. It functions as a centralised hub for storing, organising, sharing, and accessing documents, files, and information across teams and departments.
Office 365 with one.com
At one.com, we appreciate all the functionalities that Microsoft 365 offers. To let everyone test it out, we offer the first month free as a type of trial period. Sign up and try out all the features and apps for yourself!
