ASK Neadom Episode 23: Office 365 FAQs

Welcome to the Week of Ask

Hey guys, welcome to the week of Ask Neadom. Today, we're going to take a look at Office 365 frequently asked questions. Stay tuned!

What is Office 365?

What is Office 365? That's a question I get asked all the time. What is it? Office 365 is a cloud-based suite of products by Microsoft designed to keep your business and organization running smoothly through collaboration. It includes applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. But those are just the client applications. Office 365 also has an online platform that includes email, chat, Planner, and a whole bunch of other internal applications to help your business move forward.

Cost of Office 365

The next question is, what does Office 365 cost? This is a tricky question because it depends on what you're looking for. Are you a small business or a large business? Do you need specific features or security options? Most organizations use Microsoft's Business Premium application, which costs about $15 to $16 per user per month. For organizations with fewer than 200 users, this is a good plan. There are add-ons for security and other features that can increase the cost. However, you can also opt for basic email services for as little as $2 per user per month.

If you're using older technology like POP or IMAP or a Gmail account, Office 365 allows you to use your domain on a reliable infrastructure. Email is crucial for business operations, and Office 365 provides a robust solution. The cost for Office 365 is not much when you consider the benefits. For example, the email portion with online apps costs about $6 per user per month, while the full Office 365 suite costs around $12.50 per user per month. You can pay anywhere from $2 to $25 for Office 365, depending on the plan and features you choose.

What's Included?

What is included in Office 365 depends on the subscription you have. The smaller package, Office 365 Essentials, includes Excel, Word, and Outlook online, but not the desktop client. You can use OneDrive to store your documents in the cloud. With Business Premium, you get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications installed on up to five devices per user. This includes PCs, tablets, and larger iPads. Each user gets 50 gigabytes of email storage and a terabyte of OneDrive storage. Other plans include additional security features and options tailored to your organization's needs.

Web vs. Desktop Applications

One of the most confusing aspects of Office 365 is the difference between web applications and desktop applications. Traditional IT involved installing software on your computer. With Office 365 Business Premium, you get desktop versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other applications. These are great for working offline, such as on a plane or in remote areas without internet access.

Web applications, on the other hand, are accessible through a browser. You can log in to office.com and access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and your documents stored on OneDrive. Web applications offer better collaboration, allowing multiple people to work on the same document simultaneously. They also open documents faster and save changes continuously. OneDrive and SharePoint provide version history, so you can revert to previous versions of a document if needed.

Conclusion

Office 365 is an amazing tool that has helped us run our business efficiently. If you need help with Office 365 or are unsure about which plan to choose, give us a call at Kotori Technologies. We handle small and large migrations, up to a thousand users. Reach out to us for assistance!