What is Office 365?

Office 365 is a cloud-based subscription service that businesses use to store, access, and share files. It also helps them protect their employees’ as well as their clients’ data using highly advanced security options. Each user gets 1 TB of online storage that they can access from anywhere. There are different packages available in the market. These include versions for businesses, personal use, non-profits, multi-user households, and education institutions.

Office 365 was launched in 2001. Till today, millions of modern businesses have embraced this version to create, manage, store, share documents, and establish powerful communication lines. The seamless connected experience and the advanced security helps users to stay connected with their fellow employees and customers from wherever they’re working from.

Using Office 365

Keep reading to find out more about how to use Office 365.

Office 365 is hosted by Microsoft, making it largely accessible through the internet. It is deployed using a downloadable desktop version of common Office applications. It takes up to a couple of days to implement Office 365, migrate all the data, and get everything running smoothly. There’s a free guidance service that Microsoft provides called FastTrack to help with quicker implementation and launching.

It has the same basic applications as other older versions. These include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. All these core apps are available for all Office 365 subscriptions. Additionally, you get other services depending on the plan purchased. These include:

• Publisher
• Planner
• Access
• Yammer. This social network is designed to help employees connect and foster close-knit communication with each other.
• Exchange. This email server solution makes it possible for businesses to create an independent digital mailing system that stores information about everything that goes on.
• OneDrive. This lets users store their images, music files, videos, and other documents in a safe place where they can be accessed, managed, and shared securely from almost any device.
• SharePoint. This allows users to create, edit, manage, share documents with their colleagues, and receive business updates and company news.
• Skype for Business. This popular chat and conferencing service gives businesses a platform for seamless communication where they can send instant messages, record conversations, hold meetings, and give whiteboard presentations
• Microsoft Teams. This product integrates the capabilities found in Skype with tools such as document sharing and provides a hub for teams to work together.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Office 365?

Here is a summary of the pros and cons of Office 365. This will give you a quick overview to help you come up with an Office 365 review and, therefore, decide whether it’s worth investing in or not.

Pros

• Keeps the team on the same page with group chat, calling, and online meetings
• Helps businesses do more on the go thanks to OneDrive
• 1 TB plus 60 Skype minutes for calling
• Offers a trial version allowing users to get Office 365 for free
• Checks grammar using Microsoft Editor as you type
• Protects your personal files and photos
• Helps users to organize their time e.g., lets you check your email quickly
• Readily available online support
• Easy to transfer bank statements onto Excel spreadsheets for easy analysis

Cons

• There’s a penalty for canceling your subscription before the end of the contract
• You need web access to implement and launch
• Users need internet access to manage their accounts and access most services like emailing

Frequently Asked Questions about Office 365

In this section, we focus on answering questions related to Office 365 for Business unless otherwise stated.

Qn.1: How does Office 365 differ from previous versions?

Unlike other versions where you pay a one-time fee to buy the service, with Office 365, you’re only required to pay either a monthly or an annual subscription to access the service.

Also, with Office 365, the user has access to the latest version as the platform self-updates. They don’t need to buy a new copy any time a newer edition is released.

Lastly, users don’t need to install the service on all the devices they use. Instead, users can access their files from any device as long as it has internet access.

Qn. 2: Is Office 365 secure and how reliable is it?

This cloud-based platform is backed by a financial service guarantee. It comes with antivirus, anti-spam, and anti-malware protection programs.

You can rest assured knowing that your company’s data is secure. Microsoft invests heavily in infrastructure to make sure that all malicious attempts to infiltrate the system are prevented.

Qn. 3: Does the user have to be connected to the internet to work with Office 365?

Not necessarily. Most of the core apps allow you to work offline. You can also access your files on OneDrive and make changes that will be auto-synched when you’re back online.

Qn. 4: Can users cancel their subscriptions? And what happens to their date?

You can cancel your subscription at any time, although there could be a penalty if you cancel before the contract ends. If you had subscribed to the annual commitment plan and paid your fees upfront, you shouldn’t expect to get a refund.