Your productivity suite is essential to every facet of your business. It determines how well your staff can collaborate, complete documents, present ideas, and store important data. With that said, it’s clear that choosing the right one is crucial. The wrong decision can backfire horribly, damaging operations, doubling your team’s workload, and even causing long periods of downtime.
Enter Microsoft 365 (M365) – a comprehensive platform designed to bring together communication, security, and creativity into one useful package. But with an almost thirty year legacy behind it, and the complexity to match, M365 can feel completely overwhelming for new users.
Which package should you purchase? What’s included? And what can it really do for your company?
What is M365?
M365 is a subscription-based suite of tools and services designed to optimise your company’s processes. It combines the familiar Office applications of yesteryear – such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint – with cloud-based solutions such as OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint. Microsoft’s goal was to develop one platform that contains everything you need for a productive business.
Unlike the original Office suite, M365 lives in the cloud – meaning it is accessible from any location and always up-to-date. This was a massive upgrade that significantly improves the value of Microsoft products, as you no longer need to purchase a subscription for each user.
Microsoft 365 vs Office 365: Is There a Difference?
Microsoft’s regular rebrands often cause confusion, and Microsoft 365 vs Office 365 is no exception. Here is a quick explanation of the difference between the two:
- Office 365 was primarily focused on the Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and basic cloud services.
- Microsoft 365 (M365) is the newer, more comprehensive package. It includes everything in Office 365, plus advanced security, device management, and productivity analytics.
The original Office 365 is no longer available for purchase, although some packages still use that name. M365 is the natural evolution of the older product, providing the same services plus additional features. Rest assured that you won’t miss out on anything that Office previously offered.
Essential M365 Features
Any business that has operated within the last thirty years is already familiar with Microsoft Office applications – but the newer version provides much more than just these popular tools. Some other key M365 features include:
- Microsoft Teams: M365’s collaboration tool, used for communication, meetings, and file sharing.
- OneDrive: Secure cloud storage and file transfer.
- SharePoint: Intranet and document management.
- Exchange Online: Business-grade email with advanced calendaring.
- Power Platform: Tools like Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps for custom workflows and data insights.
- Microsoft Defender: A comprehensive security platform designed to prevent, detect, and respond to threats.
M365 Security Features
One of the biggest Microsoft 365 benefits is its built-in security measures. Cyber threats are on the rise, necessitating stronger defences than ever. Microsoft has risen to the challenge by implementing various solutions designed to protect your company’s data. Some of these include:
- Data Loss Prevention: Monitors and controls the movement of sensitive information. Microsoft allows you to set rules that automatically prevent important data from being shared.
- Endpoint Management: Enables remote monitoring and management of devices (such as computers and tablets).
- Advanced Threat Detection and Response: Detects malicious activity and automatically blocks them.
- Access Controls: Prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data and accounts through various means, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control.
M365 for IT Managers: Tips and Best Practices
Here are some practical tips to maximise the benefits of M365 for IT managers:
1. Leverage the Admin Center
Use the Admin Centre and the Security & Compliance Centre to monitor activity, configure policies, and manage licenses efficiently.
2. Automate Routine Tasks
Power Automate makes it easy to streamline repetitive processes like approvals, alerts, and user onboarding.
3. Provide Training and Support
While many staff are already familiar with basic Office productivity tools such as Word and PowerPoint, they may need education and support for other Microsoft 365 apps. Ensure that they understand how to use these apps and services, and create space for them to approach you with questions.
4. Enable Security Features
While M365 comes with a variety of security measures, many of them are not enabled by default. Remember to configure these properly, as it will help prevent cyber-attacks.
5. Stay Up-to-Date
Microsoft frequently updates 365 with new features. Stay in the loop to take advantage of these as quickly as possible.
6. Use Copilot
Copilot can be purchased as an add-on for most Microsoft 365 plans. This tool significantly boosts productivity and integrates smoothly with other 365 solutions.
Explore the Benefits of M365
M365 management is about more than preventing crashes – when done correctly, it empowers your team to work securely, collaboratively, and efficiently. From robust security features to powerful automation, this productivity suite has the potential to improve every aspect of your business. By understanding the full range of tools available and using best practices, you can foster a more connected, productive, and secure work environment.
While many M365 solutions have been touched on here, there’s plenty left to learn. Read this article to discover more 365 solutions your business should be using.
