Office 365: Everything You Need to Know

Publisher Microsoft, whose Office suite equips the majority of computing devices worldwide, made a major shift with the release of Office 365 in 2011 from the previously prevailing model. Alongside the perpetual Microsoft Office license (on premise), a subscription-based solution compatible with Windows and Mac (on demand) has been available since this date, combining the power of the Office suite with Cloud-related services. Renamed Microsoft 365 in 2020, the subscription version is available in various plans that meet the needs of organizations, SMEs, large companies, and education. There is also a version for individuals, with Office 365 Family (license for 2 to 6 users) and Office 365 Personal (license for 1 user). 

The Office 365 Solution for Businesses

To precisely meet the needs of businesses in terms of functionality, collaboration, and virtual storage space in the Cloud, the on-demand offer Office 365 is available in different configurations. 

Office 365 for SMEs

This range of software includes solutions like Office 365 Business Essentials (renamed Microsoft 365 Business Basic), Office 365 Business Premium (renamed Microsoft 365 Business Standard), and Microsoft 365 Business (renamed Microsoft 365 Business Premium). The Office 365 family also includes the version Office 365 Business (renamed Microsoft 365 Apps for Business).

The entry-level version includes the essential Office suite applications for the Web (online access via a browser), namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Exchange, enriched with collaborative services with Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint solutions. The Standard and Premium versions include, in addition to the applications available via the Web, the desktop version of Office software for PC and Mac, advanced productivity services like Access, Publisher, and ecosystem management with Microsoft Intune. The Premium solution also includes the benefits of the Basic and Standard versions' subscription (regular updates, 1 TB of online storage, web and phone support), advanced security, protection against cyber threats, and an access and data control system.

Office 365 for Large Enterprises

The Office 365 series for large enterprises comes in four versions: E1, E3, E5, F3. The Office 365 E1 and F3 versions are built on an Office on the Web offering, while the E3 and E5 versions include the Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise pack, comprising Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Access for Windows, in addition to the online applications of Office 365 E1. They also have access to communication and time management applications with Outlook, Exchange, Bookings, and Delve.

Standard across all four versions—Office 365 E1, E3, E5, F3—are collaborative services with Teams, SharePoint, Yammer, and Viva Connections, advanced file sharing and real-time content solutions with OneDrive, Stream, and Sway, and many other applications designed to optimize everyone’s work and secure access.   

Office 365 for Nonprofits

The world of nonprofits benefits from a specific Office 365 offering, with versions A1, A3, A5. The entry-level Office 365 A1 offering is free, non-binding, and 100% online. It provides access to Office for the Web (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote), supplemented by a suite of collaborative services like Exchange, OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint… Versions A3 and A5 have full access to Office desktop applications (including additional standard applications Publisher and Access for Windows), Office for the Web, and numerous management and security tools, compliance, and analytics. 

The Specifics of “On Demand”

The Office 365 suite is an on-demand solution. Unlike the on-premise versions Microsoft Office 2011, 2019, 2021, it is an annual subscription billed monthly per user. The usage license (for which you get the code during the first installation) is automatically renewed.

In terms of usage, Office 365 requires the latest generation hardware configurations and constant Cloud access to leverage Office applications for the Web, collaborative services, and storage spaces. This results in significant resource consumption and a usage and ownership cost that must be controlled in a necessarily eco-efficient approach towards a green IT commitment.  

The Advantages of a Hybrid Configuration

IT departments have the opportunity to take back control from publishers and build custom software architectures, both high-performance and durable, thanks to the second-hand perpetual license market. With the Softcorner marketplace, decision-makers can select from the second-hand software market the licenses they need based on their functional specifications and purchase licenses at a lower cost, such as the Office 2016, 2019 suite, and install them permanently on computing devices without needing to invest in the costly purchase of next-generation configurations.

In parallel with their on-premise Office suite usage, users can equip themselves with specific Office 365 modules to meet collaborative functionality needs with Teams, SharePoint…