Microsoft Office 365: The Basics

Every Business Needs Software

Any business of any size has a need for basic office software. No matter what your business does, at some point you will need to put something in writing. If you sell products and services, you will need a system to organize sales and expenses. Calendars keep track of appointments and meetings. All businesses need secure ways to communicate with employees, vendors, and customers. 

These are basic business functions that have been around since before the internet or even computers. Modern businesses base these needs around the cloud for maximum collaboration and availability, and Microsoft Office 365 has become the standard productivity suite for businesses of all sizes. This series will examine what Office 365 is, how it works, and the major benefits it can bring your business.

What Is Office 365?

It is a subscription-based service that provides users with the productivity applications that are necessary to get things done. These applications are all based in the cloud, which means they are available on demand, depending on your service level. With Office 365, all apps and programs are connected, which facilitates seamless document sharing. 

Data security is an important topic, and one of the reasons so many businesses have moved on from legacy Microsoft products to 365 is that Microsoft provides layered security measures and maximum uptime. Office 365 includes cloud storage and mobile apps that allow employees to access documents and work wherever, whenever

What Is Included?

Office has evolved into a large suite of business tools that goes well beyond word processing and spreadsheets; 365 can be customized to include applications that allow businesses to do many things better.

• Word: The standard for word processing for decades.
• Excel: A mainstay spreadsheet program that revolutionized data analysis and organization.
• Outlook: Microsoft’s flagship email and calendar application.
• PowerPoint: Presentation software that can create everything from basic slides to elaborate animation and video.
• Publisher: A software tool that is more robust than Word at producing brochures and other marketing tools.
• OneNote: This app allows someone to take notes on one device and retrieve them from any other device.
• OneDrive: One of the basic functions of the cloud is storage, and OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage portal.
• SharePoint: This app can be used to host intranet websites for teams, separate divisions, or business units.
• Exchange: Each 365 subscription includes hosted e-mail and eliminates the need for an on-premise exchange server.
• Microsoft Teams: Chat applications are important for employee communication and unity; Teams is Microsoft’s video, VoIP, web collaboration, and chat function that works seamlessly with other applications.

How Does It Help Businesses?

Productivity tools are there to get things done, and when they are as seamless and easy to use as the tools in Office 365, it reduces the time spent on administrative tasks and allows for more time to create and collaborate. A cloud-based productivity suite can also help your bottom line. Subscription-based services are on demand, meaning they scale with your usage and are flexible when your circumstances change. Office 365 requires no hardware investments and can be used with existing equipment, which reduces the investment you need to make in new equipment. 

What Does This Mean for Users of Older Versions of Office?

Much of 365’s infrastructure is hosted by Microsoft, and installations of desktop apps only take a day or two depending on how many workstations need the install. The hard work comes when you have to migrate all your existing data to the new platform. Through our comprehensive IT assessments, SBT Partners can help make sure this process goes smoothly, but it does require some planning to transition correctly. 

Make Your Life Easier With Office 365

SBT’s Office 365 Migration and ongoing support gives you the freedom to create, edit, share, and collaborate on business-critical projects. Call SBT Partners today to harness the power of Microsoft Office 365!