Microsoft 365 or Office 365: What Product Is Right for Your Business?

As we’re sure you already know, Microsoft has become a juggernaut in the increasingly competitive business world with its countless solutions for organizations both small and large. With so many options, it can be tricky to figure out the right solution for your business. Thankfully, you don’t have to go about it alone. We’ll help you understand the difference between Microsoft’s Office 365 and Microsoft 365 solution… and yes, they are different.

Office 365
We’re sure you’ve already heard quite a bit about Microsoft’s productivity suite, Microsoft Office. In its most basic form, it consists of a word processor (Microsoft Word), slideshow creator (PowerPoint), and spreadsheet builder (Excel), among many others, depending on the subscription plan. Office 365 is essentially the Microsoft productivity suite, but in cloud application format. These services can be accessed either through the cloud or an on-premise solution, depending on where they are hosted and stored. Organizations that already have Windows 10 and other solutions for security can easily take advantage of Office 365.

Microsoft 365
Let’s say you wanted to upgrade to Office 365, but you don’t have the adequate operating system on your device. Maybe you simply want to upgrade to the latest version of Windows, as well. Microsoft 365 is for businesses that don’t want to purchase an operating system and all of the solutions in pieces, instead offering organizations the complete package in an easy-to-consume format. Here is a list of what Microsoft 365 offers organizations at its most basic level:

• The Office 365 suite
• 1TB of storage
• Device management capabilities via Microsoft Intune
• Basic data and app security

There are also enterprise offerings for organizations that have more than 300 users.

Which One is Right for Me?
In the end, it all depends on where your business currently stands. If you have solutions you’re happy with, as well as storage and data security, then perhaps Office 365 will be your preferred choice. If you have nothing and want to get going as soon as possible, however, Microsoft 365 might be worth investing in. If you’re not sure, Network Solutions Unlimited can help you determine what your best options are. To learn more, reach out to us at (217) 428-6449.