Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a big topic in many companies. Some companies have already made the move to Microsoft 365, others are in the process of making the move, and still others are still considering whether adoption is right for them at all. If you're still figuring out if Microsoft 365 is the right solution for your business and which licenses to choose, this post is for you with Microsoft Consulting firm.

Content of this blog post

  • Definition: What is Microsoft 365?
  • Benefits: Why should I use Microsoft 365?
  • Disadvantages of M365: What speaks against using it?
  • Office 365 vs Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft 365 Apps overview: What apps are there?
  • Licenses decision support: Which Microsoft 365 licenses are suitable for my company?

Definition: What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is a combination of the latest Office apps, such as B. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, the Windows 10 operating system and various security features. Microsoft 365 also includes Microsoft Teams and 1 TB OneDrive cloud storage for location-independent communication and collaboration . Microsoft 365 can be installed on PCs and Macs as well as on tablets and smartphones.



Benefits: Why should I use Microsoft 365?

Many companies are wondering whether they should move to Microsoft 365. Here are a few points to consider for adopting Microsoft 365.

Access your data from anywhere: With Microsoft 365, any location with internet access can become a workplace. So it doesn't matter whether you want to work in the office, in the home office or in your favorite café with Al Rafay SharePoint Consulting.

Flexibility: Microsoft 365 gives you the flexibility to adapt your subscription to your needs every month. Whether new employees are starting, you want to change the license model of some users or someone is leaving the company. You can change the number and type of licenses required on a monthly basis, depending on your needs.

Usability of the Microsoft Power Platform: With the help of the Microsoft Power Platform , you can, among other things, integrate your various Microsoft 365 services and make them usable.

Not tied to a device: Microsoft 365 can be used on different devices. You can use your subscription with PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones (Android and iOS).

High availability and reliability: Microsoft offers 99.9% service availability. This can also be financially secured by means of a service level.

Always the latest software: With your Microsoft 365 subscription, you always get the latest version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Co. from the cloud. So you are always up to date.

It is not necessary to provide complex IT infrastructure yourself: Since Microsoft 365 is Software-as-a-Service, you as a customer do not have to provide your own infrastructure for Microsoft 365 and are therefore much more flexible.

Low burden on IT staff: Delivering Microsoft 365 as an “as-a-service” model eliminates the need for staff to manage the infrastructure. Instead, the entire administration takes place in the admin portal and the time saved can be used for digitization topics, for example.

No high one-off investment: Thanks to the subscription model, you don't have to make a one-off investment to buy a server, for example, and write it off every year. Instead, a monthly fee is paid per user. This protects your liquidity.

Disadvantages of M365: What speaks against using it?

For a complete picture, the possible disadvantages of Microsoft 365 should also be considered in addition to the advantages.

No control over availability: Compared to an on-premises solution, the local IT department has no control over availability in the event of a failure and cannot estimate the downtime. At least if the problem lies with Microsoft. Accordingly, such concerns are justified. However, it should be kept in mind that Microsoft, for example , reports a global uptime of 99.7% for the third quarter of 2020 .



License planning needed: The wide range of features and licenses is why license planning is so important with Microsoft 365. This ensures that all the features you need are included without paying too much. Licensing should also be reviewed regularly after implementation to avoid unnecessary costs.

Data protection must be clarified individually: The data protection issue, especially with regard to the GDPR, has not yet been clearly clarified. If you decide to use Microsoft 365, you should sit down with your data protection officer or an external data protection expert and ensure that your chosen solution is GDPR compliant.