What Is Office 365?
What is Office 365?
Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft's office productivity and collaboration tools delivered through the cloud.
Office 365 enables a business to deliver their product the way it is intended to be delivered, providing the richest
capabilities across end user's PCs, phones, and browsers.
Office 365 replaces the Business Online Productivity Suite. Enterprise Customers can contact a Microsoft representative
for purchase details or get more information about licensing.
Office 365 is Microsoft's office collaboration and productivity suite united with the power of the Cloud. Office 365
brings together the best Microsoft productivity tools delivered as an always up to date service for organisations of all sizes.
With Enterprise class capability software, capable of serving users around the world, Office 365 is next
generation communication and collaboration between employees, clients and colleagues utilising the powerful
capabilities of Office Professional Plus 2010, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online.
Office 365 allows you to connect your office suite, as well as all the servers that go along with it, to the Cloud with a world class productivity service.
Employees within an organisation are able to connect and collaborate whether they are on a PC or accessing information through a mobile device.
No other online service can offer the rich productivity capabilities of Office 365 with its:
• Ease of use
• Depth of service
• Ease of set up and administration
• Affordable plans
Office 365's Cloud Productivity Services:
Outlook e-mail calendars and contacts can be accessed from almost anywhere; on any mobile device or PC, through the power of Exchange Online. With
Exchange Online one can organise e-mails, manage one's inbox, and corroborate on schedules and calendars with partners, clients and colleagues.
Through the power of Lync Online one can connect with colleagues, conduct online meetings across distances from PC to PC either by voice
or visually. With
Lync online one has the ability to have presence and IM capabilities enabling users to work with people around the world.
SharePoint Online enables an individual to access documents from virtually anywhere to collaborate with clients and colleagues. Included in SharePoint is the My
Site Capability wherein each employee in an organisation has their own personal site. My Site gives employees the
ability to add documents and status updates
for what they are working on; a type of "social network" for the Enterprise wherein employees share with one another what is taking place, others can
comment, follow, and tag shared information. A next generation way for employees
in an organization to connect and collaborate as never before.
Versions of Office 365
Office 365 for Small Businesses - Simple, user-friendly, web-enabled tools have been designed specifically to accommodate small businesses without sacrificing
Office 365's integrated world class service. Small business are able to access e-mail, calendars, important documents, and contacts from anywhere on almost any
device.
Office 365 for Enterprises -For businesses' who want to move their productivity to the next level without losing control of their IT services.
Office 365 for Education -Education is changing and Microsoft's commitment to education is made evident with Office 365
for Education. Office 365 offers students anytime anywhere access to lectures, course work, and classroom sites.
Plus, students will receive free e-mail, free SharePoint online for collaboration, as well as Lync Online for real time IMing,
voice and video chat, and online meetings and presence allowing students to work seamlessly together on a single document.
The Cost
Microsoft Office 365 offers varying suites to fit your specific requirements and budget.
For example, Office 365 Plan 1 is a basic and simple monthly subscription to an easy to use set of business class
online web tools for as little as £4 per user per month with a maximum of 50 users.
Security - Office 365 includes Business Class Security - an easy to use interface backed by the quality expected of Microsoft.
Office 365's service, reliability and support is available 365 days a year, 24/7. Office 365 offers a financially backed up-time guarantee - if Office 365's
commitment is not fulfilled, your money is refunded.
Migrating from BPOS to Office 365 In Your Workplace
Integrating Microsoft Office 365, will take some planning and preparation for a smooth integration process, whether you have no
existing system or you have a system you will be integrating.
With so many moving parts, transitioning from an established infrastructure to a cloud environment is a complicated process
which Microsoft has made as easy as possible with only a few steps required from you in order to prepare...
What to do Before the Integration - Microsoft will work with your admin to schedule your company's transition. You need
do nothing until you are notified that Microsoft is preparing your transition. Once your admin has been notified there are
three easy steps you will need to take in order to prepare your system for integration...
1. Office 365 has two new system requirements which are quick and easy to download: you will need to download
Internet Explorer 7 or higher and for e-mail make sure you are running Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010.
2. You will then need to install Lync Online. Lync Online is Microsoft's new Instant messaging and conferencing tool. Once Lync
is installed you are ready for the last step...
3. Set up and configure your Office desktop apps. Doing so will install a number of patches to Office and Windows that will
automatically prepare your system for Office 365.
A Few More Helpful Steps for a Seamless Integration:
• To speed up the integration process run a Windows update prior to integration if you do not regularly do so.
• Decide which existing systems, mailboxes, content, or data you would like to be migrated. Existing systems such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and
Lync Online can be either: moved to, replaced by, or co-exist with Office 365.
• It will be necessary for all administrators and users to change their passwords in BPOS before the integration. This ensures passwords will be transitioned to
Office 365.
• Ensure that your computers meet system requirements and your environment is properly configured Software requirements for Office 365
Because Office 365 includes the systems you are already familiar with and simply adds new next generation online services it is recommended that you delete any
unnecessary accounts within your existing systems that are no longer used or necessary.
What To Expect During Integration:
.
• Users will have access to E-mail and documents.
• You will be able to access Outlook Web Apps.
• Users will be able to view documents on SharePoint Online but not edit them.
• Administrators should be aware that the Administration Centre will be locked during the integration process.
• You will not be able to: change administrative settings, cancel, delete, update, add, or add users during the integration process.
• The integration process will take around 48 hours.
What To Do After the Integration - You will receive an e-mail from Microsoft notifying you that the integration to Office 365 is complete. Confirm that all users
have access to the service and are able to connect with their mobile devices.
To finalize the process be sure to follow the few simple steps Microsoft sends you. The welcoming kit will get you up and running with Office 365 in a matter of
minutes. Be sure to provide end-user training. Technical support is available 24/7
