Microsoft Office 365: Seven Key Benefits to know about

For many businesses, mastering efficiency in the office is key. It’s important to be able to create, collaborate, and communicate within your organization without any issues; so choosing the right productivity tools is an important factor in determining your business’s success and how well you can operate. Microsoft is well known for its widely-used productivity tools and operating systems, and their latest, Office 365; is ideal for almost any office space or business. Let’s discuss seven key benefits of using Office 365 and how you can easily incorporate them into your business.

Decentralized File Access

Decentralization refers to the ability to access files or services anywhere in the world. Office 365 stores all organizational files in the cloud; meaning they can be accessed on any device and from any location provided they have an internet connection. This is particularly valuable for mobile working teams who require file access when out of the office.

Secure Cloud-Based Storage

Cloud storage allows for enhanced file safety in a number of ways. For one, the use of cloud-based storage hardware allows for storage outside of traditional physical drives which can fail and lose data. Additionally, cloud storage allows for the simple encryption of data; which helps keep your files and information confidential even when breached. 

Improved Real-Time Communication

Office 365 helps improve communication between yourself and your team. This is done by centralizing various communication tools such as Skype and Outlook. Utilizing these in tandem with Office 365 will allow users to host meeting calls, communicate using instant messaging, and even transfer and upload files to each other or groups. You can also use Office 365 with Yammer, a social networking application created specifically for business and office communication. You can instantly message the entire workforce and staff will receive notifications to avoid messages being missed. 

Affordability

For many businesses looking to adopt productivity tools, the cost is an important consideration. Office 365 is paid for on a per-user, per month basis. The cost of your license will depend largely on the number of users you have and the cost of each license. This helps prevent any unexpected or additional costs and allows you to better allocate your expenditure data to keep a better eye on your business’s finances.

Business Continuity Tools

In the event of downtime, disaster, or hard drive failures; Office 365 helps bolster your business’s overall continuity. As you’ll be continuously uploading, updating, and backing up your files; you help create a fail-safe environment for your businesses’ information. With all your emails, files, and data safely stored on the cloud; this allows you to easily recover all information needed to keep your business running.

Automated Updates

Since Word, Excel, and Outlook are all software programs which require an internet connection to use them without the need to install them; your programs are kept automatically updated as they sit available on the cloud. By keeping your programs grouped together and routinely updated; you are better able to securely use Office 365.

Collaborate Simply

All of Office 365’s tools from the mailbox, calendars, contacts, and more are designed to be used in explicit, real-time collaboration. Shared calendars are also used in order to better plan schedules, vacations, and more; and moreover; mailboxes and other important documents can be stored and shared utilizing SharePoint. SharePoint can also be used to co-author documents and receive signatures from users.