Microsoft 365 is the new intelligent productivity suite that compresses Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility Suite + Security in one solution to empower employees in a modern workplace set up. Introduced in 2017, this productivity suite aims to unlock creativity and enable teamwork across the board through a secured platform.
It is designed to cater to any organization size that are widely spread globally through its solution variants: Microsoft 365 for Business and Microsoft 365 for Enterprise and plan models: E3, E5, and F1.
Collaboration and Backup Features
Microsoft 365 helps keep employees empowered and engaged. It comes with multiple collaborative tools powered by regulation-compliant cloud technology.
Along with the commonly known office tools and a robust operating system, Microsoft Teams is its greatest component for seamless collaboration. It ties in the functions of a communication platform for chat, calls, and video conferencing with real-time co-authoring for office tools, meeting and task scheduling, and even hosting public webinars in just one application. This blurs the line between collaboration and communication as users can now do both at the same time without switching application tabs. It also works excellently across devices and operating systems, making it a premium collaboration tool available in the market.
When it comes to backup, Microsoft 365 seals the deal by providing two document storage and backup capabilities. It has OneDrive for personal storage and SharePoint for group or departmental document sharing. Document security is not an issue as these come with layers of security encryption, user verification, and access permission requests on top of powerful cloud technology, Microsoft Azure.
Such compact and coordinated features make Microsoft 365 the most recommended collaboration platform by global power houses such as Jack’s Diving Locker (JDL), Transblue & TD Bank.
Security Features
A conventional workplace produces thousands of documents or data in a day and ensuring their safety is a challenge. Microsoft 365 solves this by being the most secured collaborative platform that guarantees infrastructure and data safety along with smooth collaboration and business processes. It includes unique security features such as:
Device & app management
- Microsoft Intune
- Windows Autopilot, Fine Tuned User Experience, and Windows Analytics Device Health
- System Center Configuration Manager
- Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Identity & Access Management
- Windows Hello, Credential Guard and Direct Access
- Azure Active Directory Plan 1 & Plan 2
Threat Protection
- Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics
- Windows Defender Antivirus and Device Guard
- Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection
- Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection P1 & P2
- Azure Advanced Threat Protection
Information Protection
- Office 365 Data Loss Prevention
- Windows Information Protection and BitLocker
- Azure Information Protection P1& P2
- Microsoft Cloud App Security
Security Management
- Microsoft Secure Score
- Microsoft Security and Compliance Center
Advanced Compliance & Analytics
- My Analytics
- Power BI Pro
Having Gartner announce Microsoft as a leader in 2019 Endpoint Protection Platforms Magic Quadrant, it ensure the Microsoft 365 is capable of delivering promised security intelligence.
Package and Plan Comparison
Microsoft 356 Business and Enterprise
Microsoft 365 Business aims to empower SMBs with up to 300 users and integrates Office 365 Business Premium with its tailored security platform and device management features from Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security. This solution offers services to empower employees, safeguard the business, and simplify IT management.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise, on the other hand, is built on the foundation previously known as highly successful Secure Productive Enterprise suite which has evolved throughout the past years. Going forward, Microsoft 365 Enterprise replaces Secure Productive Enterprise, bringing end-to-end solution through sturdier security protocols with the promise of employee empowerment for greater creativity, collaboration, and security.
| Microsoft 365 Business | Microsoft 365 Enterprise (E3) | |
| Seats | 300 max | Unlimited |
| Support | 24/7 Phone support for critical concerns | 24/7 Phone support for all issues |
| Office Tool Availability (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, etc) for desktop, online, tablet, and mobile | ✔ | ✔ |
| Operating System, Communications, & Collaboration | ||
| Windows 10 Pro upgrade | ✔ | ✔ |
| OneDrive Storage | 1TB | Unlimited |
| Email, Calendar (Exchange) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Collaboration and communication (S4B, Teams, and Yammer) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Task delegation (Planner) and staff scheduling (StaffHub) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Content discovery and search (Delve) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Security | ||
| Active Directory integration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) | ✔ | |
| Hybrid deployment license | ✔ | ✔ |
| Support for shared computer activation | ✔ | ✔ |
| Video content management | ✔ | |
| Compliance – Archiving, eDiscovery, hold | ✔ | |
| Windows Information protection – message encryption, RMS, DLP | ✔ | |
| Azure Information Protection Plan 1 | ✔ | ✔ |
| Device and Credential Guard | ✔ | |
| Windows Defender Antivirus | ✔ | |
| Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA) | ✔ | |
| Device Management | ||
| Azure Active Directory Plan 1 | ✔ | ✔ |
| Microsoft Intune | ✔ | ✔ |
| Windows Autopilot | ✔ | ✔ |
Microsoft 365 E5, E3, and F1
It comes with three major enterprise plans to tailor its features for your business needs:
Microsoft 365 E3 includes enterprise-class services to your organization. It offers upfront productivity solution with robust threat protection, security, compliance, and analytics features.
Microsoft 365 E5, on the other hand, is the fully loaded, all-in-one package which allows you to access a higher order of information protection, compliance, and analytics tools. It includes advanced features such as:
- Power BI Pro, MyAnalytics
- Audio conferencing, Phone System
- Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection, Office 365 Threat Intelligence
- Azure Active Directory Plan 2
- Azure Information Protection P2, Microsoft Cloud App Security, Office 365 Cloud App Security
- Advanced eDiscovery, Customer Lockbox, Advanced Data Governance
And lastly, Microsoft 365 F1 is a lighter take on this product line as it heavily relies on mobile and browser-based collaboration. This suits first-line workers who needs upfront connectivity with clients that don’t require to create virtual environments in their day-to-day work. This is nonetheless a more direct approach to productivity for users that want to get the job done without the heavy demand on collaboration tools.
See more details about the features of each of these Microsoft 365 plans here.
Microsoft 365 is a must-have office productivity bundle for modern businesses. It has all the features and capabilities that a collaboration platform should have in an evolving employee and industry landscape.
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