Microsoft has made a name for itself by meeting the needs of businesses. From the early days of word processing and spreadsheets to today’s offices run largely from mobile devices, they’ve offered solutions to help companies get their work done efficiently and securely.

If you’ve been using Office 365, then you know how smoothly the evolution to a cloud-based platform has been, which is why it has 43.6% of the office suite market share. Office 365 took the chains off business productivity, allowing companies to do more with their technology through real-time collaboration and anywhere availability.

Their next evolution to ensure the continued technology success of businesses is Microsoft 365 Business. This cloud-based package takes workflows a step farther and helps companies get control of the growing use of mobile devices at work.

How do Office 365 Business Premium and Microsoft 365 Business differ? We’ll go through that below and the advantages of upgrading.

What is Microsoft 365 Business?

Microsoft 365 was first introduced in July of 2017. It’s designed to give companies the best that Microsoft productivity tools have to offer, along with enterprise-level mobile device management, and higher-end security.

Office 365, which includes multiple productivity tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and more, is just one piece of the entire Microsoft 365 platform.

Microsoft 365 Business was designed for small to medium-sized businesses with up to 300 users and offers the following:

  • Office 365 Business Premium
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security

For the additional $7.50 per month per user that you pay for Microsoft 365 Business, you’re getting multiple benefits that will reduce costs by integrating vital office functions, plus a significant benefit when it comes to mobile and security management.

Why Should You Upgrade from Office 365 to Microsoft 365?

If you’ve already got Office 365 Business Premium and Windows 10, you might be wondering, “Why upgrade?” There are several reasons, which we’ll go into below, but perhaps the most compelling is one word: Mobile.

Companies around the world have been seeing an increase in the mobile device footprint of their offices. They are realizing the urgent need to get a handle on their mobile management policies, whether they’re using bring your own device (BYOD) or corporate-issued devices.

Microsoft 365 addresses these mobile devices and much more beyond what Office 365 can do alone. 42% of enterprises now consider themselves mobile-first when it comes to working productivity. Here’s why your office should consider a switch to Microsoft 365:

#1 Secure & Manage Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are more convenient to use because you can take them anywhere, but they also get lost or stolen much more often than a desktop computer.

Microsoft 365 gives you the ability to manage smartphones and tablets, with security features that can apply security protocols and lock out unauthorized users. Protect business data no matter what device it’s on, including iOS and Android.

#2 Defend Against Cyberthreats

You get a significant increase in security with Microsoft 365, including protection against sophisticated malware coming from phishing emails and malicious website links.

Small businesses are the target in 58% of cyberattacks, and data breaches bring costly consequences. The sandboxing capabilities of Microsoft 365 allow it to detect and stop not only known malware but also what is known as “zero-day,” malware and viruses that haven’t yet been seen or catalogued.

#3 Anti-Phishing Tools to Prevent Breaches

Phishing is the #1 tool used in data breaches. False phishing emails have become so well-disguised that it’s hard, even for the most tech-savvy employee to spot them.

One of the security features in Microsoft 365 is the anti-phishing policies that you can enable that use machine learning models and impersonation detection to guard against even the most advanced phishing attacks.

#4 Protections for Your Business Data

Data has become a type of currency now with entire customer databases being breached and sold. You gain powerful tools to protect your data and that of your customers, including:

  • Automatic detection to prevent sensitive data like credit card numbers from leaking
  • Encryption of sensitive emails
  • Apply restrictions to email documents such as Do Not Copy and Do Not Forward
  • Enable unlimited cloud archiving for data retention

#5 Integration that Makes Work Easier

Beyond the fluid integration with Windows 10 and Office 365, Microsoft 365 integrates with hundreds of third-party cloud applications that allow you to just sign in one time and access everything from a central location. This also gives you the ability to set up time-saving automation between your applications using Microsoft Flow and further streamline your workflows.

#6 Centralized User Management

Administration of users can be time-consuming. Microsoft 365 offers a single admin console that allows you to set up and manage all your users and devices. You can auto-install Office apps and ensure that Windows 10 and Office 365 updates are being done regularly.

This centralized user management includes both computers and mobile devices, so you can control the security of all your data, no matter where it is located.

Learn More About Microsoft 365 Today

Would you like to learn more about an upgrade to from Office 365 to Microsoft 365? We can give you a tour of the helpful features that you get when you upgrade and answer all your questions about setup and security.

Contact the NetCare team today at (02) 9114 9920 or reach out online.