Keeping your business moving requires having the right tools for your employees, and that includes the software that they utilize on a daily basis. Collaboration is key to success in today’s highly-connected business environment. Without the right solutions in place to keep your business moving forward, you risk being overtaken by competitors. There are several different options for office productivity software, but you may find that Office 365 is still the best way to support operations as your business grows.
Scott Weingust, CEO of Toronto IT support company, Sysoft shares four reasons illustrate why millions of offices still choose Microsoft Office 365 when there are other alternatives on the market.
1. Office 365 Offers Rapid Deployment and Easy Administration
Your technology team has plenty on their plate without having to stress over ensuring that software licenses are being used appropriately, or to answer ongoing requests from users that require research and multiple steps to resolve. With Office 365, deployment is rapid and license administration is very straightforward — cutting down on the overhead required to administer your business software. Since there are multiple solutions included in the Office 365 Suite, you’re also reducing the number of integrations and software partners that you need. Your IT team gets time back to dream about ways to enhance business operations and release new functionality for users.
2. Office 365 is Flexible to Support a Mobile Workforce
It’s not only Millennials that are interested in working from remote locations. Studies show that more than 3.9 million Americans are now working from home at least half the week — and not all of those individuals are contractors. These are mid-level knowledge workers who cite reasons as diverse as family requirements, commuting and reduced stress for working remotely. It’s crucial that these individuals are able to access the same up-to-date versions of office productivity and collaboration software as they would find at their physical desk in the office. With Office 365, workers have flexible options such as working on their mobile devices with tailor-made versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, to name a few.
3. Office 365 Release Schedule Ensures You Always Have the Latest Updates
Bugs are a frustrating fact of life, but receiving regular enhancements to your software may be a relatively new development for your staff. With Office 365, not only do you receive quarterly updates that patch bugs and create a more cohesive experience, you’re also signed up to receive enhancements as they’re tested and released. While many staff members aren’t fully utilizing all of the resources available in their productivity suite, some of the newest releases have included exciting new functionality that enhances collaboration and can also assist with automation. Fun little touches such as new icons, the ability to message directly to people with @mentions, scribbling within Outlook and a way to simplify the design of your interface are some of the most recent tweaks that users will really appreciate.
4. Office 365 Provides a High Level of Security and Integration
One of the most important ways that Office 365 helps your business grow is by providing a secure base for your business growth. Cybercrime is growing in small to mid-size businesses, and software patches are one place where many internal IT departments can fall behind. With Office 365, you’re continually receiving security updates that will keep your software fully compliant and protected from hostile actors. The costs of a ransomware attack or data breach can be extensive, with many organizations seeing thousands of dollars per hour in productivity and hard costs swizzling down the drain after a breach. When your office is protected by enterprise-scale tools, you have a higher comfort level knowing that your business is protected from security threats.
Selecting Microsoft Office 365 as your primary office productivity suite is a choice that is well-supported by a variety of implementation partners, and well-accepted by users. People are comfortable with the traditional desktop applications, and learn to appreciate the value of making quick tweaks to presentations, documents and spreadsheets on their phones. Technology teams appreciate the ease of administration and the ability to maintain consistency in programs throughout the organization. Everything works together to allow the technology to float into the background — leaving your teams the space to excel and grow your business.
