Ritchie Farr
Microsoft 365 is packed with powerful tools for modern businesses, but it’s often underutilized or misunderstood—a challenge we encounter frequently when working with new clients. In this series, we’ll demystify Microsoft 365, clear up misconceptions, and share tips to help you maximise your subscription. Let’s start by exploring what Microsoft 365 is, where it came from, and what it includes today.
To understand Microsoft 365, let’s take a look at how it evolved from a subscription-based version of Office to a full-fledged cloud productivity and security platform.
2011: The Launch of Office 365
Microsoft launched Office 365 as a subscription model for popular business applications, allowing companies to shift from capital expenses (CAPEX) to operating expenses (OPEX). This initial offering included Office 2010 applications, Exchange for email, and SharePoint for team collaboration.
2013: Cloud-Centric Focus with Office 2013
With Office 2013, Microsoft focused on making Office 365 the primary platform for accessing Office applications, introducing automatic updates and enhanced integration with OneDrive. This laid the groundwork for continuous improvement and cloud-driven collaboration.
2017: Enter Microsoft 365
Responding to enterprise demand, Microsoft introduced a broader service, bundling Office 365, Windows 10 Enterprise, and new security and management tools as Microsoft 365. This pivot signaled Microsoft’s vision for a secure, integrated, and scalable cloud ecosystem.
2020: Office 365 Rebrands to Microsoft 365
By 2020, Microsoft rebranded all Office 365 business subscriptions as Microsoft 365 to reflect its expanded scope, which includes productivity tools, security features, and device management—covering much more than Office apps.
With various subscription levels available, Microsoft 365 offers services that scale from small businesses to large enterprises. Among them, the Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription is particularly popular, providing a well-rounded suite of features. Here’s a closer look at what’s included and how it benefits businesses:
This familiar productivity suite—formerly known as Office applications—includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher. These apps integrate closely with cloud services and each other, enabling seamless collaboration and file sharing.
Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple team members can work simultaneously on files, with changes instantly visible, reducing the need for endless email exchanges.
Enhanced Accessibility: Documents are accessible across devices, whether on desktops, tablets, or smartphones, enabling flexible and remote work.
Microsoft 365 provides 1 TB of individual storage on OneDrive and 2 TB for organisational use via SharePoint, offering robust cloud storage solutions.
OneDrive: Each user’s personal cloud storage that allows for secure file access and sharing.
SharePoint: Designed for team collaboration, it allows for centralised file storage, version control, and custom permissions, making it easy to organise and share resources across departments.
Exchange remains the industry standard for professional email. Its advanced features offer business-grade security and compliance, including data loss prevention, message encryption, and customisable retention policies.
Cost-Effective Solution: In the past, hosting Exchange was a costly endeavor for businesses. Microsoft 365’s subscription model reduces these costs, with easy maintenance and updates managed in the cloud.
Enterprise-Grade Features: Exchange offers shared mailboxes, resource management, and calendar sharing, making it ideal for larger teams.
Microsoft Teams has quickly become the go-to platform for business communication and remote collaboration. It consolidates chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and app integrations into one platform, transforming how teams work together.
Seamless Meetings and Collaboration: Teams became crucial for remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a leader with features like background blur, breakout rooms, and webinar hosting.
Integrated Productivity Tools: Teams connects with other Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Planner, so employees can co-author files, create task boards, and track projects without leaving the Teams environment.
Planner is Microsoft’s Kanban-based project management tool, integrated directly within Teams and accessible via web and mobile apps. It enables tracking of project progress, visualising workloads, and staying organised.
Task Assignments and Deadlines: Assign tasks, set due dates, and attach files for each project—perfect for teams needing an intuitive, no-frills project management tool.
Alternative to Third-Party Apps: Planner offers much of the functionality of Trello, Asana, or Monday.com but integrated within Microsoft 365, eliminating the need for additional software.
Microsoft 365’s security and management features provide the control and compliance businesses need in today’s digital landscape.
Intune for Device Management: Zero-touch configuration, remote device wiping, and automated policy enforcement make it easier than ever to manage devices across your organisation.
Microsoft Defender for Business: This provides advanced security features, including endpoint protection, threat detection, and anti-malware.
Compliance and Certification Support: Businesses can set data policies and meet compliance standards like Cyber Essentials, reducing risk and ensuring adherence to industry standards.
In summary, Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive solution for today’s workplace, providing everything from traditional Office apps to robust cloud storage, powerful security tools, and advanced device management. It empowers teams to work from anywhere, safely and efficiently, while maintaining control over data security and compliance.
Microsoft 365 has evolved far beyond just licensing Office applications. Today, it acts as a central platform for productivity, collaboration, and security, delivering value across many aspects of a modern business. It’s likely that there are features within your subscription that can add value to your business in ways you haven’t yet explored.
Join us next week for Part 2, where we’ll dive into one of Microsoft 365’s most valuable features—cloud storage with OneDrive and SharePoint.
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