Microsoft Office 365 in combination with Microsoft Windows Azure platform ensures companies of all sizes high productivity with low costs, saving time, money and free up valuable resources. Microsoft Office 365 is a combination of familiar desktop tools such as Office 2010 with communication networks and next-generation collaborative services like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online. This article will show features of the new MS Office 365 platform based on the "cloud" concept as cost effectiveness in the same business domain.
Office 365 as a service
Microsoft Office 365 is a large package of services which consists of many products like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync online for cooperation and communication. Also, Office Web Apps (OWA) enables users to view and edit documents based on desktop versions of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) by using the appropriate web viewer3.
Conceptually, Office 365 is a solution primarily focused on companies, organizations or institutions that have a high need for internal communication and document sharing without the need for establishing complex infrastructures based on Microsoft Exchange4 or Share Point5 server.
It’s primarily intended for users of desktop Microsoft Office6 integrated software package for simple access to documents from any computer including mobile platforms and for simple internal correspondence, voice and video chat options.
There is Office desktop setup to workstation for managing required components and updates, or can be used Microsoft Office 2010 as well as Office 2007 with SP2. Web Apps allow different users to work on the same document in the same time, with no multiplications of same document or history versions problems.
Office 365 features
A. Word web App belongs to the category of text processors. User interface corresponds to the desktop version of Word 2010. Word Web App does not fit in the What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) category of applications; text editing is performed without per page display, without header and footer, without footnotes and without margins. Text written in Word Web App will keep its base formatting which means that text formatting will be kept if accessed with a desktop version of the application. The possibilities of text editing are very similar to Google Docs service with the exception of a larger fonts and styles base, grammar check (including Croatian language support), but it lacks the option of viewing the number of characters in the document. Microsoft Silverlight8 technology is used for documents display; the technology enables a detail and viable display of documents on other web viewers like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome. The conversion to and printing in the PDF format are not supported.
B. Excel Web App fits into the category of table calculators. The user interface is reminiscent of the desktop version of MS Excel, but with simplified and more modest options. The SUM and AVERAGE group functions button is lacking. Excel Web App displays the work sheet the same way as the desktop version of the same tool. Pivot tables and graph charts are supported. A big disadvantage is the inability to print a document using the web viewer.
C. PowerPoint Web App fits into the category of applications for creating presentations. The user interface is minimalistic compared to the desktop version of the same application. There are no themes editing, transitions or effects editing tools. There is no option to move a frame containing content, to change its size or to add any additional frames. PowerPoint Web App is a WYSIWYG application; document display is identical to the desktop version of the same application. Microsoft Silverlight technology is used for documents display. Displaying a document made in PowerPoint Web App is made possible exclusively using “full“ slides; black and white print with removed background and grayscale tones is not supported.
D. Outlook fits into the category of e-mail client applications. User interface is identical to the desktop version of the application and it is also localized to enable the usage of Croatian language.
E. Exchange online , it’s the greatest advantage is that corporation e-mail messages can be accessed via client version of Outlook, Outlook network version or using the most popular mobile devices including Windows Phone 7 Android, Blackberry and Iphone mobile devices. For mobile devices in addition to POP39, Office 365 offers Exchange support in the form of ActiveSync10. Messages are saved to a central station which can be accessed using different platforms. Although Exchange Online is located within the cloud instead of on the local server of the company it possesses administration tools. New users are added individually or in groups (using the .CSV11 file), in accordance to the level of access and administration clearance of the user. There are also certain tools for transferring mailboxes from the client version of Outlook to the online version
F. SharePoint online is a server-based database application that uses a Web user interface for users to access this primarily file-storage mechanism with powerful collaboration tools built in and placed on SharePoint Server. Some of the features of the SharePoint online are: managing and sharing important documents, advance finding important documents, protecting sensitive content with document level permissions, accessing important documents offline by using SharePoint Workspace, enabling real-time communication with colleagues from within SharePoint Online and controlling service provisioning, monitoring, and reporting to simplify management through a single console. SharePoint online gives online collaboration effectively.
Why office 365 is important
Working virtually anywhere using the right device and application offers new levels of freedom and flexibility, with Office 365 your license is connected to you rather than a specific device. So, whether you’re using a PC, Mac, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, you can remain productive and collaborate with tools that are easy to set up and use.
Regardless of where you are or what time it is, you can access and edit Word files, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations—and also host HD conferences and share files on a portal. Your personalized application settings roam with you as you work. And Office 365 keeps your content and formatting intact so you don’t have to redo work as you transition between devices and locations.
Gain confidence with data control, file sharing, and regulatory compliance. You control your data with Office 365 and so you choose whether to store it locally or in the cloud. By using cloud-based storage, you gain the most flexibility and mobility.
With Office 365, you can access enterprise-grade email, calendars, and other tools whether you’re at your desk or on the go and Connect easily with coworkers and clients using enterprise-level services
Establish a professional online presence, quickly and easily, you can take advantage of built-in tools and services to create a professional appearance for your company.
Office 365 for Business plans includes:
Reliability - Get peace of mind knowing your services are available with a guaranteed 99.9% uptime, financially-backed SLA.
Security - Cutting-edge security practices with five layers of security and proactive monitoring help keep your data safe.
Privacy - Your data is yours. It is safeguarded and protected for the utmost privacy control.
Administration - SYS3 are proud Microsoft Partners. We will deploy and manage Office 365 across your company, adding and removing users in minutes.
Updates - No need to pay for version upgrades. Updates are included in your subscription. New features are rolled out regularly
Support - The Microsoft Office 365 Administration Centre allows SYS3 to provide you with the quick and efficient support you need.
Cloud computing
is the ability of your technology to take on the shape you need for the type of project you need to accomplish. Want to put together a project team? You can do that in the cloud so that team members all over the globe can collaborate and communicate easily. Need to create a meeting space for your regional sales reps? You can create a team site for everyone in the cloud, using web servers and software, and you can enable every person to log in from any point they have access to the web.
Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s latest venture into cloud computing, bringing together tried-and-true programs that make communicating and collaboration natural online.
Conclusion
Office 365 makes using Office in the cloud a simple, natural, and affordable way to make the most of services you are already familiar with, in ways that easily extend the technology you are probably already using. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Office 365 enables you to easily and naturally ..
