Over one billion people rely upon Microsoft Office products, and about 155 million of those are active commercial users of Microsoft Office 365. This includes nine out of ten of Fortune 100 companies and a sizable number of small and mid-sized businesses. Your organization’s future can rest upon choosing the right communication, collaboration, and productivity tools, and since its introduction almost a decade ago, Microsoft Office 365 has evolved into the standard.
Increasingly, businesses have chosen cloud-hosted productivity suites like Microsoft Office 365 to free themselves of the burden of buying and maintaining a large hardware, storage, and software infrastructure. Similarly, a managed service provider, or MSP, can provide the people who enhance performance, troubleshoot, and provide security 24/7. With an MSP, companies are free to leave IT to trained and experienced partners, so they can focus upon their main business goals.
Overview of Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 can offer your business email, storage, chat, and MS Office document, design, and collaboration tools. Packages may also include advanced security features, business intelligence software, and tools to help manage compliance, governance, and security. You can even choose features that allow you to hold online meetings and presentations or make phone calls.
Microsoft offers a variety of packages to meet the needs of different types and sizes of organizations. This includes budget-friendly options for small businesses and startups and plenty of room to scale for growing companies and large enterprises. Today’s companies love their ability to access all of their apps from a variety of internet-enabled devices and remote locations. Packages may also include the option to install software that will enable working offline.
How to Buy Microsoft Office 365
The very flexibility Microsoft Office 365 and its many packages can make choosing the right one difficult. The right mix of features will help save money and improve productivity, so businesses often choose to rely upon the experience of distributors. Because a company’s productivity can rely upon making the best choice, it’s important to seek help from the right type of distributor.
MSPs
You can consider working with a high-quality MSP the same as working with a business partner. It’s in their best interest to maximize your software spend because they need to prove their value as a partner and give you the services that will make both of your jobs easier in the future. An MSP will also learn about your company and keep up with new developments to make sure that you’re using what you’ve paid for to its fullest extent and not missing out on any vital features. Finally, you’ll enjoy white-glove service to help ensure the highest level of performance and security possible. Your company will have people to call on at any time to resolve issues and answer questions.
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Online Dealers
You might have been attracted by an advertisement from an online dealer that appears to offer a good deal on your purchase price. Typically, these dealers only distribute Office 365, though they may advertise customer support. Very often, online distributors are located in foreign countries, operate in different time zones, and employ representatives who are not fluent in English. The bulk of customer support will focus more upon sales and deliveries and not the actual nuts and bolts of the products you purchased.
When you transition your business to depending upon vital email, document management, and collaboration tools, you cannot wait until the next day to have problems resolved. To manage data security and compliance issues, you need a hands-on partner who cares about your business as more than a one-time sale. You also need solid, experienced advice about the best way to use your new tools to enhance security, compliance, and governance, and you probably won’t get that from an online dealer.
Why Purchase Microsoft Office 365 From a High-Quality MSP?
Used right, Microsoft Office 365 can help spark your company’s own digital revolution. By using a set of industry-standard tools, you will empower collaboration and communication with all stakeholders, including employees, business partners, and of course, customers. You will have everything you need to manage backups and security. Your business will just pay one monthly fee for using the software, so you won’t need to budget for any large upfront costs to purchase hardware or software licenses.
Obstacles from maximizing your company’s investment in this productivity and communication solution include choosing the best plan, keeping up with updates, and maximizing value by using providing tools. In fact, surveys have found that many companies use only a fraction of the apps that they are paying for and that could benefit their business processes. The fact that Microsoft has been so committed to introducing new features and apps makes it even more difficult to make certain you’re maximizing the value to your company.
That only underscores the benefit of choosing to purchase Microsoft Office 365 from an experienced managed service provider. Your MSP should take the time to understand how your company does business, which process could be improved with Office 365 solutions, and then suggest the optimal package. Long after you’ve purchased your first package, your MSP will still be there to keep up with changes to the apps and to your business to ensure you’re always getting the most from your purchase.
