A robust cloud-based platform for enterprise business
January 11, 2019
A robust cloud-based platform for enterprise business
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Along with SAP and Cisco Communications, Microsoft 365 Business is a primary pillar of our I.T. software and services. The entire organization has been migrated to 365 Business for approximately the last two years. Along with email and the Office Suite of software, we also leverage Dynamics CRM, Teams, PowerApps, Yammer, SharePoint, OneDrive and more. The cohesiveness of 365 Business has simplified our utilization of Microsoft products and services.
- Integration across the suite of products. Much like other cloud platforms, Microsoft has done an excellent job of integrating their products with each other and other third party platforms.
- Plentiful storage. OneDrive and SharePoint cloud storage is more than enough for even our power users. It allows for seamless migration to new computer hardware and the peace of mind of continuous backup to Microsoft's infrastructure.
- User account management. It is easy to setup new users in the company and add services to their individual user profile. We dont have to license every product for every user. We can piece-meal service for specific use cases.
- Mobile app support. Microsoft has built some of the best mobile apps on the market for both iOS and Android. This makes it easy to use 365 Business on the go.
- The breadth of products can be overwhelming. I applaud Microsoft for their innovation of new products and service, but it feels like some products step on the toes of others. At times, it can be tricky knowing which is the best for your specific use. Additionally, most people probably only use about 20% of the products/services/features.
- Office is still Office. Let's face it, 90% of large companies use Microsoft Office, which is a large part of the 365 Business suite. Although the most recent updates are nice, it still feels a bit stagnant after all these years.
- Steep learning curve for some users. Some of the apps and services included in 365 Business are so powerful that the learning curve for your average business user can be a bit steep. This requires added training resources and more of a barrier to adoption.
- Increased collaboration. Online storage and sharing allow for users to work together across distances. File integrity is also maintained, due to everyone having access to the same tools.
- Increased sales and customer tracking. Dynamics 365 integrated with SAP, has created a quality workflow for sales reps to track customers and orders to better manage their sales.
- Social connections across the globe. Products like Yammer help to keep our employees connected across the organization, which is global.
Microsoft 365 Business is more robust than Google's suite of enterprise applications and services, but that doesn't necessarily make it better. It really depends on the individual organization. G Suite is more geared at communication and collaboration. Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Meet are fantastic cloud-based tools for many companies. It worked very well for a large educational institution that I previously worked for. However, Google does not offer products to compete with Dynamics CRM, PowerApps, etc...