When it comes to choosing the right software for your business, it is important to carry out your research. Navigating Microsoft’s licensing options can often feel quite overwhelming due to the variety of options available, but this guide is designed to make it all crystal clear for you. In this blog, we will be simplifying the difference between Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise subscriptions, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact our expert team.
There are lots of different plans that businesses can choose, so let’s start by concentrating on the business plans – this includes Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, and Apps for Business. These are all perfect for small to medium-sized businesses and are able to accommodate up to 300 users.
Business Basic: this is perfect for businesses that need the core Microsoft 365 features, but without the desktop versions of the Office applications. So this includes cloud versions of all the Office apps, cloud file storage and business email.
Business Standard: this includes everything that comes in the Business Basic plan, as well as the desktop applications.
Business Premium: this includes everything in Business Standard, but has advanced security features and device management capabilities.
Apps For Business: this is just for businesses that only want the Office Apps
When it comes to choosing a Business Plan, it all depends on the needs of your business. If you are thinking about growing then it may be worth opting for the Premium option as you will need to manage more devices as your team grows.
For bigger organisations that have more advanced requirements, Microsoft has Enterprise plans which are categorised into E Plans & F Plans.
E Plans: designed for heavy / enterprise users and those that need to heavily use the Microsoft 365 features. This is suitable for desk workers who require extensive access to IT systems.
F Plans: these are slightly reduced plans for users who don’t require desktop apps, but still need access to the essentials. This plan is best for field workers.
One of the main reasons that Microsoft 365 is so popular is the productivity benefits it brings to businesses. This has become even more important with businesses operating on hybrid models with teams in different geographical locations.
For many business projects there will be several members of the team working together, but not necessarily within the same office building. Microsoft 365 allows for real-time document sharing and co-authorship meaning that a live document can be edited by more than one person, with all the changes tracked. It is easy to identify who has access, and who has editor permissions.
Of course there is also Microsoft Teams, a virtual meeting software where people can come together and converse via video conferencing.This doesn’t just have to be limited to those within the business, external parties can also be included.
With flexible working on the rise, this is made possible with remote access software such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint which are all included within the Microsoft 365 subscription. While this is mostly a good thing, employees can find it trickier to switch off as their work is easily accessible at any time!
The option of being able to remotely access files and documents often raises concerns within businesses with regard to data security and cyber protection. Of course giving employees freedom to work where they choose is amazing, but keeping your business safe has to be a priority. Microsoft 365 comes with reliable security features and there is also the option to add on Microsoft Defender for Business.
Each user of Microsoft 365 is allocated 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage, and administrators have the ability to increase this to 5TB plus 10GB per licence for additional eligible plans purchased. It is also worth noting that all business mailboxes receive 50GB storage for the main mailbox, and an additional 50GB cloud storage for the archive mailbox.
When it comes to choosing the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business, the first thing to think about is the size of your business. Plans like Basic, Standard and Premium are limited to organisations with up to 300 users, whereas Enterprise plans cater for larger organisations.
It is also worth factoring in whether your business needs to lean more towards applications, security or management. If you aren’t sure which plan is the right one for you, our Microsoft experts are on hand to help choose the correct Microsoft 365 for business – just contact us today.
*This article contains general information in order to assist all of our customers and is meant for guidance only – there are no guarantees that the information we provide will be suitable for your particular needs. If you require specific assistance, we recommend that you seek professional guidance on your individual circumstances. Reality Solutions are in no way responsible for any loss or damage arising from any information contained within our articles.