Office 365 Cloud Service is Here

As I write this Microsoft has just released Office 365 Cloud Services, offering providing collaboration and productivity tools delivered through “the cloud.”  The cloud basically means accessed via the internet, with no need for any local software or applications or special hardware to access or deliver the service.  Aimed at everyone from small business to enterprise, it enables people to work together easily with access to email, web conferencing, documents, calendars and more from any computer connected to the internet.    Previously to access these kinds of features you would need a special kind of server in your office and a very fast internet connection, and someone to regularly manage and maintain it.  By moving this to the cloud and charging monthly per user, businesses can reap the benefits without the up front and maintenance costs.  Sold in several tiers priced from $6 per user per month, the base product provides access to email, calendars and contacts from any web browser, Outlook, smartphone or tablet and allows sharing of this data amongst other users of the service.  Moving your mail to the cloud means that no matter what device you connect from you see all of your data, and anything delivered or sent is reflected on all other devices you connect.  The next product up also provides access to Office Online, web based versions of the MS Office Suite (Word, Excel etc) so you can work on your data from any web browser without needing Office installed on the PC.  It also gives access to Sharepoint, a central place to store documents and information, as well as Lync Online, a cloud based communications tool for messaging, video conferencing and more.  Its early days yet but the product has the potential to change the way many of us do business.

Talk to us on 1300 995502 to discuss how it can help your business.