Technology is progressing day by day, and sometimes it gets hard to keep up with all the technical stuff. There’s no need to worry if it’s giving you a hard time because we have got your back. The aforementioned technical stuff includes Office 365 which is getting real hype these days, especially if you are someone who runs a business or is an employee working for a company, then you must have heard about Office 365.

A question probably popped into your mind: What is it exactly? And how does it work? We all know that Office 365 is an exemplary product of Microsoft, but it has been significantly modified in the past few years. The modifications in Office 365 are the main reason people cannot understand what it offers and why they should use it.

Basics of Office 365

Office 365 was launched by Microsoft in 2011. It is a cloud-based software that is comprised of various productivity tools and apps like Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, and many more. It wouldn't be wrong to address it as a toolbox that can be used in various ways, especially by businesses.

Office 365 is an updated, modified, and much better version of the former Office 2016. You will be amazed to know that over a million companies from all over the world are regular users of Office 365. So yes, tools do become outdated with time, and people stop using them, but clearly, Office 365 is not one of them. All the credit goes to Microsoft for adding extraordinary innovations from time to time and, ultimately, making work swift for businesses.

Key features of Office 365

Now that you have an overview of Office 365, it’s time to dig deeper and discuss some of its key features that will most likely convince you to become a regular Office 365 user.

1.    Cloud Computing

One of the best features of Office 365 is that it is based on cloud computing. You might not be familiar with this term, but it is an advancement in technology that has completely transformed the way businesses work. Before cloud computing was a thing, companies used to work locally.

By locally, we mean your files, documents, or some other form of work being on your laptop, and your laptop only, which in turn means you cannot access that work from any other device. Working locally brings nothing but limitations to the productivity of an employee. Let’s say you forget to bring your laptop to work, or it stops working out of the blue, then you simply can’t proceed with your work.

That’s where Microsoft brought diversification in its software by making it entirely online. Yes, you read that right. Office 365 does not work locally on desktops. It rather gives its users the convenience to access their work on any smart device, at any time, and in any part of the world. And that’s not all - Office 365’s cloud-based interface also allows users to give access to their work to other people. This way, your colleagues can view and make amendments to your work quickly and easily.

2.    Some significant Applications and Tools

Office 365 is a hub of productivity tools and applications. The more you explore it, the more you get to know it's extremely worthy features. No wonder Microsoft makes more than 16.6 billion dollars in just a quarter of a year from its productivity apps and tools as businesses of every scale benefit from them substantially. For now, let’s discuss the most useful, popular, and yielding ones so that you can get an idea of what you’ve been missing out on.

●      OneDrive

A cloud-based service by Microsoft that allows users to securely store any kind of files, documents, music, audio, and even videos on OneDrive. Having your important work files and documents saved online will free you from the worry of losing your data if your laptop crashes. On top of that, you can access that data from any smart device through a stable internet connection. Microsoft offers different subscription plans for OneDrive, with each one of them offering different storage capacities.

●      Microsoft Teams

The updates and modifications by Microsoft in Office 365 are centered on promoting a collaborative environment and productivity among employees. A result of one of these modifications is Microsoft Teams, a product of Microsoft that enables users to host collaborative chat sessions to stay connected with their teams in an easy yet secure way.

Use powerful Artificial Intelligence tools like chatbots, keep everything organized, create chats for individual projects, and share documents in a matter of seconds, all via Microsoft Teams.  So yes, it is a tool that encourages modern teams to connect via a hybrid working mode. There’s no question that over the years, Microsoft Teams has made work so uncomplicated and effortless that its number of users surged from 145 million in 2021 to 270 million in 2022.

●      Skype for Business

Yet another Microsoft tool that has made telecommunication simpler, more reliable, and effective for businesses. It might seem like Microsoft Teams to you, but actually, it’s pretty different from it. With Skype for Business, you can arrange video conferences and meetings with almost 250 people at a time.

Sharing screens, recording conversations, and giving virtual presentations is no longer a far-fetched thing due to Skype for Business. That’s not it. There’s much more left that you can eventually figure out on your own by using this collaborative tool occasionally. We ensure you that once you get hooked on its advanced features, there’s no going back.

●      Office suite and advanced features

A segregated Office suite within Office 365 is mainly comprised of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. All of the tools and apps within the Office suite are focused on making documentation easier and safer for businesses.

Apart from the Office suite, some advanced features within Office 365 have leveled up the overall interface of Office 365. That is why every 1 in 5 business employees uses Office 365 to enhance their efficiency and productivity. Some of the advanced and modern features are mentioned below, and we must say that they are unparalleled technological advancements.

●      Yammer: A social networking tool specially designed for the corporate sector where you can make announcements, upload pictures, maintain your profile, and engage socially with your co-workers.

●      Stream: You can consider Stream a personal Youtube channel for your company. You can upload recordings of meetings, presentations, and helpful content in video format on Stream. Access is granted exclusively to employees of your organization.

●      PowerApps: A tool for technical wizards that allows them to create applications for web and smart devices without the hassle of getting into complex coding.

●      Planner: A tool that will assist you in organizing and executing tasks effectively. Through Planner, you can keep a track record of everything and witness the progress step by step.

●      Power BI: This tool allows users to present data and insights in a visually appealing and interactive way so that it can eventually leave an ever-lasting impression on the audience.

Source: Aalto University, Microsoft Office 365 Services | Aalto University

3.    Get access via Subscriptions

You must be wondering by this point how you can access the elaborate features of Office 365. For the older version of Office 365, users had to buy it as a one-time purchase. However, the modifications in Office 365 have made it much easier and simpler to get access to it. Microsoft offers different types of subscription plans for Office 365.

You just have to opt for the one that meets your requirements and make a yearly commitment to Microsoft. Consequently, according to your subscription plan, you’ll have to pay a fixed amount per month. The most significant advantage of subscription plans is that your Office 365 will constantly get updated with new features and bug fixes while you won't have to pay any extra charges.

Conclusion

Office 365 is indeed an extraordinary advancement in technology.
The dynamics of handling businesses are evolving. Companies tend to be modern and try their best to utilize technical resources as much as they can. Ultimately, it helps their business growth to surge exponentially. The best part about Office 365 is that it not only targets enterprises, but also the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.