Microsoft launched their cloud computing platform initially back in 2011, but it wasn’t until early 2013 that they launched multiple plans aimed at both home and business users. Now that it has been 2 years since their stable release, and with the buzz around cloud services continuing to gain more and more traction, it’s time to answer the big question, “Is Microsoft 365 the right move for my organization?”
Why Move to Office 365?
Easily the most clear-cut reason to look at any cloud services comes down to cash flow and upfront costs to host on a server located in your building. Perhaps right now you have a server running Windows Server 2003 or another version of Small Business Server, which Microsoft is currently stepping away from, and you’re considering upgrading your equipment. When you look at a new server, you’ll need to purchase Microsoft Exchange and licenses for every user that has a company email – this price adds up fast! (Description of Exchange Server Licensing
With Microsoft 365, you pay a monthly subscription for a number of options available for both home and business solutions. With this subscription, it includes the licensing costs, a server hosted with Microsoft (no need to purchase an Exchange Server), support, and depending on the plan, the most up-to-date version of Microsoft Office. Additionally, with Microsoft you are guaranteed 99.9% uptime, so you can feel confident knowing that you will always have access to your email.
What does Microsoft 365 Cost?
Microsoft Office 365 plans have multiple pricing options to meet your needs for your organization. You will have options to include Microsoft Office applications in your monthly subscription, which will allow you to always have the newest versions for the same monthly price. If you were to purchase Microsoft Office for your organization, you’re looking at $219.99 per user/computer. If you’re interested in how much this transition could save your company, contact Fuse, and one of our Solution Specialists can provide your organization with a cost analysis.
Plans are also available based on the size of your organization, whether that be a small, midsize, or even an enterprise environment. The price does change based on whether you pay for an entire year up front for each user or if you do a month to month plan. See the plan details for more information.
How to Switch to Microsoft 365?
Email migrations are just another day at the Fuse office, and our technicians are here to help your transition go smoothly. Fuse can provide migration services to ensure that you have access to your email through the entire process. The migration can definitely become complex for non-IT professionals, but with Fuse’s help, you’ll be able to save money on your email services, as well as have peace of mind knowing that your email is being monitored 24/7 by Microsoft’s support team.
What is the Downside to Microsoft 365?
It’s fair to say that there are quite a lot of benefits to moving to the cloud with Microsoft 365, but are there any downsides? The simple answer is yes. Since your email will be hosted outside of your building, if an issue does arise, you will have to wait on Microsoft to fix the issue, which sometimes can be a slow process. With that being said, they do have a guaranteed uptime of 99.9%, but there is still a chance that your email could go down. Since Fuse cannot directly access Microsoft’s servers, we would be at the mercy of their support team to get your email services back up.
Talk to a Fuse technician today to see if Microsoft 365 will work for your organization and what the cost of this transition would look like for your organization specifically!