Microsoft Office 365 is a broad combination of software and services offered by Microsoft. It includes all the applications that are part of the Microsoft Office Suite like Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, etc. Besides this, it also includes Microsoft server products like SharePoint Server, Lync Server, and Exchange Server. These applications are hosted in the cloud and can be accessed over the Internet from virtually anywhere in the world.

How does it benefit companies?

Consider a warehouse manager who has his Outlook set up on his computer in his office. One day, he is in the warehouse and needs to access his email immediately. You can find a computer in the warehouse, but unfortunately the mail is on his personal computer and therefore he cannot access his email instantly. In such events, Exchange Online makes it possible to access email from virtually anywhere with the same familiar Outlook experience. Office 365 is a replacement for such small and other major problems of remote work. Not just Outlook, Office 365 also makes it easy to access and modify documents, spreadsheets, and presentations remotely.

Components

Office 365 includes the following tools:

Online exchange:

Exchange Online is the cloud version of Outlook. It provides Outlook as a familiar experience for accessing email, calendar, and contacts. All data, including emails, attachments, calendar, and contacts, is hosted in the cloud. It also allows you to synchronize email with mobile email applications using Exchange ActiveSync services.

SharePoint online:

SharePoint Online is the cloud version of SharePoint that allows you to host SharePoint sites in the cloud.

Lync online:

Lync Online is basically a cloud-based instant messaging service. It offers various communication features such as presence information, instant messaging, and audio and video calls between two computers. Users can schedule online meetings and share documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint slides and whiteboards, etc. with attendees during the meeting. Lync Online must be accessed through the Lync client.

Office Professional Plus:

Office Professional Plus is the cloud version of the Microsoft Office Suite. It includes Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint etc.

Office Web Apps:

Office Web Apps are the browser-based versions of software included in the Microsoft Office Desktop Suite. These include Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. These allow users to access and modify documents, spreadsheets, and presentations directly from a web browser while maintaining a version history of the files.

Office 365 Migration

Office 365 migration refers to moving company data and information from physical servers to the clouds. A special skill set is required to accomplish the migration. Office 365 consultation and migration has recently emerged as an interesting business area.