Microsoft 365 (formerly branded Office 365) is Microsoft's growing family of client productivity applications and cloud-based services offered on a subscription basis. Microsoft 365 apps and cloud services are offered in a variety of product bundles, called subscription plans, intended for markets ranging from individual and households to major enterprises.
Most Microsoft 365 apps can be installed on multiple computers such as PCs, Macs, iPads, and smartphones. Multi-device applications include versions of Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook. PC-only applications include Access for database management and Publisher for desktop publishing. To accommodate customers with multiple devices, many Microsoft 365 bundles permit you to install Microsoft 365 applications on several devices. As an example, Microsoft 365 Business and ProPlus packages allow every included application to be run on up to five devices.
Microsoft 365 apps need Internet access for downloading, registration, account personalization, and patching. The majority of subscription plans include a desktop edition of Microsoft Office, which enables you to run programs offline, just as with a traditional perpetual Office license. When you return, your cloud-resident files are automatically synchronized. Microsoft 365 cloud services include Exchange Online email hosting, Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business chat and video conferencing, and OneDrive cloud-based storage and collaboration. Microsoft 365 cloud-based services require an active online Internet connection.Progent offers quick and affordable online access to a support consultant with expertise in Microsoft, Mac, Apple iOS, and Android software. Progent can help you to understand the many options offered with Microsoft 365 and configure your information network with Microsoft 365 in a way that delivers maximum strategic value. Progent can help you manage cross-platform networks that incorporate Windows, Apple macOS or OS X, and Linux based products. Progent can also assist you to create and manage hybrid networks that transparently combine local and cloud infrastructure.
Microsoft 365 Applications and Cloud Services
Microsoft 365 packages are available for a broad selection of users including businesses, education, government, and home. Some subscription plans, such as Microsoft 365 Business Essentials, includes no applications but only cloud services. Other plans, like Microsoft 365 Business, offers applications but provides only the OneDrive cloud service. The high-end Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 subscription plan includes seven applications and seven cloud services. Progent can assist you to select an Microsoft 365 bundle that's right for your business, help you to migrate from older editions of Microsoft Office applications, and show you how to streamline the management of Microsoft 365 and other system resources to build an efficient, secure and productive IT ecosystem.
PopularMicrosoft 365 Apps
The most obvious distinction between Microsoft 365 apps and their associated Microsoft Office versions is that Microsoft 365 apps are subscription based instead of perpetually licensed. Also, traditionally licensed Office apps are allowed to be installed on just a single device and are not updated automatically or upgraded for free when a major version is released. As an example, moving from Office Word 2013 to Word 2019 requires that you buy a brand new copy of Word. Incremental updates to Office applications are provided Microsoft 365 subscribers sooner than to owners of perpetually licensed versions. Also, Office suites bought with a permanent license do not include any of the Azure-based services packaged with Microsoft 365.
Client applications offered with different Microsoft 365 subscription plans include:
Microsoft 365 Word includes the ability to create and view Office documents across Windows, Google Android, Mac, and iOS devices while presenting a consistent look and user experience. Users can also co-author Office documents, find out which colleagues are working on various shared projects, and see updates made by others as they happen. Just as with Microsoft 365 Excel and PowerPoint, you can instantly share without leaving your documents. Additionally, you can review who has permission to view or edit a given document and who is now working on the document. For your own documents, you can quickly change authoring rights. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Word consulting expertise.
Microsoft 365 Excel permits subscribers to use the industry-standard Exponential Smoothing algorithm to create forecasts for projecting trends based on past data. New linked data types that are tied to current online databases in real time include Stock and Geography. The Stock data type retrieves the current stock price, price change, and other equities information. The Geography data type allows you to select a country and retrieve current demographic or economic information like population or gas price. As with Microsoft 365 Word and PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 Excel also can handle Scalable Vector Graphics images. These can be turned, colored, and resized instantaneously with no deterioration in image quality. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Excel consulting expertise.
Microsoft 365 PowerPoint supports 3D models and provides an enhanced library of animation functions like jumping and turning. Like Microsoft Office Excel and Office Word, Microsoft 365 PowerPoint enables you to transform sketches into uniform shapes for charts, diagrams, and other objects. Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Mac includes the ability to embed and edit movies from inside PowerPoint. The Media Browser offers convenient access to a broad selection of sources including iPhoto albums, iTunes playlists, and iMovie collections as well as shapes, Clip Art, and other graphics.
Microsoft 365 Outlook provides significant enhancements to previous releases of the Outlook email and calendar app by adding features such as audio cues, transparent downloading of OneDrive attachments, visibility of responses to a meeting invitation for people who are not meeting organizers, simplified email sorting, plus easier group creation and calendar sharing. Additionally, Microsoft 365 Outlook users can hear their messages read audibly as the segments being read are visibly highlighted. Microsoft's Office intelligent services, when enabled, also allows Microsoft 365 Outlook clients to dictate emails. Microsoft 365 Outlook for Mac now supports push email, online archiving, the ability to propose an alternative meeting time in response to a meeting request, and multiple calendar display. Full Screen Mode allows multiple open emails and permits subscribers to run two Outlook instances in split-screen. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Outlook and Outlook on the web consulting expertise.
Microsoft 365 OneNote for Windows 10 is included in the majority of Microsoft 365 packages, installed by default in Windows 10, and offered for download as a free mobile app. The older OneNote 2016 version, which has some functions not initially provided in OneNote for Windows 10 such as Record Video, continues to be available for free but is no longer being updated. OneNote for Windows 10 introduces a fresh configurable interface consistent for Windows 10, Mac, iOS, Android, and Web. Other features available only on OneNote for Windows 10 include improved ink-to-text capability, a notification center that shows modifications in open and recently used notebooks, automatic transformation of drawings into standardized shapes, and a virtual ruler to draw straight lines and make measurements.
Microsoft 365 Access, available exclusively on Windows PCs, enables you to utilize Visual Basic for Applications and a rich set of templates to automate business operations and build modern-looking forms and reports. Microsoft 365 Access comes with the connector library to integrate data from a broad selection of leading business applications and data sources for generating aggregated reports from within the time-tested Access interface. The ability to store Access data in both SQL Server and Microsoft Azure SQL provides an enterprise-class back end plus SQL syntax for Access applications hosted either locally or in the Microsoft Azure cloud. Microsoft Access 365 now comes with an updated Linked Table Manager, allows you to add new charts and management reports, and enables you to link or import data from Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Learn about Progent's Microsoft 365 Access development and troubleshooting services.
Microsoft 365 Publisher, offered exclusively for PCs, is a leading user-friendly desktop publishing tool that takes advantage of the familiar Office interface to deliver an intuitive platform for developing and sharing modern-looking publications like datasheets and white papers that call for precise image placement. Since documents can be stored in the cloud, you can distribute a document as easily as providing a link. Publisher's wide use and ease of use allow you to meet deadlines on time-critical jobs without having to rely on the availability of a desktop publishing expert for implementing last-minute changes.
Microsoft 365 Cloud Services
Microsoft 365 cloud services permit organizations to take advantage of Microsoft's extensive cloud resources to host mission-critical servers like Microsoft Exchange, Teams and Skype for Business. This provides enterprise-class levels of reliability and protection while saving the substantial upfront costs and management hassle associated with deploying and supporting complex on-premises computer facilities. For situations that require some servers to be kept on-premises for compliance, throughput, or other issues, most Microsoft 365 server products can be deployed using hybrid network models that seamlessly combine local and cloud-based infrastructure.
Microsoft 365 Exchange Online provides email hosting and allows user mailbox capacity ranging from 50 GB to whatever you can afford. Important features include custom domain addresses (name@yourcompany.com), shareable calendars and contacts, a web version of Outlook, single-click archiving, and simple-to-create collaboration groups. The online Exchange admin center lets you manage email configurations for your company and gives you complete control over critical areas including permissions, security and compliance, mail flow, creating mailboxes and imposing limits, team work, contact lists, Unified Messaging, monitoring, and backup/recovery. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration and management expertise.
Microsoft 365 OneDrive is Microsoft's popular file synchronization and sharing platform. Microsoft 365 bundles usually come with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage, enabling you to save, retrieve, and share files across Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, or iOS and Android devices. By automatically syncing your files to your desktop, OneDrive allows you to edit documents even when you are offline. OneDrive facilitates sharing and collaboration, tracking all file updates to help avoid inconsistency issues. You can initiate a team project on any device and move seamlessly to another device at your convenience. For advanced collaboration, a variety of tools permit you to notate and highlight documents. Powerful search tools help you to locate files quickly, and tracking tools provide insights such as how many people saw or shared a file.
Microsoft 365 Skype for Business provides cloud-hosted IP voice, video, and conferencing. Online Plan 1 offers IM, real-time presence, VoIP, and HD video, plus Skype Connectivity. Online Plan 2 adds scheduled and on-demand conferencing with audio and video calling as well as screen and application sharing on Apple iOS and Google Android smartphones and tablets, PCs, and Mac computers. For hybrid environments that combine an on-premises Skype for Business Server with Skype for Business Online cloud services, you can deploy a seamless environment via a Split Domain implementation. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Skype for Business Online planning and configuration expertise.
Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online combines information management with intranet publishing to allow businesses to broadcast and share information and to promote teamwork. The SharePoint admin center has been enhanced with interactive usage analysis, Message Center posts, and a Service Health dashboard intended to simplify management. Also, you are able to link up-to-date SharePoint team sites to Microsoft 365 Groups, expanding SharePoint sites with shared discussions, calendar, and project planning. Features to support cloud coexistence now include hybrid taxonomy and auditing as well as an updated development architecture for creating SharePoint solutions locally, in hybrid deployments, and in Microsoft 365. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online integration and development services.
Microsoft Teams is the successor of Skype for Business, providing a single hub for meetings, contacts, and information with persistent threaded chat, file sharing, plus built-in IP voice and video conferencing. Microsoft has built the cloud infrastructure that hosts Teams to provide quicker conference join times than Skype for Business and to allow integration with Microsoft Cognitive Services like transcription, language translation, speech recognition, and AI. Progent's consultants can assist you to test Microsoft 365 Teams to evaluate the advantages of migrating to this next-generation communication platform. Find out about Progent's Microsoft Teams solution design consulting.
Microsoft 365 Yammer is a social network product designed to be used inside an organization and limited to clients who have an authorized company email address. Postings can include files, links, media, PowerPoint presentations, and SharePoint pages. The Discovery connection helps you find information relevant to your job or concerns as indicated based on groups you have joined, discussions you participate in, and people you interact with. You can find conversations, files, groups, followers, and other items associated with a given colleague. Group Insights inform you how activities like publishing, reading, and liking are trending historically. Notifications alert you about pertinent activity such as updates in your groups, input to your discussions, and new participants.
Microsoft 365 Power BI is a set of cloud services compatible with Microsoft 365 that enables businesses to create sharable dashboards and custom reports that provide up-to-date consolidated views into vital aspects of your business. Microsoft 365 Power BI dashboards can aggregate data from a broad array of internal and outside repositories like Excel, on-premises SQL Server Analysis Service, the Azure cloud, or popular databases such as Zendesk, Google Analytics and Salesforce. Dashboards and reports created by Power BI can be refreshed in real time via data streaming. You can store and share your visualizations in the cloud using Microsoft 365 OneDrive. Power BI Online mobile apps are available for Windows computers plus Apple iOS and Android smartphones. Find out about Progent's Microsoft 365 Power BI Online design and development expertise.
How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Microsoft 365 Integration
For businesses looking for fast remote help from a high-level Microsoft 365 integration expert, Progent can provide a full range of support services including system design, deployment, debugging, software development, administration, and training. Progent's Microsoft-certified support consultants, Cisco-certified infrastructure experts, macOS and OS X integration support professionals, iOS technology consultants and Android smartphone integration experts can help you to enhance your information system with Microsoft 365 applications and services.
Progent's ProSight family of Remote Management and Monitoring Services
Progent offers a family of low-cost, fixed-price services intended to allow small and medium-size businesses to benefit from the same advanced technology deployed by many of the industry's leading corporations. The ProSight series of IT management outsourcing services addresses all critical aspects of modern networking such as email protection, security and compliance, automated backup/recovery, network infrastructure health monitoring, VM hosting, and IT resources documentation management. Learn more about Progent's remote management and monitoring (RMM) services.
Contact Progent for Microsoft 365 Expertise
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Public Cloud Integration Solutions from Progent
The choices offered for public cloud services are expanding rapidly, making it difficult for information system managers to select the best cloud strategy for their organization. Progent has worked extensively assisting businesses ranging from startups to large enterprises to plan, implement, and maintain hybrid environments that integrate multiple cloud services from leading public clouds. Progent's cloud integration experts can assist you to understand the relative benefits and shortcomings of different public cloud options and can show you how to build a cloud-based or hybrid network that delivers maximum business value.
Public cloud products and services supported by Progent include:
Progent's Microsoft Azure planning and integration experts can help you with every phase of Microsoft Azure integration including requirements definition, prerequisites evaluation, solution design, pre-production testing, deployment, centralized management, performance optimization, license management, disaster recovery strategies, security policy enforcement, and compliance assessment. Progent can help you to configure and troubleshoot firewall appliances and VPN connections so your clients can securely access to Azure-based services, and Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can assist you integrate critical Microsoft platforms to work in the cloud including Microsoft Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server and SharePoint. Progent can also help your organization to create a hybrid environment that transparently combines physical datacenters with Azure services.
Microsoft has made a strong effort to enable seamless hybrid environments that combine Microsoft 365 Exchange Online and local Exchange deployments. This allows you to have certain mailboxes located on your on-premises datacenter or private cloud and other mailboxes hosted by Microsoft 365. Progent's certified Exchange consulting team can assist you with any facet of designing, implementing and debugging your hybrid Exchange solution. Progent's Exchange specialists can provide as-needed expertise to help you through stubborn technical bottlenecks and also can provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to make sure your hybrid Exchange initiative is successfully completed on schedule and on budget. To learn more about Progent's consulting expertise for integrating Microsoft 365 Exchange and on-prem Exchange environments, refer to Exchange Online integration solutions with on-premises Exchange.
Progent's Amazon Web Services (AWS) planning and integration consultants can provide affordable online consulting to help businesses of any size to integrate Amazon AWS cloud services including Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) for virtual server hosting, Amazon S3 for scalable high-performance storage, and Amazon Glacier for value-priced long-term archiving. Progent can assist you with every aspect of Amazon AWS integration including needs analysis, preparedness evaluation, system design and review, testing, configuration, centralized administration, performance optimization, licensing management, backup/restore mechanisms, and security strategies. Progent offers advanced expertise with firewall configuration and VPN connections and can show you how to deploy cloud-based or hybrid ecosystems that seamlessly incorporate Amazon AWS services. Progent offers as-needed support or Progent can deliver comprehensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing services to help you move efficiently to the Amazon AWS cloud.
Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) is a collection of APIs that allows Amazon sellers to streamline their operations by automating crucial sales activities such as listings, orders, shipments, fulfillment, and finances. By tapping into Amazon's extensive online ecosystem and automating their sales, merchants can broaden their reach, reduce their operating costs, accelerate reaction time to customers, and add to their bottom line. Progent's Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) consultants can work with your development team and provide application programming, workflow integration, project management support, and training to help you cut development time and costs and get to market quickly.
Progent's Google Cloud Platform integration consultants offer affordable online and onsite support to help organizations of any size to migrate any part of their core IT infrastructure to Google Cloud Platform services. This can save management hassle and equipment expense and enable the use of Google's cutting edge machine learning tools. Progent can assist you with every phase of Google Cloud Platform migration and troubleshooting including requirements analysis, readiness assessment, architectural design and review, testing, deployment, centralized administration, performance optimization, software license management, disaster recovery mechanisms, and security strategies.