This is my last part of my 10 Myths About Microsoft Office 365 Debunked Series, Part III. You can see Part I, here and Part II, here.
As I had mentioned before, most clients agree they need flexibility and want the cost savings that come when moving to the cloud. As a Microsoft Certified CSP (Cloud Solutions Provider) Partner, KTL Solutions has these types of conversations with our customers every day. One of the key Cloud Solutions that our customers are exploring is Office 365. We have found an overwhelming amount of incorrect information and myths that exist about moving to Office 365. I want to finish debunking these top 10 myths continuing on with Myth 8:
MYTH 8: Skype and Skype for Business are the same.
FACT: Skype for Business is your link to hosting productive meetings, not just phone calls.
The version of Skype you use at home is great for a small number of users and is free unless you want to make calls to landlines and mobiles.
Alternatively, Skype for Business lets you add up to 250 people to online meetings, gives you enterprise-grade security, allows you to manage employee accounts, and is integrated into your Office applications. With the use of Skype Meeting Broadcast, you can host virtual meetings connecting up to 10,000 participants.
Skype for Business integrates with Office 365, boosting productivity by letting people connect on their terms. Employees can make and receive calls, give presentations, and attend meetings on one application.
For example, employees can:
- Instantly see when someone is busy or available.
- Start an instant messaging session by double-clicking a contact name.
- Share a desktop during a meeting.
- Invite outside partners to join a meeting via a full-feature Web-conferencing experience.
- Integrate video through a webcam for a call or a conference.
With Skype for Business, you don’t need to have a dedicated administrator to be able to run servers or invest in additional infrastructure. We take care of it all for you. As a part of Office 365, Skype for Business offers users new features, upgrades, and patches as soon as they are ready.
MYTH 9: Email isn’t any simpler in the cloud.
FACT: With automatic updates, you don’t have to worry about email downtime.
When you move your business’ email to the cloud, you can rest easy knowing that the experts who created the software are taking care of the maintenance and updates. Your IT team no longer needs to worry about installing updates and can focus on bigger IT needs. Software updates and fixes are delivered automatically as soon as they are released. However, your IT team can always pause these updates or control when they happen through the Exchange Admin Center.
MYTH 10: Continuously updating Office 365 will break my critical business applications.
FACT: Office 365 updates won’t negatively impact your existing applications.
We know that a lot rides on your employees’ ability to use business-critical apps and add-ins with Office. Microsoft is committed to Office 365 compatibility with the tools you use every day. Here’s how they do that:
- Offer the same worldwide standard of desktop applications with the familiar tools you know and love, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Work hard to ensure that even as they update Office on a regular basis in the cloud, the updates do not impact other software applications. For example, for the past 24 months, monthly Office 365 releases have not resulted in object model or API changes. If your business-critical solutions work with Office 2010 or Office 2016 today, it is likely they will work with Office 365.
- Collaborate closely with leading software vendors and provide them tools and early access to ensure that their Office-compatible solutions continue to work with Office 365.
- Provide customers with guidance and best practices for update management and development to help you avoid compatibility issues.
Ok, we have covered a lot of information and DEBUNKED 10 Common Myths about Office 365 over this Three-Part series. The fact is your IT team is busy managing disconnected systems, applications, and data with inflexible and slow systems. They take flak from employees and partners demanding access to the corporate network, as well as new tools. It’s hard to squeeze in even a few minutes to keep up with new products and evaluate everything you hear.
Now that you have a better understanding of the productivity and collaboration that Office 365 provides let us help you streamline the process. Feel free to share this with colleagues who need help separating fact from fiction when it comes to Office 365 in the cloud. It’s good to be on the same page, and you’ll save time by not having to argue about these myths.
Interested in learning more about Office 365? Contact me at SReid@KTLSolutions.com .
STEPHEN REID | Account Manager
Stephen Reid is a business development representative at KTL Solutions, a full technology consulting firm. Steve will work with new and existing clients to identify areas where they can better utilize technology to improve processes and increase efficiencies in their organizations.
As a consistently top-performing sales executive, Steve has built a successful career around his ability to assess and anticipate customer needs, identify unique alternatives, and develop and implement long-term solutions. Throughout his more than 25 years of B2B strategic sales and marketing leadership, Steve maintains a genuine commitment to ongoing client service and satisfaction which has allowed him to grow strong, sustainable partnerships.
