Why Microsoft Office 365 adoption keeps rising
In the fast paced digital world we inhabit, there are a million different programs and apps vying for our attention. In fact, our time is so taxed these days that the market for apps that help you organize your life, manage your business, and otherwise help you keep your head from falling from your shoulders is booming.
Office 365 is a perfect example of a collection of cloud-based programs on offer to both the layperson and businesses, intent on helping people stave off chaos. It can be hard to whittle down just what program suits you and your business’s needs (that’s why handy sites like ITProPortal help with some of the heavy lifting), but Office 365 is looking to create further separation over the competition with every new iteration.
What you need to consider before adopting Microsoft Office 365
The cloud-based office productivity software market is expected to reach $17 billion in 2016. That’s more than a 400 percent increase from 2009 when the market was valued at $3.3 billion.
With the success of cloud-based applications and their pay-as-you-go model, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cloud version of one of the most widely used desktop application packages would grow to become a popular choice for businesses. I’m of course referring to Office 365, Microsoft’s leading productivity and work software package delivered via the cloud.
Microsoft will roll out Dynamics 365 in November
Microsoft's new Azure-hosted, combined CRM and ERP service, Dynamics 365 will begin its rollout on November 1 and the company will show off some of the features of its new service in a live-streamed event this week.
In July, the company announced its plans for Dynamics 365 and began to inform its reseller partners regarding what the service would offer. At that time it was revealed that Dynamics 365 would be a combination and redesign of the capabilities of Dynamics CRM, Dynamics AX and Project Madeira which is now known to be a new small-business software as a service based on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform.
Microsoft adds guest access to Office 365
Microsoft keeps adding new features to its Office 365 suite, and now it has made easier for people outside a group to collaborate on files. A new feature, for Office 365 groups, allows people who aren't staff members, or members of a particular group, to join in and collaborate.
Group owners can now use the web version of Outlook to invite non-staff members in.
Microsoft opens UK datacenters for Office 365 and Azure
Microsoft has announced that local datacenters are now available in the UK to Office 365 and Azure customers. This enables companies dealing with UK-only customers to ensure that data remains within the country and fully complies with data protection and privacy laws.
Describing itself as the "first global cloud productivity provider" to offer UK residency for data, Microsoft says Azure and Office 365 are now generally available from multiple data center locations in the UK. It has already attracted the custom of the Ministry of Defence.
Microsoft buys Genee to bolster Office 365 intelligence
If you are running a business (regardless of size), a certain tool can help you to achieve success -- Microsoft Office. True, there are free solutions, such as LibreOffice, but they simply don't compare. When you use Office with Microsoft's other solutions, such as SharePoint, everything just works together in a brilliant way. Office 365 in particular is such a great value for both home and business.
Today, Microsoft announces it is acquiring a company called 'Genee'. This is an acquisition which will make Office 365 even better. How? With a major focus on intelligence, it can help employees to work smarter, not harder.
Facebook's 13,000 employees will use Microsoft Office 365
Facebook has signed a deal with Microsoft to use some of the software giant’s cloud-based productivity tools.
Facebook’s 13,000 employees will use some of Microsoft's Office 365 services, such as email and calendar, while other services, like Skype for Business or Yammer, will not be used as directly compete with Facebook’s own.
Microsoft launches AppSource and Dynamics 365 enterprise apps
Microsoft has introduced new business apps and services aimed to be intuitive, deliver helpful assistance, and improve the lives of their users. The new offerings are called Dynamics 365 and AppSource.
Dynamics 365, available this fall, will unify the current CRM and ERP solutions into a single cloud service, with new apps to better manage specific business functions. Power BI and Cortana Intelligence are also integrated, to offer customers predictive analytics and prescriptive advice. Dynamics 365 will be deeply integrated with Office 365.
Microsoft introduces project management tool for Office 365
To help its users stay on task and manage their assignments more easily, Microsoft has just launched a new project management tool for teams using Office 365 called Planner.
The company initially released a preview of its new tool in December 2015 and now it will begin rolling it out worldwide to all Office 365 users including those using Office 365 Enterprise E1-E5, Business Essentials, Premium and even its Education subscription plan.
Microsoft takes just 7 hours to patch colossal Office 365 vulnerability that exposed companies' data
Companies are often criticized for the length of time it takes them to patch security problems found in software. But this week Microsoft exceled itself, taking just 7 hours to patch a serious security hole in Office 365 that made it possible to gain unrestricted access to businesses' cloud accounts.
A problem with the SAML authentication system meant that it was possible to gain access to just about any Office 365 account, including accessing connected services like Outlook, OneDrive and Skype for Business. More than this, the exploit allowed an attacker to infiltrate companies and organizations such as Verizon, Georgia State University and British Airways who use Office 365. The researchers who unearthed the issue have praised Microsoft for dealing with it so quickly.
Google's Single Sign On adds support for Microsoft Office 365, Facebook at Work, Slack and more
Besides being the super poplar search engine, email provider, work and collaboration services provider, Google is also used, by a number of different services, as an identity provider.
It allows people to register and log into different online services using their Google account. Now, the company announced it’s expanding the feature to add a number of new services, some of which are direct competitors.
Microsoft wants to make Windows 10 and Office 365 more accessible
Making its products accessible to as many people as possible is clearly in Microsoft's best interests. Today the company outlined how it plans to improve accessibility in Windows 10 and Office 365, setting out a roadmap built on three key principles.
Transparency, accountability and being inclusive will be the company's cornerstones for 2016. Microsoft wants to "to think about all of our customers and all of the ways we can empower them with technology". But what does this actually mean.
Microsoft opens up FastTrack to more SMBs to sweeten the Office 365 deal
Microsoft today unveiled a measure designed to attract more SMBs to Office 365. The new scheme sees Microsoft's FastTrack customer service operation expanding so that it is now available to organizations with as few as 50 users; the previous minimum was 150 seats.
Microsoft says that many SMBs who have opted to use Google's App instead reach a "breaking point" when they hit 50 users. The company aims to capitalize on this by offering enterprise-grade services to businesses that would otherwise not be able to take advantage of features such as centralized management capabilities.
Microsoft offers free Office 365 subscription to Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL users
If you are looking for another reason to purchase one of Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile flagships, the software giant has just announced that it is now offering a free, one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal to Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL users.
The offer cannot only be redeemed by new customers, but also by existing users. There is one caveat though: it only applies to users in a select number of markets. Here is what you need to know.
Microsoft Office 365 now offers a project management app
Microsoft has announced the release of a preview and testing version of its new lightweight project management application -- Planner.
The application -- originally codenamed Highlander -- was released for initial evaluation to those customers who have one of the following Microsoft licenses:
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