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Microsoft 365 for Businesses

Gone are the days when you have to buy the latest Microsoft Office software to access upgrades. Microsoft 365 for Businesses is a comprehensive cloud-based suite of collaboration tools that your business can access and benefit from with in-built upgrades, streamlining your day-to-day operations. 

What Is Included In The Microsoft 365 For Businesses Package?  

Beyond popular Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook, Microsoft 365 Business comes with many less-known collaboration, communication and management tools that will empower your business to enhance productivity, streamline operations and provide advanced insights in one integrated, familiar ecosystem.  

Tools in Microsoft 365 

  • Outlook 
  • Word 
  • Excel 
  • PowerPoint 
  • OneDrive 
  • Teams 
  • OneNote 
  • Tasks 
  • SharePoint 
  • Planner 
  • Forms 
  • People 
  • Power BI 
  • Power Apps 
  • Project 
  • Stream  
  • Sway 
  • To Do 
  • Power Virtual Agents 
  • Publisher 
  • Lists 
  • Bookings 
  • Loop 
  • Delve  

Pricing Model 

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic: £4.90 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    Includes web and mobile versions of Office apps, 1TB of cloud storage, and Teams calls for up to 300 attendees. It also comes with email, standard security and support.   
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard: £10.30 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    Provides full web, mobile and desktop versions of Office apps, Outlook, SharePoint, Exchange and the PC-Only Access. It has the capacity to host webinars in Teams, with attendee registration and reporting tools. It also comes with 1TB of cloud-storage, business-class email, standard security and anytime phone and web support.   
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium: £18.10 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    Offers full web, mobile and desktop versions of Office apps, Outlook, SharePoint, Exchange and Access (PC-Only). It also has Advanced Teams functions and features, with webinar hosting and attendee registration and reporting tools. It includes 1TB of cloud storage, business-class email, advanced security, access and data control and cyber threat protection.   
  • Microsoft 365 Apps for Business: £8.60 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    Focusing on apps more than teams, this comes with desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as OneDrive, and PC-Only Publisher and Access apps. Plus 1TB of cloud storage, standard security and anytime support. However, this package excluded chat, meeting and calling. 

Cost Benefits of Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers significant cost benefits for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by providing enterprise-level security at a fraction of the cost. With features like advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and mobile device management, businesses can safeguard their sensitive information without the hefty price tag typically associated with enterprise solutions.

This comprehensive cyber security suite not only enhances protection against cyber threats but also ensures compliance with industry regulations, allowing SMBs to operate confidently and focus on growth. By integrating productivity tools with robust security measures, Microsoft 365 Business Premium empowers businesses to thrive in a digital landscape while keeping costs manageable.

Enterprise packages 

  • Microsoft 365 E3: £33.10 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    Includes web and desktop versions of Office apps, plus Teams, Outlook, Exchange, SharePoint, OneNote, OneDrive, Stream, Bookings, Lists, Forms, Sway, Planner, To Do, PC-only Publisher and Access, Viva Engage, Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Visio, Power Automate, Power Apps and Power Virtual Agents. It also comes with Windows for Enterprise, advanced Teams functions including file sharing within workspaces, 1TB of cloud storage, core security and identity management capabilities.   
  • Microsoft 365 E5: £52.40 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    On top of everything the Microsoft 365 E3 offers, the E5 also includes advanced Teams functions including file sharing within workspaces and audio conferencing for up to 1,000 attendees. It also has 1TB of cloud storage, scalable business analytics with Power BI Pro, and advanced security, identity management and compliance capabilities.   
  • Microsoft 365 F3: £6.60 per user/month + VAT (annual commitment)
    The most economical of the three, this comes with web and mobile versions of Microsoft 365 apps, plus Windows for Enterprise, Teams, Outlook, Exchange, SharePoint, OneNote, OneDrive, Stream, Bookings, Lists, Forms, Sway, Planner, To Do, Viva Connections, Viva Engage, Visio, Power Apps, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents. It also includes standard security capabilities.  

As a Microsoft Partner, BCN has demonstrated expertise in delivering leading technology solutions. By partnering with us, you will work with experts who are able to help you select the right business plan for your business needs whilst ensuring you get the most value from it.  

How Microsoft 365 Improves Day-To-Day Business Operations 

As a comprehensive suite of productivity and collaboration tools, Microsoft 365 has many applications that will significantly enhance your day-to-day business operations.  

Streamlined Communication  

Communication in your organisation can take place easily and efficiently. In Outlook, the email and calendar application for Microsoft 365, it comes with features such as task management, contacts, enabling employees to schedule meetings and set reminders all in one platform. This further simplifies the communication process in your company. In addition, there are powerful search and filtering capabilities to manage emails efficiently.  

Microsoft Teams is the application used for real-time communication, video conferencing, file sharing and collaboration on documents. It also comes with features from Skype for Business, supporting video and voice calls both internally and externally from partner companies or customers.  

Real-time Collaboration  

Since everything is stored on the Microsoft 365 application, OneDrive, it enables multiple users to work on the same document at the same time. This reduces the need to download documents before sharing them. Users can also access files from any device, and since it syncs files offline, it is still possible to view them when there is no internet connection.  

The auto-sync function is crucial for file recovery. As Microsoft 365 automatically tracks versions of documents, there is a decreased likelihood of accidental loss of important work.  

Increased Productivity 

Power Automate is an application that allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks and create workflows between apps and services. This can look like a workflow sending a reminder automatically when a task is approaching its due date or automatically routing documents for approval.  

Other applications such as Planner, Excel, Power BI and Power Apps are all under the umbrella that help with productivity. Planner helps teams organise their work by creating boards, assigning tasks, setting due dates and tracking progress visually. This makes project management more efficient.  

Excel and Power BI are powerful tools for data analysis as they come with advanced functions, pivot tables and data visualisation tools. Power BI goes a step further to provide business intelligence tools that visualise and share insights from data across the organisation. Power Apps is a tool that builds custom apps without the need for extensive coding, allowing businesses to create mobile applications easily, fuss-free.  

Data Protection and Compliance  

Microsoft 365 comes with enterprise-level security features like multi-factor authentication (MFA), data encryption, and threat protection. These security layers help protect sensitive business data from unauthorised access or cyber-attacks.  

There are also built-in compliance features such as data loss prevention (DLP), eDiscovery, and auditing tools, which can help businesses meet regulatory requirements by managing, protecting and storing data securely. Microsoft Azure has one of the broadest compliance portfolios in the industry, with certifications for various regulatory frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, SOC 1/2/3, FedRAMP, and more.  

Cost Efficiency 

As Microsoft 365 is hosted in the cloud, there is no need to invest in on-premises infrastructure such as servers, data centers, or on-site hardware to support the software. This reduces costs related to hardware maintenance, energy consumption and IT staff. Furthermore, as Microsoft 365 works on a subscription basis, paying per-user, per-month, this allows your business to manage cash flow easily and reduce capital expenditures, as compared to spending large, one-time software licensing fees.  

If your organisation is currently using certain Microsoft tools, the leap towards Microsoft 365 Business will not be a huge change as it seamlessly integrates with your existing platforms. This reduces the costs needed to purchase and maintain separate software solutions. There is also no need to pay for upgrades as the cloud-based Microsoft 365 installs software updates automatically, providing the latest version of the platform to your business at no cost.  

Core Elements of Azure Offering 

Alongside Microsoft 365 for Businesses, there is Managed Azure Services – Microsoft’s cloud computing platform that provides a variety of services such as virtual machines, databases and analytics. Through Azure, businesses can build infrastructure, develop, deploy and run applications, manage identity and set up reliable back-up and disaster recovery options and more.  

Microsoft Azure is a long-term solution that provides a secure, future-proofed infrastructure and hosting platform, driving you to meet your strategic business goals. BCN has been helping businesses of all sizes migrate to the Azure platform, demonstrating our expertise in the market. As a Solutions Partner for Azure Infrastructure with a key Azure specialisation, we aspire to become an important part of your teams and an overall asset to your organisation.  

Why BCN 

At BCN, we have a long-standing Microsoft Partnership and are one of the UK’s leading Microsoft Solutions Partners. This means that we are an accredited provider of Microsoft technology, offering leading solutions and services across the Microsoft stack. With 6 specialisations, 1,600 customers, more than 450 members of staff and a client retention rate of 98%, these accolades demonstrate how we can be your trusted IT solutions team.  

Our expertise is in delivering leading technology solutions by harnessing Microsoft products and services. By working with us, you are choosing to work with our team of world-class certified professionals with access to the latest tools, resources and technology. Beyond that, we can tailor Microsoft solutions to meet your business needs.  

Reach out to us to find out how BCN can enhance your business productivity and efficiency today.

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