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How to Choose the Right Microsoft 365 License for your business : A Comprehensive Guide
Harness the full potential of Microsoft 365. Enhance your business's resilience and growth, larger mailboxes and advances security measures.
Why is choosing the right Microsoft license so crucial?
It’s not just about having a subscription; it’s about leveraging every feature to drive your business forward.
In our blog we discover practical insights and best practices to configure your Microsoft 365 environment for top-notch security and efficiency.
Boost your business’s resilience and growth with larger mailboxes, advanced security measures like Conditional Access in Azure Active Directory, and more. Each upgrade delivers real benefits, protecting your data and streamlining operations.
Read on to uncover the full potential of your subscription, and propel your business into a future with enhanced productivity.
What license should I choose for my business ?
Wondering which Microsoft 365 license is right for your business?
Choosing between packages offers distinct advantages which you can tailor to your company’s needs.
Whether you prioritise streamlined workflows or advanced collaboration tools, each option equips your team to work seamlessly from any location.
Lets discover a little more about the Basic, Standard and Premium packages and how selecting the ideal license can optimise efficiency and empower your workforce to achieve more.
Microsoft 365 Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Provides essential tools at a budget-friendly price, making it ideal for small businesses.
- Get a professional email experience with a 50 GB mailbox per user.
- Seamlessly schedule and manage meetings with shared calendars.
- Access to web-based and mobile versions of Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, ensuring productivity on the go.
- Collaborate in real-time with chat, video conferencing, and file sharing capabilities.
- 1 TB of cloud storage per user for file storage and sharing, accessible from anywhere.
- Store, share, and collaborate on documents with robust security measures.
- The latest desktop versions of Microsoft 365 apps: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote (plus Access and Publisher for PC only). You’ll get access to the web versions as well.
- 1 TB of cloud storage to store and share files.
- A hub for teamwork and online meetings with Microsoft Teams.
- Automatic updates to your apps with the latest features and capabilities.
- Custom email domain with a 50GB mailbox.
- Facilitate online meetings and video calls for up to 300 users and create a hub for teamwork using Microsoft Teams.
- Manage appointments with Bookings and manage projects with Forms, Lists, and Planner.
- Limited device management capabilities.
- Basic compliance tools, basic threat protection and no advanced identity protection.
Includes everything that Business Standard has, but also gives you enterprise-level security.
- Enhanced compliance solutions and Azure Active Directory Premium for better identity protection.
- Advanced threat analytics and proactive threat investigation.
- Adds advanced apps and services, including Microsoft Defender and Azure Information Protection.
- Includes full Intune integration for comprehensive device and app management.
- Offers advanced security options, including Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Conditional Access, and Intune for mobile device management.
- Control access to sensitive information using encryption to help keep data from being accidentally shared.
- Secure devices that connect to your data and help keep iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS devices safe and up to date.
Can I use a home or family edition for my business ?
Microsoft 365 Personal
Microsoft 365 Family
While Microsoft’s 365 Personal and Family Editions might seem like a cost-effective option, it lacks the robust features and support needed for a professional environment.
Home edition does not to scale with your business. Adding new users or services can be cumbersome and limited.
1 User
6 Users
300 Users
Microsoft 365 Home Edition does not offer the advanced file sharing and collaboration features available in business plans. This limits the ability to share documents, spreadsheets, and other files securely and efficiently within a team or across the organization, hindering productivity and collaboration.
The Home edition lacks integration capabilities with other business systems (e.g., CRM, ERP). Business editions are designed to integrate with these systems, ensuring smoother workflows and better productivity.
The Home edition lacks advanced security features such as data loss prevention, information protection, and advanced threat analytics which are crucial for protecting business data.
Microsoft 365 Home Edition does not support joining a business domain. This means that it lacks the capability to integrate with a company’s Active Directory, which is essential for centralized management, security policies, and access control within an organizational network.
Business-specific tools and features, such as Microsoft Teams with business functionalities, advanced email hosting with custom domain support, and business analytics tools, are not available in the Home edition.
Cannot handle multiple users with varying permissions and roles, no management capabilities.
IT administrators need advanced management and deployment tools available in Microsoft 365 Business plans, like Microsoft Intune and Group Policy management, to efficiently manage and secure business environments.
Collaboration tools in the Home edition are minimal, lacking the robust features needed for effective teamwork in a business environment. Shared calendars, advanced file sharing, and team communication tools are either limited or absent.
What do you recommend ?
Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the ultimate solution tailored for SMBs seeking comprehensive tools to propel their operations forward.
This package builds upon the foundation of Business Standard by integrating advanced security features and device management capabilities like Microsoft Intune and Azure Information Protection.
It’s more than just a subscription; it’s a strategic investment in empowering your business with enhanced security protocols and streamlined management solutions.
With Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you can confidently navigate the complexities of modern business environments, ensuring your data and devices are safeguarded while fostering a dynamic, efficient workplace.
Explore the full range of Microsoft 365 Business licenses to find the perfect fit for your business needs and unlock even more powerful features and tools.
What are benefits of upgrading my Microsoft 365 license ?
Upgrading to Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers a wide range of benefits for businesses including unmatched benefits in productivity, collaboration, security, and streamlined management. Here are some key advantages of making the upgrade:
Endpoint Detection & Response
Cybersecurity solution that monitors and responds to threats on computers and mobile devices in real-time.
Enhanced ASR
Minimise potential entry points from cyber attacks by enforcing stricter controls and rules on how software behaves and interacts within a system.
Tamper Protection
Prevents unauthorised changes to security settings and configurations.
Threat Analysis
Identify, evaluate, and prioritise security threats to your assets, support development of defensive strategies and risk management.
Vulnerability Management
Identify, assess, and address security vulnerabilities in your systems and software to reduce the risk of cyber threats.
Web Content Filtering
Controls access to specific websites and online content, helping to block harmful or inappropriate material and protect network integrity.
Application Management
Allows organisations to securely deploy, manage, and monitor applications across devices while ensuring compliance with company policies.
Device Management
Configure, secure, and oversee devices, ensuring they meet corporate policies and compliance requirements.
Endpoint Analytics
Prevents unauthorised changes to security settings and configurations.
Application Control
Restricts which applications can run on a system, helping to prevent unauthorised or malicious software from executing.
Domain Join
Connect a computer to a network domain, allowing it to be centrally managed and authenticated by a domain controller.
Windows Conditional Access
Enforces access policies based on user, device, location, and risk factors to ensure secure and compliant access to resources.
Includes the latest Microsoft Office apps for seamless work across devices.
Includes the latest Microsoft Office apps for seamless work across devices.
Microsoft Teams enables real-time collaboration and virtual meetings.
OneDrive for Business ensures secure access and sharing.
Exchange Online offers a professional email platform with built-in security.
Includes data loss prevention, encryption, and multi-factor authentication.
Software updates are automatically applied for system security.
Includes SharePoint, OneNote, and Planner for various business needs.
Unified licensing covers productivity, collaboration, and security.
Easily add or remove users as your business grows.
Facilitates seamless remote collaboration and communication.
Custom domain names enhance brand identity.
Upgrade today to empower your team and streamline your operations with Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
Ready to supercharge your productivity ?
Here are some awesome hacks and features that’ll help you get the most out of your Microsoft 365 subscription:
Ever felt lost in the sea of tools? Just look for “Tell me what you want to do…” at the top of apps like Word and Excel. It’s like having a personal assistant at your fingertips, ready to guide you through any task.
Activate Clutter in Outlook to automatically sort less important emails into a separate folder, so you can focus on what matters.
Just like hitting mute on a noisy chat thread, Outlook’s “Ignore Conversation” feature lets you silence unneeded email chains and stay focused.
Exchange Online offers a professional email platSay goodbye to scattered notes! With OneNote, you can keep everything in one place—notes, to-do lists, you name it. Access them from anywhere, anytime.
Capture whiteboards, receipts, or any paper notes with Office Lens. It turns snapshots into digital notes, saving you from manual transcribing.
Curious about something you’re writing? Highlight it and use Smart Lookup to get instant insights from the web without leaving your document.
SCollaborate seamlessly in Word with co-authoring. Save your documents on OneDrive or SharePoint, share them with teammates, and watch your ideas come together.
Keep your SharePoint organized with custom views. Filter documents by region, priority, or any criteria you choose for easier navigation
Use SharePoint’s Share+ feature to send shareable links instead of bulky attachments, keeping your inbox clutter-free.
Make your presentations pop with Sway’s templates and design tools. Start with an outline and transform it into a stunning slideshow in no time.
Skip the print-and-scan hassle. DocuSign lets you digitally sign documents directly in Word or Outlook, saving time and trees.
Create Office 365 Groups to streamline communication and collaboration. Share calendars, exchange files, and chat effortlessly with your team.
How do I upgrade to Microsoft 365 Business license ?
Upgrading your Microsoft 365 Business license is simple.
Making the most of it? That requires specialist’s expertise.
That’s where we come in. Our specialists are here to help you harness all the features Microsoft 365 Business licenses has to offer.
Let’s embark on this transformative journey together—because with the right Microsoft 365 Business strategy, your business can achieve remarkable growth and efficiency.
Contact us today to unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 Business subscription and take your business to the next level.
or find out more click here for an enquiry today.
