Selecting the right Microsoft 365 plan is like finding the perfect recipe for your team’s success, do you need a straightforward solution like Basic, or a feature-packed powerhouse like Premium? Whether you’re a budding startup or a growing enterprise, we’ll guide you through the options to help meet your business needs.
What Is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365, is an advanced suite of productivity tools offering more than just Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
It introduces a subscription-based model and integrates desktop apps with online services, including cloud storage, business-class email, and secure communication tools. With its exceptional security and productivity-enhancing features, Microsoft 365 is designed to help businesses thrive.
Microsoft 365 Solutions
Microsoft 365 solutions are available in four main categories: Home, Business, Enterprise, and Education. Here, we focus on the Home, Business, and Enterprise versions to help you identify the ideal solution for your organisation.
Home
The Home version caters to individual users and comes in three packages: Family, Personal, and Home & Student 2019. While all include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the Family and Personal packages offer additional features like OneNote, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneDrive, and Skype.
Business
Microsoft 365 for Business offers robust tools to streamline operations, improve collaboration, and secure sensitive information. It is available in three packages:
- Business Basic: For businesses needing cloud-based apps and services.
- Web and mobile Office apps
- 50GB email storage with custom domain
- Microsoft Teams for meetings and video calls
- 1TB OneDrive cloud storage
- Business Standard: Adds desktop apps and advanced features.
- Fully installed Office apps for up to five devices
- Workflow automation via Power Automate
- Enhanced collaboration with Teams and SharePoint
- Business Premium: Focuses on security and cross-device usage.
- Advanced threat protection
- Data encryption via Azure Information Protection
- Secure device management
Enterprise
Enterprise solutions deliver scalable productivity tools and advanced analytics to support large organisations. The three available plans—E3, E5, and F3—offer a wide range of features:
- E3: Desktop apps, advanced compliance, and information protection.
- E5: Enhanced security, analytics, and compliance.
- F3: For frontline workers needing lightweight tools.
How to Choose the Right Solution
When choosing the Microsoft 365 solution for your business, you must choose the correct one to support productivity, collaborative work, and security. Here’s a concise guide to help you make an informed decision:
1. Assess Your Business Needs:
- Size and Structure: Determine the number of users and the complexity of your organisational hierarchy.
- Work Environment: Consider if your team operates remotely, on-site, or in a hybrid model.
- Technical Requirements: Identify necessary applications, storage needs, and security measures.
2. Explore Microsoft 365 Business Plans:
- Business Basic: Ideal for businesses that require cloud services and web-based applications.
- Includes web and mobile versions of Office apps, professional email, 1 TB of cloud storage, and Microsoft Teams for communication.
- Business Standard: Suitable for businesses needing full desktop applications along with cloud services.
- Offers all features of Business Basic plus desktop versions of Office apps, business email, and additional tools to manage and grow your business.
- Business Premium: Designed for businesses requiring advanced security and device management.
- Includes all features of Business Standard, along with advanced cyber threat protection, device management, and secure access controls.
3. Explore Microsoft 365 Business Payment Plans
Microsoft offers two plans when it comes to payment i.e. monthly payment plan and annual payment plan.
The monthly payment plan is as follows
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic is $7.20 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $15.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium is $26.40 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Business is $9.90 per user/month.
The annual payment plan is as follows
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic is $6.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $12.50 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium is $22.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Business is $8.25 per user/month, Save 16% when you pay annually
4. Consider Future Growth:
- Select a plan that can scale with your business expansion.
- Ensure the plan supports adding more users and offers flexibility to upgrade features as needed.
5. Consult with IT Professionals:
- Engage with IT experts to align your choice with technical requirements and industry best practices.
By carefully evaluating your business needs and comparing the features of each Microsoft 365 plan, you can select a solution that best fits your organization’s objectives and budget
Need Help Deciding?
At Mace IT Solutions, we understand that selecting the right Microsoft 365 plan can be overwhelming. Our experts are here to help you assess your business needs and implement the most cost-effective solution.Explore our Microsoft 365 services or contact us to learn how we can assist you in leveraging Microsoft 365 for maximum productivity and security.