Is Subscription Based Software the way of the future?

After Office 365's very shaky introduction into the market worldwide, the promises surrounding the possible advantages of Subscription Based Software seemed like a veritable pipe-dream. But has the most recent release of Office 365 succeeded in overturning the negative experiences of the past? Has Microsoft learned from its mistakes?

[Wayne Jones] If you're feeling somewhat lukewarm about the new Office 365, you're not alone.
Marred by unhappy customer experiences, arising from inconsistent access from repeated outages and ineffectual spam filtering, Office 365 although a great idea in principle, has remained for many, too much of a risk to comfortably migrate from existing on-premise MS Office software products.

Till now that is.

Microsoft have had no option but to keep their ears to the ground and in doing so, have taken heed of the virtually endless complaints from its early adopters of the Office 365 concept. In February this year, Microsoft released a vastly improved version of what can now be safely considered a 'cutting edge' subscription based software service.

Are we convinced that this version and all future versions will offer any benefit over on-premise software? Definitely.

MMC has played it safe - as it is best to do with any technology. Over the past few months we've tested Office 365 over and above its beta release and because of this, we can confidently pass on our solid verdict to clients.

Office 365 is without question, a revolution in the office software sphere. It will definitely enhance the way you do business and it will serve to lighten the load on your pocket!
And over 1 million users worldwide, who in just 100 days post release signed up for Office 365, can't be wrong!

Subscription Based Software - this is the future

Businesses and individuals alike, would in the past forego the latest software version releases due to the cost involved to upgrade. For businesses, multiple licenses meant a massive outlay just so that IT could remain current. While Microsoft would release new software every three years, individuals and businesses would typically upgrade every 5 to 6 years. Now however, subscription based software such as Office 365, changes this trend. Businesses of all sizes can look forward to automatic updates and bug fixes, as well as ongoing version improvements which we expect will take place roughly every quarter.

Everything you always wanted but could never afford...

For those businesses and IT people who have spent hours drooling at the thought of having the latest, greatest, most extensive suite of Office features - your dreams have now come true. Gone are the days when smaller businesses simply had to make do with less than everyone else! Office 365 now offers every business access to the full suite of office applications. Look forward to taking advantage of all the latest software including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneNote, Access, Project and InfoPath.
Legal Software Licensing made EASY!

Ensuring your software licenses are in order, is an issue with which many businesses have struggled in the past. The emergence of subscription based software however, means that accurate and legal licensing will become far easier and cheaper.

Once-off Purchasing vs. Subscriptions - do the math...

Where the once-off purchase of your office software would every 5 years for example, cost you in excess of R 5000 per user, Office 365 with the same base features, plus a host of added benefits, costs from as little as R 116.60 per month per user, or R 1399.20 per year.

Of course over the period of 5 years, which is presuming that you are happy to skip a version of your office software, you will be spending roughly R 7000 on Office 365, however you will emerge after this time, with the latest, fully licensed software which you won't need to replace.

Multiple Devices : Anywhere Access

Office 365 has been designed to be loaded to all Mac, PC and Android devices. The MS Office applications work well, are easy to use and look good across the device spectrum. In addition, should you not have the Microsoft Office software loaded on a particular device, users can still access all Microsoft Office applications and features using the new Streaming Office feature.

Your recent documents, settings and custom dictionaries, follow your Office 365 account, so you can quickly pick up from where you left off using any device. In addition, users can work on documents simultaneously using the browser based Microsoft Office applications.

Manage compliance with ease!

With Office 365, you can search data across Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync, while eDiscovery integrates with advanced retention and archiving, enabling in-place legal hold and case-based projects.
In addition you can create data loss prevention policies and use templates for protecting sensitive information.

Intuitive, built-in policy education in Outlook, alerts users to any transgressions before an email is sent. Access policies place control in the hands of administrators, who can enable Rights Management Services and restrictions to documents and email.

Reduced maintenance keeps IT smiling all the way!

Reduce your IT overheads and stop patching servers! Office 365 gives you highly configurable administration tools and a guaranteed 99.9% uptime with a financially backed SLA. 

Resistance to Change? A thing of the past!

Microsoft knows that separating users from previous software versions can create undue stress. With Office 365, you can stream the latest version of Office and run it side-by-side with previous Office versions while users transition.

With the new cloud app model, you can build scalable, flexible cloud apps that integrate with users' documents. The new corporate catalogue app helps you easily manage customised apps in your organization.
Individuals and companies big and small!

Office 365 suits just about everyone looking to benefit from seamless, anywhere access to the latest office software. Whether you're an individual with perhaps a small home office, or a small business with a limited number of users, or even a large enterprise that requires the flexibility to add and remove users at will without purchasing costly additional software licenses - MS Office 365 is for you!

Where to from here?

So now you may perhaps be wondering how to integrate Office 365 into your environment? The team at MMC is here to help you make sure that you install and deploy the new Office 365 experience in  a way that is beneficial and practical for your business. We believe that a planned approach is always the best, so we will guide you in deciding upon a suitable integration strategy and assist you or your IT department in managing the deployment of Office 365 into your environment.

Find out more

If you have any questions regarding Office 365 or would like us to prepare an obligation free evaluation of your needs, please contact us on 021 530 1600 or email info@mmc.za.com.