Did you know that Microsoft Office has more than 1.2 billion users worldwide? That makes it a dominant force in office productivity software. But Microsoft products are more than just the commonly known Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. The massive tech corporation offers many other solutions that could simplify your business operations in more ways than one.
Which Microsoft products are the best for SMEs? What should you know about implementing them in your workflow? We discuss this and more in the article below.
What is Microsoft 365 Business Premium?
If you’re running a business, chances are you’re currently subscribed or have at least once tested the famous Microsoft 365 Business Standard. This is great – you’re one step closer to increasing your company’s productivity.
But if you have no clue what we’re talking about, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is, in simple terms, a subscription service that allows you to oversee your organisation in the cloud while Microsoft takes care of the IT side of it. With the plan, you can access several different apps (like Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and others), Microsoft Teams, 1 TB of cloud storage, and more.
Microsoft’s 365 Business Premium package, however, is the bigger and better version of its previous plans. Here’s why.
Get access to Office 365 Defender
One of the reasons why many business owners decide to switch to the premium package is the access to enhanced security features like Safe Links and Safe Attachments.
As we’ve discussed in other articles before, cybersecurity will certainly become a central topic in 2024. Cyber attacks are happening every day, and if you’re not being cautious, you risk becoming a victim yourself. Thankfully, tools like these can make the process much more manageable.
Safe links
Have you ever clicked on a link only to regret it instantly? If you decide to test Microsoft 365 Business Premium, this will no longer be an issue. With Safe Links, you can protect yourself and your team against malware, phishing and other threats lurking on the web.
The feature does its magic by checking your link safety once you’ve clicked on them within an e-mail or document. If they contain harmful content, you will be redirected to a warning page so you don’t expose yourself to sensitive information or compromise your device.
What’s convenient is that Safe Links works not only with your e-mails but also with Office Applications and Microsoft Teams.
Safe attachments
Another impressive security feature of Microsoft 365 Business Premium is Safe Attachments. This tool is designed to protect organisations from malware and ransomware threats delivered through e-mail attachments. Even before you open it, Safe Attachments will go through the attached file and see whether it’s malicious. You’ll be alerted by the results, and, in case it does contain potential infections, the program will remove it.
Our Tip
To make the most of Microsoft’s products, take advantage of their online support! On their website, you’ll find extensive tutorials and learning resources that include valuable tips and tricks most users don’t know.
Make use of Azure Information Protection (AIP)
A study by Stanford University professor and security firm Tessian revealed that 88% of data breach incidents are caused by employee mistakes. That’s a shocking number. To avoid these situations, Microsoft offers Azure Information Protection, which allows its users to classify and protect any sensitive information within their documents and e-mails.
As a way of protection, AIP uses encryption to make critical data unreadable to anyone who isn’t allowed to see it (according to the access controls you’ve set before). What’s also great is that the software consistently monitors how your sensitive files are accessed and used, allowing you to get ahead of issues even before they arise.
Control your devices with Intune
With a Business Premium subscription, you also gain access to Microsoft Intune, a fantastic solution for Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM). This tool is essential for managing and securing corporate data on employee devices. While there are many great ways to use it, these are the main features you should watch out for:
- Device Management: You can access, configure and remotely wipe or lock your employee devices to ensure security
- Data Protection: Intel restricts data sharing between apps, which is crucial for safeguarding sensitive information
- App Management: Controls which apps have access to your company’s data
- Monitoring: You won’t have to worry about security policies being enforced since Intel continually monitors device compliance
Make collaboration more effective with Office
The basis of any successful business is effective team collaboration. But since our lives have become more hybrid, it’s not always an easy goal to achieve. As Buffer’s State of Remote Work Report shows, 20% of remote workers feel that communication and collaboration are the biggest challenges when working remotely.
Thankfully, there are many products on the market that allow day-to-day collaboration no matter where you or your employees might be.
When subscribed to Microsoft 365 Premium, you can access web and mobile versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more (up to five phones and five tablets). And the best bit? Your team members can work on the same document simultaneously (and even offline).
Recap
As you can see, Microsoft’s products can be an excellent solution for small and medium-sized businesses seeking a balance of security and productivity. The package packs a punch with its easy sign-in, impressive cybersecurity, and handy remote device management.
With that being said, Microsoft’s tools won’t be an answer to all of your problems. If you wish to take your productivity and security to the next level, you should consider outsourcing some of your IT tasks from professionals.
At Ingenious, we offer a wide range of services. Whether you need comprehensive IT management or just someone to ensure your next digital project goes smoothly, we’d love to help you! To learn more about our offerings, get in touch with our team. For more updates and news on the IT industry, follow our Insights Blog.
