[tweetmeme source=LANSystems only_single=false]Guest blog by Geoff Rigsby, Microsoft Account Manager at Synnex
On a weekly basis I am asked, “What is Office 365 and how can it help me?”
For instance, if you’re running a small business with 5-10 employees, setting up your own IT infrastructure can be a monumental task. First, you have to purchase the hardware and software like an HP Server and Windows Server 2008 software. Second, if you want to have your own email domain, you’ll need to purchase Exchange Server software. And if you want to share files between employees, you will need SharePoint Server software and you can’t run that without SQL Server software. It adds up and before you know it, you’ve just spent $50,000! In addition, you will need someone to configure and maintain.
This is a great deal of expense for just a few employees to communicate, collaborate, and work. Here is where Office 365 is beneficial. It eliminates the need for a large infrastructure investment and allows you to take advantage of enterprise IT tools for a fraction of the cost. Office 365 will give you the same productivity and collaboration tools delivered in a subscription based service. It is licensed on a per-user per-month plan and allows you to scale up or down easily and as-needed.
Depending on the needs of your company, you can obtain every option; Exchange Online, Lync Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Professional Plus in a nice, neatly bundled package or as separate units. This allows all of your employees to easily and securely access the same information, from anywhere, anytime – whether it be on a PC, phone, or web browser. User management is made easier by using a single administration access point that allows you to set up new user accounts, control access to features, and receive status updates on all services and tools in real time. Support is available directly through Microsoft but I recommend working with a Microsoft Partner. Partners can help you choose the right services, provide added capabilities, and assist with the transition. They can efficiently manage your network and provide ongoing support for Office 365 giving you more time to run your business.
Paying for Office 365 is easy! Just work with a Partner. They will send you a quote. Then you accept the agreement and submit your credit card information in a secure transaction. Payments are scheduled automatically each month to the card on file.
For more information on Office 365 and how it can help your company, visit www.microsoft.com/office365 and make sure to work with a Microsoft Partner in your area.
Geoff is a Microsoft Partner Account Manager working at Synnex. You can contact Geoff at: v-grigsb@microsoft.com
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