Office 365: No Brainer for IT and IT Decision Makers

Remember the old saying, “Nobody ever gets fired for buying a brand name product?” With so many options out there, one thing is still certain – Microsoft Office continues to be one of the best office and collaboration products on the market. Many of us are nevertheless installing this office tool the hard way: Manually on every machine.

Why? Well, one reason has to do with what we feel is the real role of IT: Managing services, deploying patches, and updating licenses. Yet, a product like Microsoft Office 365 eliminates the need for manual maintenance, allowing IT to focus on creating real value for the company and leading digital transformation. Leveraging Office 365 should be a no brainer for most companies – no IT department wants to spend their time chasing updates. If you need an extra push to convince you, here are some reasons why Office 365 is a must for your organization.

Want to learn more? Checkout this upcoming webcast from Microsoft Office 365

Your Employees Already are Going Around You

Employees don’t want to wait for IT to catch up. If they need something to fill a gap, they’re going to install and use it. A study showed that 80 percent of employees are using non-sanctioned SaaS applications. Employees are simply trying to do their job better, but in doing so, they are potentially creating security vulnerabilities.

Office 365 allows IT administrators to take back control. If your employees are demanding SaaS products, then give them one that offers a variety of services.

It’s an Evergreen Product

IT decision makers do not want their IT teams spending all their time managing licenses. They prefer cloud-based products because they’re always updated. Office 365 is an evergreen product, which means you always receive the latest version. Your organization continually has access to the newest upgrades without having to manually update or pay extra. You’ll also get the latest and greatest features – when they come out.

If this is not enough, then let’s also look at its scalability. Office 365 grows and shrinks as your organization does. If you need more licenses one month, but not the next, you can quickly scale up and then scale down. As a readily available, always updated product, you don’t have to worry about the old machine you’re handing your temp having an outdated version.

Entire Tool Kit for Employees – in Every Department

Millennials are entering the workforce in droves. Unlike the older generations, they’re used to immediate connections via social media and collaboration. Within a sole product, Office 365 offers email, collaboration and online meeting solutions, including document collaboration, instant messaging and more. Team members can work on documents simultaneously, eliminating the headache of having multiple files flying around offices and no one knowing which one is the latest.

There’s even an internal portal that allows for larger document sharing, which would be nearly impossible to send via email. All files include versioning, ensuring that you are working on the latest file, and you’re also able to go back to an older version if something is amiss.

Office 365 also makes it easier to coordinate with employees around the country or the world. Since the product is entirely cloud-based, employees can access any of the products from any device – no matter where they are – which is especially helpful for employees who travel often or use a number of devices to connect to their work.

These features encourage more teamwork among individuals and fulfills younger workers need for constant interaction. What’s more – IT need never be involved. No more trying to figure out why someone hasn’t received an attachment. You can direct them to the portal to share files as opposed to acting as email support.

We all Know the Product

Unlike newer products, most of us have been using some form of Microsoft for nearly our entire lifetime. While specific features may change, overall the product has been the same for years. With newer entries into the field of collaboration, productivity and contact management, there is a learning curve – that can take a very long time.

How many of us have spent days trying to figure out a new contact management system only to fall back to the one we’ve been using? Organizations need speed and agility to keep up with competition, and to get new products out of the door. IT can’t be spending all their time running after employees to get them to use the newest, sanctioned system. It slows down progress.

While IT may think their jobs are in jeopardy by instituting Office 365, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, your job will change – for the better. Plus, with regular pricing, it’s easier to forecasts budgets for the year – even in the event of rapid growth and hiring.

Free Office 365 Webinar

If you’re interested in learning more about the Office 365 platform, Microsoft is currently offering a free webcast that walks you through the admin interface. If you have a few moments, it’s worth watching.

This post is sponsored by Microsoft Office, but all views and opinions are my own. Article first appeared on Futurum Research.

Photo Credit: itzeltoledanoperez Flickr via Compfight cc