When advising our clients on why a Microsoft Business Standard Package is superior to using an IMAP mail system combined with an on-premises server for working files, we focus on the practical advantages that the subscription package offers. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown:
1. Enhanced Email Functionality with Microsoft 365 Exchange
Microsoft 365 Exchange provides significant improvements over a traditional IMAP mail system:
Full Synchronisation Across Devices: With Exchange, emails, calendars, and contacts are fully synchronised across all devices. Unlike IMAP, which primarily syncs emails, Exchange ensures that every change made on one device is reflected across all others. This is particularly useful for professionals who work on multiple devices or travel frequently.
Advanced Calendar and Scheduling Tools: Exchange offers robust calendar functionalities, including shared calendars, scheduling assistant, and booking resources. This simplifies coordination within teams and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Built-in Security and Compliance: Exchange includes advanced security features such as data loss prevention (DLP), encryption, and retention policies. This is crucial for businesses that need to comply with data protection regulations like GDPR.
Larger Mailboxes: The Microsoft Business Standard Package offers generous mailbox sizes (typically 50GB per user) compared to many IMAP services. This reduces the need for regular clean-ups and ensures that critical emails are always accessible.
OneDrive and SharePoint provide a seamless and powerful file management experience that outperforms an on-premises server setup in several ways:
Anywhere Access: Files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This eliminates the need for VPNs or remote desktop access, which can be cumbersome and less reliable.
Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, with changes updated in real time. This is a significant productivity booster compared to the traditional approach of saving, emailing, and merging document versions.
Automatic Backups and Versioning: OneDrive and SharePoint automatically save versions of files, allowing users to revert to previous versions if necessary. This reduces the risk of data loss and simplifies recovery from errors.
Scalability: Unlike an on-premises server, which requires physical upgrades to increase storage, OneDrive and SharePoint can easily scale with your business needs. You can add more storage or users with just a few clicks.
Integrated Security: Both OneDrive and SharePoint offer enterprise-grade security features, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and access control. This ensures that your data is protected against unauthorized access, both externally and internally.
The Microsoft Business Standard Package also includes a suite of productivity tools that can greatly enhance the efficiency of your client’s business:
Microsoft Teams: A hub for teamwork, Teams integrates chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and collaboration in one platform. It eliminates the need for separate communication tools and integrates smoothly with other Microsoft 365 applications.
Office Apps: The package includes desktop and web versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps. These tools are standard in business environments and provide the full range of features needed for document creation, analysis, and presentation.
Seamless Integration: All Microsoft 365 apps are tightly integrated. This means that files stored in OneDrive can be accessed directly from Word or Excel, emails can be linked to calendar events in Outlook, and documents can be co-authored in Teams.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: The Microsoft Business Standard Package offers a predictable subscription-based pricing model, which includes updates, support, and security features. This can be more cost-effective than maintaining on-premises servers, which require upfront capital investment, ongoing maintenance, and periodic upgrades.
Reduced IT Overhead: With Microsoft 365, much of the IT management burden is shifted to Microsoft. This includes server maintenance, software updates, and security patching. This allows your client’s IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives rather than day-to-day maintenance.
Automatic Updates: Microsoft 365 ensures that your client always has access to the latest features and security updates without the need for manual intervention. This contrasts with on-premises setups, which often require time-consuming and disruptive update processes.
Cloud-Based Resilience: Data stored in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange Online is backed by Microsoft’s global network of data centres, which include redundant power, cooling, and internet connections. This provides a level of reliability and disaster recovery that is difficult to match with an on-premises server.
Data Retention and Recovery: Microsoft 365 offers features like Exchange Online Archiving and eDiscovery, which help ensure that your client can retain and recover critical data in the event of accidental deletion, legal requirements, or cyber incidents.
In summary, the Microsoft Business Standard Subscription Package offers your client a modern, cloud-based solution that enhances productivity, security, and collaboration while reducing costs and IT overhead. It is a robust alternative to traditional IMAP email systems and on-premises file servers, providing practical advantages that are crucial for maintaining competitiveness in today’s business environment.
This package not only streamlines daily operations but also future-proofs your client’s IT infrastructure, allowing for growth, scalability, and resilience.