Microsoft Office provides a collection of purpose-suited applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, to name a few. The latest version, Microsoft 365, distinguishes itself from older versions. It integrates its applications with the Cloud and is a subscription-based service. This means that you only need to pay for what you use.

In its Office 365 collection, Microsoft offers a range of packages suited for individuals, families and businesses.

Microsoft Office for the Home

Office 365 Personal allows users to create inspiring documents with smart assistance features in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All applications are included, as well as 1TB of Cloud storage on OneDrive. Furthermore, the Outlook app provides ad-free email and calendar functionality. However, Office 365 Personal is limited to one user only.

Microsoft Office for the Family

The Office 365 Family package gives users access to the same functionality as Office 365 Personal, but with the added benefit of 6TB of cloud storage and up to six users.

Microsoft Office for Business

There are three business packages that Microsoft offers for business use:

Business Basic is best suited for businesses that need easy remote solutions, with Microsoft Teams, secure cloud storage, and Office Online (desktop versions are not included).

Business Standard is best suited for businesses that need full remote work capabilities and collaboration tools – including Microsoft Teams, secure cloud storage, business email, and premium Office applications across devices.

Business Premium is best suited for businesses that require secure, remote working solutions with everything included in the Business Standard, plus advanced Cyberthreat protection and device management.

What are all the Microsoft Office 365 Applications?

Besides Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, the Office 365 suite also includes:

• Microsoft Outlook, which includes email, calendar, address book and task list functionality.
• Microsoft OneNote allows handwritten, or computer typed notes and audio to be gathered and shared.
• Microsoft Publisher, although similar to MS Word, focuses more on a document layout and design for small companies to create marketing materials.
• Microsoft Access is a database management system that can store, import, and link to data in other applications.
• Microsoft Sway allows content to be pulled directly from an internet source, such as YouTube or Facebook, for presentation purposes.
• Microsoft SharePoint is a content management system that enables team collaboration to access, manage and share data from any location.
  Yammer allows employees to join a private discussion within a company and safely share documents.
• Skype for Business integrates Voice Over IP software with instant messaging and video conferencing features.
• Microsoft Teams is a highly effective collaboration tool that provides business teams with an online platform to chat, meet, share documents, and take notes.
• OneDrive is a file hosting service. It allows documents to be stored, managed, and shared in the Cloud.
• Office Delve allows users to search for and manage their emails, contacts, meetings, and documents stored in OneDrive.
• MyAnalytics tracks, monitors, analyses, and reports back on personal work habits to assist employees in becoming more efficient.
• Power Business Intelligence (BI) allows users to provide or access interactive reports and visualisations of data to provide insights and be turned into actions.
• Microsoft Forms enables users to create quick surveys, questionnaires, and registrations.
  All Microsoft’s applications are designed to work together seamlessly and include iOS, Mac, and Android versions.

Speak to a Technical Consultant at Westech for insight into which applications are best suited for your purposes.

A Microsoft Partner is a company that has been certified by Microsoft to sell, operate and advise clients on Microsoft solutions. These solutions include products such as Microsoft Office, Azure, Teams, Outlook, etc.

In order to receive this certification, the Microsoft Partner and its certified employees must meet specific criteria specified by Microsoft, with the highest award being a Microsoft Gold Partner. These criteria also include testimonials from the Partner’s clients attesting to the expertise they experienced from the Partner.

Many companies find it very confusing to choose the right Microsoft tools for their business, as there is such a wide choice. In addition, the tools need to suit both the business and the employees using them. This is where a Microsoft certified Partner plays an important role, as follows:

Certified Technicians

As mentioned earlier, the IT Service Provider who has been certified as a Microsoft Partner is required to ensure that their technicians are all highly skilled, trained and certified in the range of Microsoft solutions. This enables the Microsoft Partner to provide its clients with expert advice, relevant solutions, installations and ongoing support from a reliable provider.

Access to the Latest Technology

Microsoft Partners always have access to the latest and most secure Microsoft solutions. This enables the Microsoft certified technicians to tailor the integration to the client’s requirements and the client to benefit from the applied knowledge and innovations.

Ongoing Support

Microsoft Certified Partners walk the entire journey with their clients, which includes implementation, training, maintenance and ongoing support.

Expert Support During Transitions

For any change project roll-out, a Microsoft Partner can be relied upon to ensure that the project runs smoothly and that the client is provided with the exact Microsoft solutions they need. This is particularly relevant for processes that need to be automated or large amounts of data that need to be leveraged.

Proven Experience and Knowledge

Microsoft Partners can be relied upon to guarantee customer satisfaction.

Westech, a Microsoft Certified Partner in South Africa, is one of the country’s leading Managed Service Providers with a track record of outstanding service levels and cutting edge technologies. Westech currently has a Silver Competency status with Microsoft.

Microsoft’s certification process is rigorous and requires regular auditing to ensure that their Partners are maintaining a high degree of skill, proficiency, and experience. Partners with Silver Competency offer the best solutions and undertake a rigorous approval process that is audited. Silver Competency Microsoft Certified Partners are among the top 5% of Microsoft Partners worldwide.

To ensure that your company is always getting the very best out of a technology partner in terms of expertise, knowledge and support, contact Westech.