Do I Need Microsoft 365

Do I Need Microsoft 365 Email Essentials From Godaddy
Do I Need Microsoft 365 Office

Backing up Microsoft 365 can be a fairly controversial question – with some people suggesting you definitely, absolutely need to backup – and others saying there is no need. Sure – there are some valid reasons to backup data in Office 365, but in general, most organizations don’t need to do this. Just as I was warming up to choosing a Microsoft Office 365 subscription over making a one-time software purchase, Microsoft started giving away a lot of subscription benefits for free.

-->

Applies to

Windows 10

This topic provides a brief overview of Microsoft 365 and describes how to use a free 90-day trial account to review some of the benefits of Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 is a new offering from Microsoft that combines Windows 10 with Office 365, and Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS). See the M365 Enterprise poster for an overview.

For Windows 10 deployment, Microsoft 365 includes a fantastic deployment advisor that can walk you through the entire process of deploying Windows 10. The wizard supports multiple Windows 10 deployment methods, including:

Windows Autopilot
In-place upgrade
Deploying Windows 10 upgrade with Intune
Deploying Windows 10 upgrade with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
Deploying a computer refresh with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager

Free trial account

If you already have a Microsoft services subscription account and access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

From the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Billing and then Purchase services.In the Enterprise Suites section of the service offerings, you will find Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5 tiles.There are 'Start Free Trial' options available for your selection by hovering your mouse over the tiles.

If you do not already have a Microsoft services subscription

You can check out the Microsoft 365 deployment advisor and other resources for free! Just follow the steps below.

Note

If you have not run a setup guide before, you will see the Prepare your environment guide first. This is to make sure you have basics covered like domain verification and a method for adding users. At the end of the 'Prepare your environment' guide, there will be a Ready to continue button that sends you to the original guide that was selected.

Obtain a free M365 trial.
Check out the Microsoft 365 deployment advisor.
Also check out the Windows Analytics deployment advisor. This advisor will walk you through deploying Desktop Analytics.

That's all there is to it!

Examples of these two deployment advisors are shown below.

Microsoft 365 deployment advisor example

Windows Analytics deployment advisor example

M365 Enterprise poster

Microsoft Office 365

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you have probably usedthe Microsoft Office Suite. These are your daily-use products like Word, Excel,and Power Point. In the past, you may have purchased physical disks thatcontained individually licensed software to be used on one or a few devices.More recently, you likely updated to the downloaded version of the software foreach of your business computers, and now, you’re hearing some rumblings aboutthe benefits of switching to Microsoft Office 365. In addition to allowing foreasy download online from any device, Microsoft Office 365 gives your employeesthe ability to access their documents, apps, and information from up to fivedevices. Notice we said your employees have this ability. Rather thandownloading and maintaining a license, Microsoft Office 365 allows you toestablish individual accounts for users. Once they’re set up, your employees candownload updates, customize their app preferences, and access the sameMicrosoft products on any computer or mobile device. It’s great news forincreased productivity with diminished headaches for your IT manager, and theseproducts are even better for companies that no longer have a traditional brickand mortar business since any user has access to the service center andtroubleshooting options.

Check out our July blog on the benefits of migrating toOffice 365

Microsoft Azure

If Microsoft Office 365 gave your business the flexibilityto allow employees access to business software on the go and when workingremotely, imagine if they could access ALL of your business network offsite.That’s the power of Microsoft Azure. It’s not one product or software. Instead,it’s a fully customizable, cloud-based platform and IT infrastructure tool.That sounds complicate, and it can be. Put simply, Microsoft Azure is aflexible and customizable infrastructure that can be used for safe andredundant data storage, easy communication and collaboration between employees,and better access for businesses who have remote employees around the globe.Because it is so easily customized, Microsoft Azure can be extremely beneficialfor your business, but all of the moving pieces and flexible components can bea little overwhelming if you don’t have an IT background. Don’t forget ITArchiTeks has team members who can help translate all the technical specs andIT lingo into great products that work for your business.

Check out our July blog on the benefits of migrating toMicrosoft Azure

Know Your Service Acronyms – SaaS, IaaS & PaaS

So – what is the difference between the two Microsoftproducts? Like so many things in the world of IT, it all comes down to knowingyour acronyms. Microsoft 365 is an SaaS product. Microsoft Azure is a cloudplatform that combines elements of SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS products. We’ve brokendown the definitions and descriptions of each of these for you here:

SaaS – Software as a Service

You may also hear this referred to as on demand software.Essentially, software as a service (SaaS) is a distribution model for softwarelicensing. It allows for greater flexibility and improved function as thesoftware is constantly updated and perfected by the providers of the program.This means you pay a monthly fee that includes the software itself as well asregular updates and improvements. In the case of Microsoft Office 365, youremployees will also have access to limited IT support if they experience issueswith software. Additionally, Microsoft offers user-centered tutorials and help videosand articles, so your employees can easily learn new functions of the softwareand troubleshoot issues from anywhere.

IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a Services (IaaS) gets a little moretechnical. We recommend thinking about your current computing, storage, andnetworking tools. Does your office have an onsite room filled with serversand/or an offsite server? These can be bulky, costly to maintain, and if youdon’t have offsite backups, you may find yourself losing business if theunforeseen happens and your server room is compromised. Rather than relying ona set of physical infrastructure components (like servers) that you need tomaintain, replicate to ensure redundancy, and increase as necessary to supportyour business, a cloud-based IaaS product gives you the ability to rent justthe space and infrastructure support you need. This makes IaaS products greatoptions for businesses that are growing fast.

PaaS – Platform as a Service

Perhaps the most complex in concept, Platform as a Service(PaaS) tools offer your business the ability to develop, customize, andmaintain computer applications without first needing to have a degree incomputer science! Some PaaS products that are commonly created by businessesinclude shared calendars/task management systems. Almost every business needsthese applications, and PaaS products allow you to make one that is customizedto your needs without building a new product from the ground up. There are manydifferent uses for the PaaS functions within Microsoft Azure if you’re able totake the time to explore all of the capabilities. The IT ArchiTeks team canalso help you review and explore these solutions and how they can improve yourbusiness.