Office 365 is the name of Microsoft’s productivity solution in the cloud. It is sold in suites that are available for every organization, regardless of their size. Depending on the suite, Office 365 can include the full downloadable Office client, also available as a set of web-based applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) business class email; file sharing; meetings and communications solutions; and an internal collaboration social network—all while helping to keep data private and protected from potential threat. Office 365 provides users with access to productivity solutions from anywhere. It provides simple management IT solutions and comes with a financially backed service level agreement. Office 365 is for organizations that prefer to rent, rather than procure different applications from a reliable vendor.
The key benefits of Office 365 cloud services are: favorable price / performance ratio (total cost of ownership / functionality + performance + availability) + support + SLA with financial guarantees.
The key benefits of renting Office as part of Office 365 are: the right to install and use Office on 5 devices + online access to new application functionality + flexibility in cost management.
Office 365 is licensed per user and paid monthly or annually. Fixed sets of cloud services and Office applications are packed into plans (see plans comparison). Plans are sold in the form of annual or monthly subscriptions with different names and prices.
Office 365 Cloud services with Office applications
Office 365 Business
Office 365 Business includes the latest version of the Office Professional Plus desktop application suite and 1TB per user in OneDrive storage. It supports up to 300 users within one subscription. It does not include the Exchange Online service and collaboration tools. One license allows one person to install and use Office on 5 devices. A detailed description can be found on the Microsoft website.
Office 365 Business Premium
Office 365 Business Premium includes tthe latest Office apps for your PC and Mac, business apps, e-mail, collaboration tools, and 1TB per user in OneDrive storage. It supports up to 300 users within one subscription. One license allows one user to install and use Office on 5 devices. A detailed description can be found on the Microsoft website.
Office 365 Professional Plus
Office 365 Professional Plus includes the latest version of the Office Professional Plus desktop application and 1TB for each user in OneDrive storage. It supports any number of users within one subscription. It does not include the Exchange Online service and collaboration tools. One license allows one user to install and use Office on 5 devices. A detailed description can be found on the Microsoft website.
Office 365 E3
Office 365 Enterprise E3 includes the latest version of the Office Professional Plus desktop application suite, Exchange Online, collaboration tools, and 1TB per user in OneDrive storage. It supports any number of users within one subscription. One license allows one user to install and use Office on 5 devices. A detailed description can be found on the Microsoft website.
Office 365 E5
Office 365 Enterprise E5 includes the latest version of the Office Professional Plus desktop application suite, Exchange Online, collaboration tools, advanced personal and organizational analytics with MyAnalytics and Power BI Pro, Cloud PBX, PSTN conferencing and 1TB per user in OneDrive storage. It supports any number of users within one subscription. One license entitles one person to install and use Office on 5 devices. A detailed description can be found on the Microsoft website.
Also you can compare all Microsoft Office 365 for business plans here.
Office 365 Cloud Services without Office Applications
Exchange Online
Exchange Online (hosted email for business) is the cloud equivalent of Exchange Server with the latest add-on functionality, built-in security features, technical support and the ability to fine-tune to the individual needs of an organization of any complexity. There are two plans available: Plan 1 and Plan 2 (see plans comparison table). The key difference between the plans is that Plan 1 limits the size of the mailbox to 50GB and Plan 2 does not have this limitation.
SharePoint Online
SharePoint Online is the cloud-based equivalent of SharePoint Server with the latest add-on functionality, technical support and the ability to fine-tune to an organization's individual needs and complexity. There are two available plans: Plan 1 and Plan 2 (see plans comparison table). Plan 2 provides access to advanced search tools, analytics and some other functionality not available in Plan 1.
Skype for Business Online
Skype for Business Online is the cloud-based analogue of Skype for Business Server with the latest additional functionality, technical support and the ability to fine-tune to the individual needs of an organization of any complexity. There are two plans available: Plan 1 and Plan 2 (see plans comparison table). Plan 2 provides access to advanced audio / video conferencing facilities and some other functionality not available in Plan 1.
Electronic Software delivery (ESD)
Office 365 Personal | PC/Mac Download
Office 365 Personal comes fully loaded with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook and more, downloaded directly to your favorite devices. Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage for documents, photos, and videos, so you can edit and share them from anywhere, on all your devices. Stay in touch with your friends and family around the globe with 60 monthly Skype minutes. With an active Office 365 subscription, you never have to worry about upgrading your Office, because you always have access to the latest Office applications, features, and services. You can also get help right away from Microsoft-trained experts, by phone or chat at no extra charge. All the tools you know and love, now built for even greater productivity and collaboration.
- 1-year subscription for 1 user
- Always have the latest, fully installed versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. (Publisher and Access are available on PC only)
- Install on 1 PC or Mac and download the mobile apps on 1 tablet and 1 phone
- Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage for 1 user
- Microsoft support via chat or phone at no extra cost
Office 365 Home | PC/Mac Download
Office 365 Home comes fully loaded with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook and more, downloaded directly to your favorite devices. Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user, for up to 5 users. Use the storage for documents, photos, and videos, so you can edit and share them from anywhere, on all your devices. Stay in touch with your friends and family around the globe with 60 monthly Skype minutes per user, for up to 5 users. With an active Office 365 subscription, you never have to worry about upgrading your Office, because you always have access to the latest Office applications, features, and services. You can also get help right away from Microsoft-trained experts, by phone or chatat no extra charge. All the tools you know and love, now built for even greater productivity and collaboration.
- 1-year subscription for up to 5 users
- Always have the latest, fully installed versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. (Publisher and Access are available on PC only)
- Install on up to 5 PCs or Macs and download the mobile apps on up to 5 tablets and 5 phones
- Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage each for up to 5 users
- Microsoft support via chat or phone at no extra cost