In a modern world, the choice of software you use is far more important than even the office space that you’re in. Everyone works online, even people who do share the office space, which means that the choice of platform affects their workflow and their day-to-day work experience.
There are new platforms every single day, but sometimes, it’s better to go with a classic. Picking a tool whose predecessors people have used for decades is never a bad choice. If anything, familiarity and reliability play a huge factor. Not to mention that these software aren’t lagging behind when it comes to features or functionality.
With that in mind, and without further ado, here are the top five benefits of choosing Microsoft 365 for your business.
1. Cloud-sharing and integration with Microsoft Teams
Like its Google Suite counterpart, Microsoft 365 is fully cloud-based and developed for cooperation. This means that it’s easy for multiple people to work on a single document, as well as for the owner of the document (and anyone with the right access) to conduct a version control.
Remember that modern paperwork and all sorts of bureaucratic labor are collaborative by their nature. If nothing else, someone has to edit/proofread the text. This is a lot easier when you have a platform that’s already cloud-based.
While a lot of people use Zoom, more people use Microsoft Teams than you would expect. First of all, by the very merit of being Microsoft, it’s better optimized for Windows, which makes it a default choice by so many.
If your team relies on this conferencing software, you will benefit from a more natural integration of Microsoft 365. This way, you’re creating a more compact and reliable system, which will have a positive, lasting impact on your workflow.
2. Microsoft copilots
It’s no secret that these past two years are the year of AI. Now, Microsoft didn’t allow itself to get behind, which is why it collaborated with OpenAI’s GPT LLM in order to create Copilots, its own chatbot.
These copilots are incredibly potent and have a wide variety of potential services, ranging from poems and songs all the way to sales assistance. In fact, it’s the Microsoft sales copilot that makes the biggest difference in the automation of core tasks and corporate efficiency.
The benefits of sales process automation are, naturally, better sales, especially when you can enhance them from organically collected data from your CRM.
Every copilot is highly customizable, which means that you get to tailor it perfectly to your own team. This way, your business processes will work hand-in-hand with Microsoft 365 in order to create the most dependable business model.
3. Improved mobile access
Sure, typing is much easier on a proper keyboard than on a phone, but what if you had to check your document, sheet, or presentation? This is usually done via a mobile phone, and Microsoft 365 is optimized for mobile access.
It’s also worth remembering that while a lot of companies give their employees the freedom to pick and choose their own tools, you can always go for a stricter BYOD policy. In this scenario, in order to make things much more thorough, you would have to specify the tools that are used for work.
Truth be told, there are not many platforms in 2024 that don’t support mobile integrations. The key advantage of Microsoft 365, therefore, lies in the fact that your entire team remains on the same platform and uses the same specialized tools for these tasks.
While some companies prefer to develop their own apps and platforms, the reality of the matter is that these platforms are already there and they already work amazing.
4. Scalability
The next thing you need to consider is the importance of scalability. With Microsoft 365, there’s no limitation to the number of users you can add to the project or platform. You can share files with an unlimited number of users, and the only restriction regarding whether they can edit the file comes from the amount of access they have.
While Google Suite should handle this with ease, some other alternatives (smaller platforms) will not be as easy to do. You see, even if there are no software restrictions, the reality of scalability is that you can only host as many people as the server can take. Well, Microsoft has some of the biggest servers in the field, which means that the number of requests really shouldn’t be an issue.
One of the biggest myths, however, is that you either pick for scalability or you pick for smaller teams. Just because it’s great for a growing business, Microsoft 365 will perform admirably even for an individual user. Even if your team remains the same or downscales, you still get a great service.
5. Up-to-date technology and comprehensive support
While the platform you’re currently using may have all you need, there’s always worry that it will get outpaced in the future. Well, this hasn’t happened with MS Word for decades (a huge part of the business world still heavily relies on MS Office-derived software). Microsoft has some of the biggest and oldest teams in the game, and no one is more serious about both support and updates.
As an international organization, MS is available around the clock and has support in so many different languages. This alone ensures the reliability and high availability of the support team (whenever you need them).
Another thing you need to understand is that these are tools and interfaces that anyone who has ever used a computer is familiar with. Simply put, for a long time, MS software had no (suitable) alternative, which means that everyone used it in some capacity. This cuts down your onboarding time drastically. This is true, regardless if you’re hiring locally or abroad.
Wrap up
At the end of the day, the differences may seem slight and only revolve around a few subtle difference but, in reality, with such a heavy workflow, every nuance makes a difference. In terms of reputation and reliability, you just can’t go wrong with Microsoft 365. You’ve probably used MS Office for so long that this will always feel like a natural continuation or return to your roots.