The main thing we use the solution for is being able to outsource everything in the cloud while having the Exchange hosted. Having the Exchange and not having to manage the server and being able to deploy it wherever we have to is useful. We did have a number of people that traveled frequently prior to COVID. We have a handful of people that work out of their homes in various parts of the country, so having solutions that were accessible via the cloud was sort of a direction we started to migrate to several years ago in the Office 365 environment.
President at Northcoast Research
Seamless outsourcing of email servers, very scalable, and overall quite reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The two biggest value adds of the solution are having the ability to outsource the email and not having to manage the email server. It's just seamless. Having the most current versions all around and having things updating frequently by themselves ensures that everybody's got access to the same software."
- "The ability to manage the updates a little better would be helpful. Sometimes end-users will get a prompt in the middle of the day that they have to update. When there's a new update, then their system automatically starts to reboot, which can be ill-timed. Having a little more control over that would probably be welcome. Notices in regards to updates and being able to manage the timing around them or to be able to do it at off-times would be helpful."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The solution ensured we would never have to be premise dependent so it didn't matter where we or our employees were, or if something happened to the office. If we didn't have access to the office, we still had that access to all of our tools. We're very much a small firm so we use a lot of software services versus building our own things. We like using things that are already made.
What is most valuable?
The two biggest value adds of the solution are having the ability to outsource the email and not having to manage the email server. It's just seamless. Having the most current versions all around and having things updating frequently by themselves ensures that everybody's got access to the same software.
In the past, we had a lot of problems with who was updated and so forth. It eliminates that problem and allows us to put it on multiple devices. It's a pretty good offering from that respect.
What needs improvement?
The ability to manage the updates a little better would be helpful. Sometimes end-users will get a prompt in the middle of the day that they have to update. When there's a new update, then their system automatically starts to reboot, which can be ill-timed. Having a little more control over that would probably be welcome. Notices in regards to updates and being able to manage the timing around them or to be able to do it at off-times would be helpful.
As we get into SharePoint and so forth, they could do a better job of giving you some guidance on the very basics as to how to get started. They have a lot of stuff when you're using it, so getting some foundational knowledge as to what to consider when laying it out and how to approach it would be helpful.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft 365 Business
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft 365 Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for more than five years. I can't remember exactly when we originally implemented it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good. It's been very stable and I haven't had any outages or things of that nature, so I'm pleased with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We're a small company, however, I'm familiar with other users at larger companies and they've been very pleased with the scalability. Especially people that I've talked to noted that all of a sudden this became the main thing that they were using during this work from home social distancing trend. I've heard a lot of positives about that, which is one of the reasons that we're looking to implement Teams and we're just trying to get some information on the right way to do it.
Therefore, we're hoping to expand into Teams and SharePoint and use more of those tools. We started out with the basics and we use it enterprise-wide. We're hoping that we can continue to expand into it as much as possible.
How are customer service and support?
I've had very limited access to technical support. Mostly, our IT team handles any issues. Therefore, I can't really speak to the quality of there service, as I've never really dealt with them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup wasn't complex. It was mostly straightforward. We had a few hiccups with getting emails. It wasn't as seamless as it should have been with the initial setup of the user's email so that took a lot of one on one work with our IT staff who were constantly working with the end-users to get the phone and computer and everything all connected. However, since the original deployment, setting up new employees has been better.
The problem for us was that the automatic setup didn't work the way it should have. Typically, you just put in the password and it automatically sets everything up. IT had to go in and tweak things on people's accounts. From my perspective, and again, this was five, six, seven years ago, I remember it was more of an issue with how Microsoft reacted as opposed to what we were doing.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do monthly billing, however, I'm not sure what the exact costs are. We may pay around $1,000/month.
We started using the Microsoft Teams and we've started doing the conference call feature, so that's another $4 an account and we have a few accounts using that right now.
What other advice do I have?
We're Microsoft customers. We aren't resellers or consultants.
We have a fairly robust version of the solution, although I don't recall the exact version number offhand.
In terms of what I would advise other organizations, I would say it's worthwhile and I would do it as quickly as you can because for what you get, it's a really good bang for the buck while being pretty easy to use.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Principal System Developer at HHRC
Full online services with SLA covered by Microsoft
Pros and Cons
- "You can access Microsoft 365 Business from anywhere. You have full access to Office 365 or Outlook 365, and the support is there."
- "The technical support could be more knowledgeable."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Microsoft Office and Teams for collaboration purposes, Microsoft Teams specifically helps us during the COVID phase, increasing productivity for both remote work and onsite work.
How has it helped my organization?
We see a productivity increase and a better collaboration platform. Instead of booking a meeting room for discussion, we can just use Teams to meet.
What is most valuable?
You can access Microsoft 365 Business from anywhere. You have full access to Office 365 or Outlook 365, and the support is there.
It's always updated because Microsoft does patching regularly.
It's easier to configure, and you don't have to worry about supporting the solution.
What needs improvement?
The price could be cheaper.
The technical support could be more knowledgeable.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using it for two years.
We use the cloud-based solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have more than 1000 users.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is okay, but they could be more knowledgeable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using the on-premises version before the cloud solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a yearly license, and it could be cheaper.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Microsoft 365 Business at nine.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft 365 Business
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft 365 Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT manager at ARAR Innovations
A stable and user-friendly product that enables users to access their documents from anywhere in the world
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is quite friendly."
- "Not everyone can afford the product."
What is our primary use case?
If we have the email address and the password, we can access our documents from any system anywhere in the world.
What is most valuable?
The solution is quite friendly.
What needs improvement?
The price is the main issue. Not everyone can afford the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution since 2017. I am using the latest version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. In my organization, 10 to 15 people are using the solution. We use the solution regularly. We need the files, drives, and presentations regularly.
How was the initial setup?
The product is easy to set up. The deployment was not tough. We just need to get the login credentials.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the solution myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution. It could be more affordable.
What other advice do I have?
I took feedback from others and learned about the solution’s features before using it. I would recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Has all the necessary features and automation tools required
Pros and Cons
- "It is a scalable solution."
- "They should improve the screen sharing feature in Microsoft Teams."
What is our primary use case?
We've been using Microsoft to communicate with clients via email.
What is most valuable?
The solution has all the necessary features and automation tools required.
What needs improvement?
While using the screen sharing feature in Microsoft Teams, the screen sometimes gets stuck when we move into the remote desktop. They should work on that particular area.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. But sometimes, the solution drops for a minute. Apart from that, I have not seen any stability issues so far. I rate the solution's stability as a ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. More than a thousand employees in our organization use the solution. I rate its scalability as a ten.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is already installed in the system. We just have to put in the credentials and log in.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You need to purchase the license.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution as it is the best in the market compared to other vendors like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. It is an apt solution for corporations because they get Microsoft Teams, wherein they can connect with their peers for any issues. I rate the solution as a ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT strategist at Convergent Wireless Communications
A user-friendly and complete tool, easy to install, and help is available online
Pros and Cons
- "It is a complete tool."
- "With such a complete tool, it may be difficult for a beginner to use without help."
What is our primary use case?
You can use Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access, which is a database.
You can make frequent presentations to customers, and create invoices.
What is most valuable?
Excel is a very powerful tool. I can create a lot of data in Microsoft Excel and then use it and extract the data in any analytics platform.
It is a complete tool. It gives me every kind of feature that I want. It's quite good.
When you talk about ease of use, it's relative. I have been using Microsoft products for a long time. I have grown with it and the product has grown with me. I feel comfortable. But, for someone with no background in IT that doesn't have the dexterity to play with the IT tools, they may find it difficult to use.
When you get used to it, it's like picking up a paper and a pen and drafting it. You can use many more features. Paper and pen are used to exemplify simplicity.
When using PowerPoint, I want to create a very illustrative presentation. I can draw many pictures globally with several designs. It's flexible. After preparing the presentation, I can preview the form and share it with people.
It's very user-friendly.
I can use this product on five devices. I can use it on my mobile, and I have two laptops. I can access it from any one of my devices, even if I am commuting or in another country, I can access all of my documents.
Microsoft OneNote is also included. I can create my shopping list, or go on a trip, and make all of my notes accessible on all devices.
What needs improvement?
With such a complete tool, it may be difficult for a beginner to use without help.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft 365 Business for between four and five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product. Most people in our organization use it.
We have approximately 50 users, maybe more.
How are customer service and support?
With all Microsoft products, online help is available.
I have not had the need to contact technical support. I have not had any issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was nothing at all. It was no effort.
It was very easy and very comfortable to complete.
Microsoft 365 has multiple packages. I use the auxiliary version. We can deploy all of them in 10 to 15 minutes maximum, but it depends on the internet speed as well.
What about the implementation team?
I completed the deployment and implementation myself. It doesn't require any help.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It could be a little less expensive.
What other advice do I have?
You have the option of 1TB of storage per user, or you can keep it on your desktop or laptop.
I can create documents in Microsoft Office and fill them in PDF. I use Adobe quite extensively. Between them, I don't need anything.
There is no other alternative, except maybe Google.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this product and I recommend it to others.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Anaylst at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
Reasonably priced with an excellent suite of apps that integrate well together
Pros and Cons
- "Since the pandemic hit us, it has helped a lot with the need to work remotely. We can share live files, work on the same document, we can live chat, and even create multiple channels within Teams where the files can be shared and worked on by specific users."
- "One thing we did not like, about Excel particularly, is that it hangs a lot. It hangs a lot compared to Google Sheets."
What is most valuable?
I appreciate how everything is totally integrated. I can switch from Excel and Word to PowerPoint or Outlook. Outlook and the Calendar are completely integrated as well. It used to have Skype, however, now we have Teams, which integrates nicely with everything. We can check our meetings and have everything set up right in our calendar. It's all very convenient in terms of being able to access and use it.
The OneDrive is very good. Since the pandemic hit us, it has helped a lot with the need to work remotely. We can share live files, work on the same document, we can live chat, and even create multiple channels within Teams where the files can be shared and worked on by specific users. That's quite helpful.
The pricing is competitive.
What needs improvement?
One thing we did not like, about Excel particularly, is that it hangs a lot. It hangs a lot compared to Google Sheets.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for close to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is mostly stable. That said, Excel is very slow whenever the data is quite large compared to what we use. With small data, it works fine. With a small set of records, it's not a problem. However, whenever the records are a large number - even if it's 5000 - then it hangs a lot.
How are customer service and support?
I never faced such challenges that I had to reach out to technical support. Sometimes when there are small challenges, I just Google the issue and resolve it myself. Otherwise, I've never felt a need to connect with the support team.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also am familiar with Google apps, such as Google Sheets, and the whole G-Suite for business.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The prices are very competitive.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and an end-user.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. For the most part, it works perfectly fine for me.
I'd recommend basic usage to other customers. Compared to other individual collaboration apps such as Zoom Meetings or Cisco WebEx, it's more complete. 365 as a whole suite is definitely better as you've got all the office requirements solved by one software solution. I'll definitely recommend Microsoft Office to others.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
RPA Project Manager at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
Scalable with good availability
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about 365 Business is its availability."
- "We have OneNote, where you type something, and it's saved automatically, so if Microsoft could add that option in 365, it would help us avoid potential data loss."
What is our primary use case?
Mainly, we are using 365 Business for enterprise automation, which we are currently doing for one of our clients.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about 365 Business is its availability.
What needs improvement?
We have OneNote, where you type something, and it's saved automatically, so if Microsoft could add that option in 365, it would help us avoid potential data loss.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using 365 Business for more than 10 years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
365 Business is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft 365 Business is scalable. Almost everyone in my company uses it, so that's thousands of people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can't comment on the price because my organization handles the license, but I think I'm happy with whatever it is. I think an annual license should be suitable. A monthly license also works because it's good to have the option to stop subscribing after three months.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft 365 Business eight out of 10. I would recommend it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Operations Manager at Cognitive Global
Great storage capacity and provides total flexibility and accessibility from anywhere
Pros and Cons
- "Great accessibility and file storage."
- "Lacks ability to deploy on more than two devices per license."
What is our primary use case?
We're a small startup company and an IT solution reseller in Dubai. I'm the operations manager.
What is most valuable?
The good thing about 365 is the accessibility and file storage. Compared to the desktop of the old Office application, 365 has total flexibility and accessibility from anywhere. It's easy to use.
What needs improvement?
These days, most people have multiple devices but you can only configure 365 on two devices with a license. I'd like to see a license option for multiple devices. Licensing costs are quite high especially for our trainees who have no need for the fully-fledged 365. It would be helpful to have an option for smaller packages that have a reduced licensing fee.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The company hasn't needed technical support but we contacted them for one of our clients when they needed an upgrade. There were no issues.
How was the initial setup?
There are five people in the company using 365 and the initial setup was very straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
We're very used to Microsoft products and they're part of our daily activities. I'm sure our usage will increase.
I rate this solution nine out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft 365 Business Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2025
Popular Comparisons
Google Workspace
Amazon WorkDocs
Windows Autopilot
Datto Workplace
Quest KACE Cloud
Hypori Halo
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft 365 Business Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- What is the best way to ensure data loss prevention with Microsoft 365?
- What are the best-practices for migrating to Microsoft 365?
- VMware AirWatch vs SOTI MobiControl: What are the Main Differences?
- Parallels 2X MDM end of life - need a replacement - possibly also track transportation vehicles
- When evaluating Mobile Device Management, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- How to be GDPR compliant on mobile devices and how to avoid private backup?
- Do we need Jamf MDM?
- Why is Mobile Device Management (MDM) important for companies?