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reviewer1389651 - PeerSpot reviewer
Certified Adjunct Faculty, School of Engineering and Computing at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Helps with preparing presentations but it should have more tutorials
Pros and Cons
  • "My primary use case is for preparing presentations to teach, often on PowerPoint."
  • "In terms of improvement, it should have tutorials when you first have the opportunity to use it, to be able to really learn it."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case is for preparing presentations to teach, often on PowerPoint.

What is most valuable?

I don't distinguish them much at all from what I can get to, just with normal software installed at the desktop. For example, the tool called OneNote, I have not used it because I don't see the need to.

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvement, it should have tutorials when you first have the opportunity to use it, to be able to really learn it.

It can be complex in the beginning. 

For how long have I used the solution?

It is on my HP, I've been using it for over 10 years. I don't actively use it. When I log into a faculty, the user interface takes all of us through a portal where Office 365 is the access to Office software. For regular desktop use, I've been using it for three years because I have it on my HP laptop. I am currently using it.

It's on the cloud because no matter what I did with it, saved files would be available on different machines, and sometimes it would be a way to work on PowerPoint and then pull them from that environment when I was at school.

Buyer's Guide
Office 365
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Office 365. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't seen it fail, in any kind of regard.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I didn't use anything that's similar to it. Just a device where all of the software has been individually installed.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not too complex. 

It didn't take any time. It just happened to be working from when I first connected, I did not have to do anything.

On my HP laptop, it came with the computer and it was supported by acquiring a license. I update with a license through Best Buy, for the software itself for the MS Access or for Word. Now with my school, the only way to be aware of Office 365 is when logged in as a faculty. Then we're using the software that they have provided and it's through a connection. It's not on the machine.

What other advice do I have?

Learn a bit before you try to use it. If you are going to experience the best features of it, get to know it first. Don't just ignore it.

I would rate it a six out of ten. I use it minimally.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director of Technology at FAFCO, Inc.
User
Cloud-based management is valuable and software deployment is positive
Pros and Cons
  • "Cloud-based management is valuable and software deployment is positive."
  • "Their support is so terrible and unusable except during dire emergencies."

What is our primary use case?

We use it throughout our business for email and documents. It has allowed us to stop maintaining SharePoint and Exchange installs.

How has it helped my organization?

It has allowed us to eliminate a lot of in-house infrastructure and has simplified our software licensing.

What is most valuable?

Cloud-based management is valuable and software deployment is positive. SharePoint, document sharing, and Skype have been helpful as well.

What needs improvement?

They should stop releasing new features and focus on making the existing ones work. Their support is so terrible and unusable except during dire emergencies.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Office 365
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Office 365. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
852,780 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Nauta69 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at Sociedad de Acueducto, Alcantarillado y Aseo de Barranquilla S.A. ESP
Real User
Provides a platform for collaboration between members of a business network.

What is most valuable?

It is an excellent platform for teamwork. Its raison d'être is the collaboration between the members of a business network. It also enables work material from diverse devices.

Here are some of the valuable features:

  • Ease of use with an intuitive environment
  • High availability
  • Speed of access
  • Quick response when requesting support
  • Extensive information on the web and from local partners
  • Short implementation time
  • Quick activation of services

How has it helped my organization?

The tools have made a positive impact on our organization. Here are some examples:

  • Some meetings no longer need to occur at the different venues of our company. They can use Skype for Business instead.
  • Many teams have formed groups through which they share work files. Team members are not necessarily in the same physical location.
  • Human resources and communication teams use Yammer for their ads.
  • Managers make approvals from their cell phones, thereby making the operation more dynamic. Other services have gradually been incorporated.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see a little more native documentation in more frequently used languages, such as Spanish.

There is very good documentation of the different modules and components, however, all are in English, and the product is widely distributed in Spanish speaking countries. It would be beneficial if the documentation is also in the second highest language: Spanish.


For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for seven months.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Once issue occurred when we moved large mailboxes (greater than 20 GB). That took a considerable amount of time to finalize. However, that could have been a result of the conditions and characteristics of the networks in our country, or our internet provider.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No stability issues for now. All is working out as expected.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No scalability issues for now. All is working out as expected.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer service is very good, especially by the local partners who give us advice and first line support. This is also true of the service offered directly by Microsoft.

Technical Support:

Technical support has been very good for us so far. Once a support case is opened, we receive a message very quickly that a technician was assigned to us. Within five hours, depending on the urgency of the case, we generally receive some communication in our language to solve the case.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Our previous solutions had of delay of about three years and had not been updated. In addition, they were only offering us mail, calendar, and a poor communication chat.

The change was necessary, given the peculiarities of the existing work in the company. We needed a platform that would allow a more dynamic and real collaboration.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was not complex. Everything required a series of steps and checklists to follow that allowed the implementation to come to a happy conclusion. The concern is to make sure that there are additional resources available when the implementation ends. This could be a high number of resources.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was done by the vendor team who is a strategic partner for our company for computer projects. The experience was very good. They have a large group of engineers and staff who are certified by Microsoft. They have many facilities in large and medium-sized companies, and they have been very effective.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing and prices are within the average range. They offer a good price for the services that are obtained. In addition, they offer various licensing plans depending on the required services, from the simplest to the most complex and numerous. The cost is proportional to the number of services.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before making the decision to purchase this solution, other options were reviewed. There were three finalists: Google Apps, IBM Notes and Domino Social Edition, and Office 365.

During the next round, we evaluated the last two options. After about five weeks of running PoCs, we decided to purchase Office 365.

What other advice do I have?

Plan the work that needs to be done well. Ensure that the achievements and actions of physical/human resources are planned in consideration of possible unexpected events. Plan accordingly in terms of communication or connections.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
IT Executive at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
Top 20
My most recent deployment went off without issue.

What is most valuable?

  • Exchange Online
  • SharePoint
  • Skype for Business
  • OneDrive

How has it helped my organization?

  • Removed support and infrastructure of legacy technologies.

What needs improvement?

Be sure you understand ADFS and, if you decide to go with it, what you get and don't get with it. Your users will want it.

ADFS was sold to overcome the issues with entering passwords in all your clients (Outlook, Skype for Business, OneDrive) but, if your password changes, you do have to manually update passwords in all of these clients.

Also, this does not get you direct access to the 365 portal or SharePoint without modifying links to use Federated Services.

This becomes an issue if you use generic accounts for the shop. It will work if each of your users are required to use their own ID. Also, note there is a cost for the Azure instance of ADFS (servers, compute, network, VPN).

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used it for nine years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Deployment went very smoothly even in its infancy. My most recent deployment went off without issue.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Others report stability issues and there are often warnings in the console but the service has been flawless for us.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not encountered any scalability issues. We have probably increased our user base 20% since inception.

How is customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

For general support, it is offshored and you open a ticket in the console. It works pretty well. For how-to's or best practices, you will need to have a good partner.

Technical Support:

Generally, the technician has a good idea what you are trying to do. There is often a handoff to a group that can actually DO the work.

Which solutions did we use previously?


How was the initial setup?

Our vendor assisted with setup using the Jump Start program. There are complexities with certificates, hybrid, etc., but overall, it went well.

What about the implementation team?

A vendor team implemented it. I would rate them 10 of 10 at the time. Since then, our resource has moved on but they still have a pretty good skillset.

What was our ROI?

I don't have my spreadsheet handy but the ROI was there. Microsoft also provided significant incentives to make the move.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

If it is an in-person query or reference, I do let them know the deal I got, as well as the approach that got me there.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Because of the significant investment we already had in Microsoft, this made the most sense; thus, I did not evaluate competitors.

What other advice do I have?

You may need ADFS; you may need a hybrid environment. Not everything necessarily goes away. Also, user management continues; it just moves to a new place (hosted/the cloud).

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Sales Manager at Essar
Real User
Has an upgraded version of MS Word and a better and upgraded PowerPoint

What is our primary use case?

It gives a platform to connect with your colleagues. Through Yammer, its cloud connectivity enhances its MS Office experience.

How has it helped my organization?

By employing cloud integration, its performance has increased. It has got an upgraded version of MS Word, and a better and upgraded PowerPoint, which are very useful.

What is most valuable?

Its cloud connectivity and integration of Yammer is best. It's a complete package for any office to use.

What needs improvement?

  • They should reduce the license fees....otherwise its the best office solution till date from the Microsoft.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Vijish Jain - PeerSpot reviewer
Vijish JainSales Manager at Essar
Real User

Its the Best version of MS Office.

reviewer1456368 - PeerSpot reviewer
BDR at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
MSP
Efficient task management and quick access to instructions save time

What is our primary use case?

I have been working with the full Office 365 suite, including Excel and PowerPoint. We also have it integrated with Copilot, which I use extensively for various tasks.

What is most valuable?

The design feature of PowerPoint is really effective. The email functionalities are convenient, and the entire suite serves our needs well. I also use automation in Excel and benefit from SharePoint workflows. Additionally, Copilot is integrated with Office 365, which saves me time by allowing quick access to instructions and facilitating the creation of presentations.

What needs improvement?

The search feature in email just doesn't work effectively. If it could be fixed, it would be excellent.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for five, six, seven, eight, or nine years.

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft's customer service is really good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was really easy.

What other advice do I have?

I have been a BDR manager and wish to remain fully anonymous regarding this review. I rate Office 365 ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Mostafa - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator at Suez Canal Insurance
Real User
Top 5
Office 365 Enterprise

Office 365 is one of my most used applications. I love the way that I can leverage the Cloud capabilities of my Office applications to access from anywhere. I have access from my phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, etc., and it is always easy. Outlook is nice when I do not have access to a laptop or phone (rare), and One Drive is my file collaboration solution. Although I like the functionality of One Drive, it can be frustrating if your IT team goes overboard on security. :) The single-sign-on we utilize at work keeps me signed in to all apps, and the applications load quickly and efficiently. Office 365 plus the 64-bit 2016 versions of the Office desktop applications is a great combination that I could not function without. I use Outlook, One Drive, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Yammer, and Skype for Business every day, so without them, I would be "dead in the water.

What do you like best?

I like how collaborative Office 365 allows me to be on my projects. Currently, a co-author and I are working in real-time on a project. I could see her typing and commentary while I was making corrections to the APA at the bottom of the page. We can also work asynchronously on projects, store them, and return to them. The ability to work in a browser ensures that I can review, make slight edits to the document, print, and then save. As a person who is moving from a campus computer to my computer, to my printer at home, to my office printer at work, this is about as fast as having a flash chip with me at all times, but I never forget it. It also integrates well with Citation software, similar to Word 10. We have a lot of files we share, and I like how easy it is to access from any location I'm at, as long as I'm logged into my university account.

What do you dislike?

One of the things I struggle with regarding Office 365 is what is the real difference between Office 365 and Google Docs/Sheets other than the price and privacy. At my university, Office 365 is free as long as you are a student or a researcher. As soon as I leave the school though, I'll lose access to Office 365, most of the work I've saved on the system. And while it's... nice? to have so much technology (meaning Access and the other programs that come in the suite) I never use Access but I "have to" have it. I wish it integrated better with my Google Calendar so I could have an app on my phone but if that feature is available I don't have it.

Recommendations to others considering the product

If you are going to be a full-time single user of Office 365, this might make sense if it automatically updates to the latest Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Publisher. It would make sense to pay a yearly/monthly fee to continuously have Word rather than having to buy the expensive office suite every few years or so. But, if you don't need to update to the latest software, if you aren't someone who needs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Publisher to be at their most flexible, and if you get around on Google just fine, I don't know if it makes sense to buy it as a single user. However, for large universities or companies that need flexibility, and collaboration for their employees, then Office 365 might be right for you.

What business problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?

I work on a lot of collaborative research projects and Office 365 lets me share files and reading and work with others. However, I really don't like their "calendar" system integration with Outlook, but I've never liked the Outlook calendar. I always use my Google calendar and I wish there was a way to sync those two, but as far as I know there isn't.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user702306 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user702306Works at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Real User

asdasdasa

IT Manager at MAGRABI Agriculture
Real User
Scales well and the technical support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is Microsoft Exchange."
  • "The security should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use is for email.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is Microsoft Exchange.

What needs improvement?

The security should be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for about four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable and easy to expand to more users. We have 200 people in our company who are using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is very good.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, this is a very good product.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user