We are using the cloud-based version. We use it in an office environment and also in a school environment. It is performing great.
IT and Digital Evangelization with 11-50 employees
Product helps us be more efficient with a standardized way of doing things
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support is outstanding."
- "The product helps us be more efficient. It helps us to have a standardized way of doing things."
- "It is an excellent, stable solution for doing what we do in our business."
- "There are some complexities to the initial setup if you use some of the more advanced features."
- "It needs improvements around its compatibility with non-Microsoft products."
- "They should do more testing before product releases."
- "It needs improvements around its compatibility with non-Microsoft products."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The product helps us be more efficient. It helps us to have a standardized way of doing things. It is very compatible with other companies that we do business with, because they have about a 90% market share in that space. Therefore, it makes it where we can be compatible with the people that we do business with.
What is most valuable?
The whole Office suite of Office products: Word, Publisher, Outlook, etc. are fantastic. The whole suite of products is very good.
What needs improvement?
- It needs improvements around its compatibility with non-Microsoft products.
- They should do more testing before product releases.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not had any problems with the scalability. It has scaled to everything that we have needed.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is outstanding.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We switched from the PC-based solution (desktop) to the cloud-based. The cloud-based gave us more opportunities to be more flexible. It is easier to get to when employees are out of the office or at home. They can link in to the product, so it makes it very available.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. There are some complexities to it if you use some of the more advanced features, but for the basic install, it is very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing/licensing is easy to manage.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There weren't any vendors on our shortlist. We just decided to go to the cloud version. We were already using it in our desktop environments, so there were no competitors.
What other advice do I have?
It is an excellent, stable solution for doing what we do in our business. The product has my highest recommendation.
Most important criteria when selecting a vendor: reliability of the product.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Consultant at a tech services company
Great impact on project management and team collaboration
Pros and Cons
- "Great impact on project management and team collaboration."
- "The phone VoIP product provides genuine a unified communication solution."
- "Great impact on project management and team collaboration."
- "Security is still complex, but the admin console improving."
- "Constantly evolving with new features, which can be challenging for users."
- "Security is still complex, but the admin console improving."
What is our primary use case?
- Great set of productivity and collaboration tools
- Strong security, if properly configured
- Constantly evolving with new features, which can be challenging for users.
How has it helped my organization?
- Great impact on project management and team collaboration.
- Improved communication and documentation.
- SharePoint's great platform for controlled document storage and management of digital assets.
- The phone VoIP product provides genuine a unified communication solution.
What is most valuable?
- SharePoint: search, portal pages, collaboration
- Teams: project management, event management, and section teamworking
- Phone: VoIP unified communication with Skype for Business across mobile, VOIP handsets, and Teams. Good reporting and good value subscriptions for international calls.
What needs improvement?
Teams still has some shortcomings, however, new features and fixes being rapidly released. Security is still complex, but the admin console improving.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Trade IT is a Microsoft Partner.
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Office 365
March 2026
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Senior IT Network Administrator at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Eliminates server, hardware costs and downtime, new features are available immediately
Pros and Cons
- "There are no more server and hardware operational costs and downtime, updates, etc. for all the workloads available. Newer features and updates are available immediately. Can be managed from a single web interface. Cloud-based, so same experience for all users, regardless of location."
- "There are no more server and hardware operational costs and downtime, updates, etc. for all the workloads available, newer features and updates are available immediately, can be managed from a single web interface, and being cloud-based provides the same experience for all users regardless of location."
- "We have had some connectivity issues."
- "We have had some connectivity issues."
How has it helped my organization?
No more on-prem Exchange Server, all mail in cloud, no maintenance or server management.
What is most valuable?
- Exchagne Online
- Security and compliance
- Skype for Business
- Office 365 ProPlus
- SharePoint Online
- Yammer
- There are no more server and hardware operational costs and downtime, updates, etc. for all the workloads available.
- Newer features and updates are available immediately.
- Can be managed from a single web interface.
- Cloud-based, so same experience for all users, regardless of location.
- Licensing, billing, and accounting are available from the management interface.
What needs improvement?
We have had some connectivity issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
Three to five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No issues with scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
Very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously had an on-prem solution.
How was the initial setup?
Easy.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate other options.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it a 10 out of 10. I'm very satisfied with the product, with Microsoft, and the support provided by the tech. It's very good.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT User at a tech company with 51-200 employees
The solution is very fast and improves our organization by having less chances of issues arising
Pros and Cons
- "Reduces the manageability from physical server to cloud, with less chance of issues."
- "Setup is bit difficult."
What is most valuable?
- Very fast
- Almost too many features to work with
How has it helped my organization?
- Reduces the manageability from physical server to cloud.
- Less chance of issues.
What needs improvement?
- Performance
- Scalability
For how long have I used the solution?
One year.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Migration from Exchange.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
A nine out of 10.
Technical Support:A 10 out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Exchange server. We changed for service improvement.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
In-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Setup is bit difficult. Cost-wise everything is affordable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Principle consultant at Active Data Consulting Services Pty Ltd
Has been extremely reliable, stable, and deployment was simple
Pros and Cons
- "So far, substantial savings of approximately 30 to 40 percent vs the old licensing model."
What is most valuable?
- Rapid deployment of Office functionality to users.
- Ability to enforce global policies.
- Security.
Monthly subscription per user provides flexibility and a significant number of capable apps to leverage corporate data.
How has it helped my organization?
We have found Office 365's many features and apps to be extremely useful, beyond the usual Word and Excel, which most people are used to using. We've made extensive use of SharePoint, OneDrive, Yammer, and so forth, and are exploring the other capabilities of Office 365.
What needs improvement?
Many of the compliance facilities, whilst available, require a bit of 'digging' around the back end of the admin/security facilities. It would be nice to have industry/regional templates which could be adopted and customized to help get compliance settings made more easily, especially for user organizations that face a lot of compliance issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
About two years now.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No, deployment was very simple.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No, so far Office 365 has been extremely reliable and stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
So far no issues encountered, we have scanned a lot of documents without any issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
We worked with a Microsoft Partner and found the service to be excellent.
Technical Support:Very high.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Office 2007 before the upgrade, with various licensing scattered across the business. Office 365 gave us a consistent platform that could be easily rolled out. Also, the ongoing updates to Office 365 help reduce the workload on keeping apps up-to-date, especially if the IT team is small.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup was very straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We worked through a Microsoft Partner who helped us get Office 365 deployed across our organization.
What was our ROI?
So far, substantial savings of approximately 30 to 40 percent vs the old licensing model. Also, as staff numbers fluctuate, it is possible to keep the number of subscriptions in alignment with headcount. Monthly subscriptions for each user make the solution extremely flexible.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If you are a small business and/or have in-house technical capability, getting up and running with Office 365 is fairly simple. I suggest working with a good Microsoft Partner if the organization is large or disparate/distributed.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We spent a bit of time evaluating OpenOffice, LibreOffice, but Office 365 suited our particular needs very well. However, OpenOffice and LibreOffice are themselves good products and should be reviewed/considered for productivity applications. One of the main strengths of Office 365 is it runs on the Azure platform and has Microsoft behind it, which gives me a lot of confidence.
What other advice do I have?
We've been very happy with Office 365 so far. We're looking to see how else we can leverage the investment in Delve, Yammer, Forms, and other capabilities across the business.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Lead Engineer Solutions at a media company with 51-200 employees
Tools For Teamwork, Productivity, And Administration
Pros and Cons
- "Less overhead, work anywhere/anytime, and tools for teamwork, productivity, and administration."
- "The ability to work with SharePoint from within the Office applications is limited. (There is still a need for third party tools like Harmon.ie)."
What is most valuable?
Office 365, Skype for Business Online, SharePoint.
How has it helped my organization?
Less overhead, work anywhere/anytime. Tools for teamwork, productivity, and administration.
What needs improvement?
The ability to work with SharePoint from within the Office applications is limited. (There is still a need for third party tools like Harmon.ie).
For how long have I used the solution?
Five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Negligible.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Negligible.
How are customer service and technical support?
High level of technical support from Microsoft.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
On-premises: Office 1010/2013/2016, Sharepoint Server, Skype/Lync farm. We switched because of the ease of administration and reduced overhead.
How was the initial setup?
With the help of a clear project plan and adoption plan, implementation of Office 365 is mostly straightforward. SharePoint does need more attention. Mostly adoption issues.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Contact Microsoft about any pricing issues.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No.
What other advice do I have?
Adoption is key! Don't push it. Especially for users who are used to working with traditional tools, it will be hard to adopt a new way of work.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technology Advisor at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
It is a very easy, logical set-up. It provides us with collaboration and security.
Pros and Cons
- "We have greater ability to communicate and work on projects much more efficiently."
- "Skype for Business could use some help."
What is most valuable?
- Cloud
- Collaboration ability
- Security.
We are a remote/distributed company, so we need cloud functionality; collaboration is also key in a remote environment.
How has it helped my organization?
We have greater ability to communicate and work on projects much more efficiently. I can provide IT support for over 200 employees remotely.
What needs improvement?
Skype for Business could use some help. But, they constantly update and improve the full suite of apps.
The UI/UX feels a bit clunky. Especially compared to consumer Skype or Teams. There isn’t persistent chat, so it is hard to having on-going conversations. We actually stopped using it for instant messaging, but still use it for the CloudPBX/PSTN (landline calling) which works pretty well. There are some stability issues, but better than a lot of VoIP options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used it for 1.5 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Rarely have we had stability issues. Maybe 20 minutes of disruption over 1.5 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Office 365 scales extremely well.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have only had to use their support once, but they seemed proficient.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn’t really have a previous solution. We used a stand-alone email service and older versions of Office.
How was the initial setup?
It is a very easy, logical set-up and now they have an on-boarding wizard which looks helpful and offer FastTrack to help with on-boarding.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing is maybe the most confusing part of it – in fact there are certification courses just for licensing! But, we have had both the E3 and E5 levels and provides everything we need.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at Google at Work.
What other advice do I have?
Provide lots of training and roll out one app at a time for apps that are above and beyond standard Office apps. Reiterate that they can use cloud/desktop or both. Our users sometimes struggle understanding that the desktop apps have the same content as the cloud version.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Exchange Online and Skype for Business Online are valuable features.
Pros and Cons
- "Frankly, the features packed by Microsoft and the compatibility with Microsoft operating systems provides you the best options when compared with other options available in market."
- "The Microsoft Intune admin portal still needs some compatibility support to run on all browsers."
What is most valuable?
Exchange Online: It's the cloud version of Exchange Server and is pretty much easy to use.
Skype for Business Online formerly Lync Online: It's a fully fledged chat cum video conferencing tool. With the integration of Skype and Lync, the tool has now become more useful and helpful.
How has it helped my organization?
There were functionalities of the Lync 2013 client version that were not helpful, like connecting with people outside the organization and having better conferencing abilities. These have now been improved with the involvement of AT&T collaboration with Microsoft Lync. Moreover, Skype for Business Mobile is a more handy tool now.
What needs improvement?
The Skype for Business admin centre could be easier to use.
The Microsoft Intune admin portal still needs some compatibility support to run on all browsers. Presently, it requires IE 11.0 and higher version to work properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this product since it's complete launch, which was from March 2013.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The 99.99℅ uptime SLA guarantee provided by Microsoft ensures there are no stability related issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is cloud-based and is based on Microsoft Azure (IaaS and PaaS). This ensures high scalability and elasticity. I have never had any situation with scalability until now.
How are customer service and technical support?
Regular customer support is good enough for all when there is a problem. Apart from that, the community supports are there as well. I would recommend enterprise users to enroll for Microsoft's Premier support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used other solutions; however, I have assisted other users and administrators to migrate from Google Business Apps to Microsoft's Office 365 Enterprise and Business Premier environment.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is easy and user-friendly. On-screen guided instructions help make the complex process easy to use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing and licensing are pay-as-you-go, concept-wise. Plans are available per user per month or per user per year. These are available on Microsoft's website. Users or organizations can choose the plans according to their requirements and budget.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Frankly, the features packed by Microsoft and the compatibility with Microsoft operating systems provides you the best options when compared with other options available in market. You may Google or Bing the same for more comparisons.
What other advice do I have?
If you really need to move to cloud, compare all of the options, check your budget and requirements and subscribe to Office 365's trial pack, which is available for 30 days. Feel comfortable with the product.
If you feel that this product serves your requirement for the money you are paying, you may subscribe to Office 365 Enterprise. If in case you feel that this would cost you too much (for small business organizations), you may look for other cloud solutions like Google Business Apps or Google Apps and other cloud-based applications. You may look in Google for other cloud-based solutions.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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