We all remember the days of loading up software like Microsoft Office on our computers via CD-ROM after receiving it in the mail or buying it at a software or office supply store. Those days are long gone, yet Microsoft Office remains a critical cog in the productivity of individuals within businesses. Today, users face a critical choice: Buy Office the old fashioned way or rent it.
Yes, it’s still possible to buy Microsoft Word or Excel as a bundle or even individually for installation on a single computer. Instead of the CD, we use Internet connectivity to download all the files required to install it straight from the Microsoft website once a product license key has been purchased from the online store.
Enter Office 365
Microsoft’s cloud-based Office service is called Office 365, as we’ve described here in previous posts (link). With a basic subscription, users can pay a monthly fee to have access to Office and install it on up to five devices. This means that not only can you use Office on your desktop, but also devices like your phone or tablet.
Additionally, Microsoft (who wants to incentivize users to lock in with the subscription service) has sweetened things even further by offering additional services like cloud storage through their OneDrive and 60 minutes of free Skype a month for international calling.
So, Run the Numbers
The economic hook is in the ability to install Office on up to 5 different devices. That, combined with the lack of need to go purchase a new copy of Office when upgrades are issued every few years adds up quickly. So $150 one-time versus $70 a year becomes both an expense savings (when upgrade time rolls around) and an added value with those extra services baked into Office 365.
Yes, it’s time to rent Office if you haven’t already.
With questions on how to integrate Office 365 into your business technology, please contact Superior Technology at 845-735-3555 or online at www.superiortechnology.com.
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