Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs Premium: A Guide for Business Leaders
In recent years, Microsoft has revamped its office suite and business applications multiple times. Here’s a brief overview of these changes and what they mean for your business:
The Transition to Office 365
Microsoft introduced Office 365, transitioning nearly all users to a subscription model. This shift came with numerous new functionalities designed to enhance productivity and collaboration.
Service Tier Confusion
However, the existence of various service tiers meant that not all business users received the same features, leading to significant confusion among customers.
The Rebranding to Microsoft 365
Microsoft then rebranded Office 365 to Microsoft 365, bringing in additional features and reorganizing their business plans. This rebranding added another layer of complexity for business leaders trying to understand what each package includes.
The Current Landscape
Today, Microsoft 365 stands as a highly impressive and powerful business suite. Yet, many business leaders are still unsure about its offerings—specifically, what each package or pricing tier includes.
Gold Palm Technologies: Your IT Partner
At Gold Palm Technologies, we have been supporting businesses of all sizes with their IT needs. Our mission is to educate and empower businesses as they navigate the evolving business IT landscape.
Our Comprehensive Guide
With that goal in mind, we present our comprehensive guide to Microsoft 365 in 2024. This guide focuses on why Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the best choice for most businesses, offering a balanced mix of features and value.
Understanding the Four Levels of Microsoft 365 for Business
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
As the name suggests, Microsoft 365 Business Basic is the most basic offering available. It’s cost-effective at just $5 per user per month with an annual commitment. However, it’s not ideal for most businesses since it only includes the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Despite this, the Business Basic plan includes cloud services like Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint, along with the same security and compliance tools as the other bundles. But for businesses with office staff, the absence of desktop versions of the Office suite can be a significant drawback.
This bundle lacks PC and mobile device management and advanced threat protection. It also doesn’t include Microsoft Bookings.
For highly mobile businesses where users don’t need desktop-class Office apps, the Business Basic plan can be a cost-saving option. However, for most companies in 2021, it’s not the best choice.
Microsoft 365 Apps
Microsoft’s other budget plan is Microsoft 365 Apps, costing $8.25 per user per month on an annual commitment. This plan includes the full suite of premium desktop applications, such as:
- Outlook
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Publisher (PC only)
- Access (PC only)
It also includes OneDrive cloud services and web and mobile versions of the Office suite.
However, it lacks essential features like Teams, business email, and exchange support.
This bundle is suited for companies that haven’t fully embraced digital transformation. If all you need is the Office suite without additional services, Microsoft 365 Apps could be the right fit.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
For a more comprehensive plan, businesses should consider Microsoft 365 Business Standard. Priced at $12.50 per user per month with an annual commitment, this plan offers more robust features while leaving out some advanced functionalities for a lower cost.
Business Standard includes access to web, mobile, and desktop Office applications, along with standard cloud services like Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint. It also provides business email, calendaring, collaboration tools, and Microsoft’s security and compliance offerings.
Additionally, Business Standard users get Microsoft Forms, Lists, and Bookings, which can enhance both external and internal communication.
While the Business Standard plan is suitable for many businesses, the absence of certain features can be significant. Below, we’ll highlight the features reserved for Business Premium customers so you can decide if these advanced additions are right for your business.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the most comprehensive and expensive plan, costing $20 per user per month with an annual commitment. This plan includes everything in Business Standard plus additional features that can significantly transform your business operations.
Key Features of Business Premium
Cloud Services:
- Intune: A cloud-based tool for mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM).
- Azure Information Protection (AIP): Enables document discovery, classification, and protection.
Advanced Threat Protection:
- Includes access control tools, remote device wipe capabilities, Microsoft Defender, and more.
Device Management:
- Provides tools for managing both PC and mobile devices, which is crucial for growing businesses to ensure security and enhance employee experience.
For companies needing advanced features like MDM, advanced threat protection, conditional access, and remote device management, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the optimal solution. It’s also ideal for businesses partnering with Managed IT services firms, as these firms often offer implementation and support for these advanced frameworks.
Three Crucial Features Exclusive to Microsoft 365 Business Premium
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Conditional Access
- Manages who has access to what, when, and from where.
- Essential for protecting sensitive files and ensuring appropriate access.
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Intune
- Manages mobile devices and applications, ensuring company policies are enforced on all devices.
- Extends control to personal devices interacting with the company network.
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Mobile Device Management (MDM)
- Simplifies managing an increasing number of mobile devices connecting to the corporate network.
- Enforces IT policies, restricts software installation, and enables remote wipe for security.
These features provide businesses with enhanced control over devices and files, boosting productivity and security. Implementing these tools can be complex, and partnering with a managed IT services firm like Gold Palm Technologies can ensure seamless integration and maximum benefit.
Questions about Microsoft 365 Business Premium? Gold Palm Technologies Can Help!
Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers powerful tools that can revolutionize your business operations. However, implementing these tools can be challenging if you lack a technical background.
Gold Palm Technologies has been addressing IT needs for businesses across various industries. We are experts in the features and capabilities of Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
If you have questions about Microsoft 365 or need guidance on deploying specific components of Microsoft 365 Business Premium, our team is here to assist. We can manage the setup and implementation of advanced features such as conditional access, Intune, and mobile device management, among others. Whatever your organization requires, we can identify and implement the right solutions.
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