The world’s best-loved and most-used productivity applications—like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint—are available on the free tier of nearly every cloud provider. So it’s no surprise that companies are turning to the cloud to solve their productivity problems. After all, who doesn’t need a little help in getting things done?
While the cloud can be convenient for storing and sharing files, it’s not ideal for running critical business applications. That’s why developers have started offering enterprise-class applications for AWS and other platforms. These apps offer reliable performance and meet all the necessary security requirements, so companies can feel confident storing their business data in the cloud.
Dell Inc.
One of the companies that’s stepping up to the plate is Dell Inc. The American computer company has seen its stock rise by 20% due to its commitment to being an ethical and sustainable business. To that end, Dell is partnering with the non-profit arm of Microsoft to offer a selection of Office 365 cloud applications to organizations that wish to remain on the good side of the planet.
Dell’s decision to offer a free version of Office 365 is to ensure that its customers have all the productivity applications they need to get their jobs done. While many businesses will choose to pay for Office 365, Dell is enabling those that want to remain on the good side of the planet to do so without having to break the bank.
With the world shifting to a software-defined workplace, organizations are realizing the importance of ensuring that their vital business applications are available anywhere, and on any device. To that end, Dell is responding with a flexible and affordable option that meets the needs of all organizations, large and small. It also means that employees will no longer need to purchase expensive and obsolete hardware to run these apps. This helps organizations achieve maximum efficiency while cutting costs and environmental impact. Overall, this is a great example of a responsible business approach that both shareholders and customers can be proud of.
VMware Inc.
VMware Inc. is another company determined to solve the productivity problem. This American software company became famous when it popularized virtual machines (VMs). These are software emulations of real physical servers that can be accessed from a variety of devices. While VMs are ideal for running multiple apps and operating systems, they can be a little pricey if you want to purchase a dedicated server to run your apps on. But for those that do want to run apps in the cloud, they’re offering an affordable alternative: their Virtual Appliance solution (VAS).
Just like with Dell Inc., VMware is also taking an ethical and sustainable approach. Since the majority of VMs are now powered by renewable energy sources, companies can cut their eco-footprint. This, in turn, helps improve their reputation and loyalty with customers and stakeholders worldwide. As a result, VMware’s shares have risen by 18% since the beginning of the year.
What is Office 365?
To meet the needs of small businesses, independent professionals, and even some household name brands, Microsoft has worked hard to develop a comprehensive suite of office products that can be hosted and managed on its cloud platforms. Office 365 is the result of all that effort, and it’s quite the comprehensive offering; so much so, that it’s often referred to as the ‘Office XXL’ package. When purchased, Office 365 comes with 6 months of free web hosting, as well as 50 gigs of cloud storage (this amount can be upgraded to 200 gigs).
For those that want more, additional plans start at just $5 per user, per month. To put this into perspective, if you have 1 user, this will be $60 per month. But some businesses (like mine) have multiple users, so this can add up quickly. In fact, Office 365 is often touted as being “for everyone.” Even those that don’t have a million-dollar budget can benefit from this flexible cloud solution.
One of the killer applications of Office 365 is the fact that it includes the world’s most popular productivity applications. These are the apps that help everyone get their job done, whether they’re a business owner, salesperson, or freelance professional. In particular, Office 365 has Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which are the world’s most popular word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation apps. These apps work well together, and they can be accessed from virtually any device.
This is important because it means that everyone in the organization, regardless of their location, can access these documents and collaborate on them. It also means that these apps can be updated easily and that patches can be deployed quickly when new versions are released. All of this has made Office 365 one of the most popular and most-used cloud applications.
Benefits of Office 365
So, what exactly makes Office 365 so special? First off, it comes with the world’s best-loved productivity applications—and that’s not just my opinion. According to a Microsoft survey, employees listed the apps as their top choice for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Another amazing thing about Office 365 is that it offers organizations a fully equipped desktop in the cloud, with all the required software already installed. This means that companies don’t have to worry about installing apps, configuring firewalls, or ensuring that sensitive information is kept secure. This is also a great option for those that want to collaborate with others, regardless of their location, device, or network connection. Plus, with Office 365, organizations get to keep all their existing applications and files, and they don’t have to worry about storing or backing up their data.
There’s also the cost factor to consider. When purchased, Office 365 comes with 6 months of free web hosting and 50 gigs of cloud storage. For some businesses, these might sound like a lot, but when you consider that you don’t have to purchase expensive hardware to use them, it’s easy to see how this could be a cost-effective option.
How powerful does it need to be?
So, you’ve decided that you want to try Office 365. Great! You can start by investigating the minimum hardware requirements. You don’t have to have the world’s most expensive computer or device to run this software. In fact, this article is written on a 2017 MacBook Air.
To be able to run Office 365, your computer or device needs to be able to run Windows 7 or higher, macOS 10.10 or higher, or Linux (operating system). In addition, it needs to have 4 GB of RAM, at least, and 20 GB of free hard drive space. (This can be increased to 100 GB, which is the max hard drive size allowed for small businesses on the free plan.)
To keep things simple, I’d advise against buying an older device or one with lower specs. It’s better to invest in newer technology, which provides better performance and allows you to take advantage of all the features.
Here’s another thing to keep in mind. While Office 365 is easy to setup and use, it does require a certain amount of expertise to set up and manage. Meaning, not even a tech-savvy individual can set this up and run it successfully without some training or assistance. (I had to contact Microsoft support to help me set this up.) This is mainly because of the fact that Office 365 is a fully fledged operating system, with all the programs and tools already installed. Therefore, if you don’t have experience with this type of setup, it might be a good idea to seek assistance from an expert.
A hybrid Cloud solution
To further increase their flexibility, many businesses are turning to hybrid cloud solutions. Sometimes, this just means that they’re utilizing multiple cloud providers, and sometimes it means that they’re using on-premise servers and storing data in the cloud. This is a perfect solution for organizations that need to keep up with the latest trends while also benefiting from the security and reliability of a larger company.
The beauty of a hybrid solution is that it provides an ideal environment for everyone. For example, Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff recently purchased a mansion in the suburb of San Francisco. The luxurious estate, which features a private golf course, contains 20,000 square feet of combined living space. It also has a swimming pool, tennis courts, and multiple parking spaces.
While this might sound like an extravagant purchase, Benioff used his personal fortune to make the purchase. He justified this by stating that he wants “every member of [his] team to benefit from having a place to call home.” Even those that aren’t wealthy can enjoy the flexibility and cost-savings of a hybrid cloud solution.