Office 365 Is Now Microsoft 365

In late April 2020, Microsoft announced that Office 365 will now be known as Microsoft 365. Microsoft’s goal was to make it easier for partners and customers to understand the value each product will provide.

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  Bill Wootton

  Chief Growth Officer

Office 365 Is Now Microsoft 365

In late April 2020, Microsoft announced that Office 365 will now be known as Microsoft 365. Microsoft’s goal was to make it easier for partners and customers to understand the value each product will provide. In the blog post announcing the rebrand, officials said the new names were meant to indicate that Office is more than Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; it also includes new apps like Teams, Stream, Forms and Planner. And even the existing core Office apps are different, officials said. They now include features that often require cloud connectivity and make use of AI. While there will be no changes to prices or features, the new names bear some explaining:

• Office 365 Business Essentials is now Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Office 365 Business Premium is now Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Business is now Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Office 365 Business is now Microsoft 365 Apps for business
• Office 365 ProPlus is now Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise

Again, features and pricing will remain the same.

Officials also claimed the name change will help simplify things. “This new approach to naming our products and the use of the Microsoft 365 brand is designed to help customers quickly find the plan they need – whether an enterprise, SMB or consumer plan,” a spokesperson said.

Some C3 clients who were still using Office 365 Business Essential (now Microsoft 365 Business Basic) OR Office 365 Business Premium (now Microsoft 365 Business Standard) have moved to Microsoft 365 Business Premium to take advantage of enhanced security features, especially now as their staff has moved to remote work environments.

As we’ve noted, the C3 Team is always happy to help you explore this option. We can walk you through the enhanced features and pricing. Contact us at {email} today!