Office 365 Business Standard and Microsoft 365 Business Premium: Which Plan is Right for Your Business?

In the ever-evolving world of digital transformation, choosing the right productivity tools for your business is crucial. Microsoft offers a range of plans tailored to meet diverse business needs. Among the most popular options are Office 365 Business Standard and Microsoft 365 business premium. This blog will explore the features, benefits, and differences between these two plans to help you determine which one is the best fit for your organization.

Overview of Office 365 Business Standard

Office 365 Business Standard is designed for businesses that require robust productivity tools and services. This plan includes:

Office Applications: Full access to desktop versions of Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, along with Access and Publisher (PC only).

Email and Calendars: Professional email hosting with a 50 GB mailbox and custom email domain addresses.

Cloud Storage: 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user, allowing for easy access and sharing of files.

Collaboration Tools: Access to Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Yammer for seamless communication and collaboration.

Web and Mobile Versions: Online versions of Office apps and mobile apps to work from anywhere.

Overview of Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium builds on the offerings of Office 365 business standard by adding advanced security features and device management capabilities. It includes everything in the Business Standard plan, plus:

Advanced Security: Features like Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Information Protection, and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 to protect against sophisticated cyber threats.

Device Management: Microsoft Intune for mobile device and application management, ensuring that company data remains secure across all devices.

Conditional Access: Security policies that control access to your organization's resources based on user location, device compliance, and risk level.

Windows 10 Pro: Upgrade rights to Windows 10 Pro for all users, ensuring a secure and productive operating system.

Key Features Comparison

Productivity Applications

Both plans offer the full suite of Office applications, ensuring your team has the tools they need to be productive. However, the inclusion of Access and Publisher is exclusive to the PC version.

Email and Collaboration

Email hosting with a 50 GB mailbox and custom domain addresses is available in both plans. Additionally, tools like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Yammer are included to facilitate collaboration.

Cloud Storage

Each user gets 1 TB of OneDrive storage, enabling secure file access and sharing from any location.

Security and Compliance

This is where Microsoft 365 Business Premium shines. The advanced security features provided by Business Premium include:

Advanced Threat Protection: Safeguards against sophisticated threats hidden in email attachments and links.

Azure Information Protection: Classifies and protects documents and emails by applying labels.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Provides threat protection against malicious email messages and links.

Device and Application Management

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune, which allows for comprehensive device and application management. This ensures that your organization's data remains secure, regardless of whether it's accessed from corporate-owned or personal devices.

Choosing the Right Plan for Your Business

Consider Your Security Needs

If your business handles sensitive data or operates in a regulated industry, the advanced security features of Microsoft 365 Business Premium are likely essential. The additional protection provided by Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Information Protection, and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can help safeguard your data against cyber threats.

Evaluate Your Device Management Requirements

For businesses that need to manage a range of devices, including mobile devices, Microsoft 365 Business Premium's Intune capabilities are invaluable. Intune allows for the enforcement of security policies, remote wiping of lost or stolen devices, and ensuring that all devices comply with your organization's security standards.

Assess Your Budget

While Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers more features, it also comes at a higher cost. Office 365 business standard is more budget-friendly and still provides a comprehensive suite of productivity tools. If your primary needs are related to email, collaboration, and office applications, without the need for advanced security and device management, Business Standard might be the better choice.

Real-World Scenarios

Small Business Example

A small consulting firm with ten employees primarily needs reliable email hosting, access to Office applications, and collaboration tools like Teams. Since their data security needs are moderate and they don’t require extensive device management, Office 365 business standard would be a suitable and cost-effective choice.

Medium-Sized Enterprise Example

A medium-sized healthcare provider with 100 employees requires stringent data security measures due to patient information handling. They also need to manage a variety of devices used by their staff. In this case, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, with its advanced security features and Intune capabilities, would be the ideal solution to ensure compliance and protect sensitive data.

Conclusion

Choosing between Office 365 Business Standard and Microsoft 365 Business Premium depends on your specific business needs, security requirements, and budget. Both plans offer a robust set of tools designed to enhance productivity and collaboration. However, for businesses that require advanced security and device management, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the superior choice.

Ready to elevate your business operations with the right Microsoft 365 plan? Contact Cloud Galaxy today to learn more about how we can help you implement and manage Microsoft 365, ensuring you get the most out of this powerful suite of tools.