In a move towards a more cloud-centric solution for business, Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 at Inspire 2017 on July 10, 2017, offering a combination of Windows 10 Pro management enhancements, a subset of Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) and Office 365 Business Premium subscription. A single solution is being called as “Microsoft as a Service” by many industry analysts.
There will be two type of solutions offered in Microsoft 365, focusing for large and small-to-medium sized businesses.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise
Designed for large organizations, Microsoft 365 Enterprise includes Office 365 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security. It’s offered in two plans, Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5. Both are available for purchase on August 1, 2017. Pricing is unclear.
Microsoft 365 Business
Designed for small-to-medium sized business up to 300 users, Microsoft 365 Business integrates Office 365 Business Premium with tailored security and management features from Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security. It will be available in public preview on August 2, 2017, and will become generally available on a worldwide basis in the fall of 2017. It’s priced at US$20 per user, per month.
Microsoft also announced three tailored applications previews that are coming to Office 365 Business Premium and Microsoft 365 Business:
- Microsoft Connections – a simple-to-use email marketing service.
- Microsoft Listings – an easy way to publish your business information on top sites.
- Microsoft Invoicing – a new way to create professional invoices and get paid fast.
Microsoft is definitely going cloud in full speed.