Three Signs It’s Time to Move to Microsoft Office 365

Each year, business leaders across the country sit down and decide what their organization’s primary objectives will be for the year ahead. Some organizations want to expand their customer base, while others want to streamline operations. And sometimes, it’s a combination of the two.

Is your organization taking a look at its IT operations for the year ahead? You might realize that switching to the cloud could be beneficial, and that perhaps your licensing fees for some of your software is getting a bit exorbitant as your business grows. This could be an excellent time to consider moving to Microsoft Office 365.

There is, of course, something to be said for “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and that’s how many organizations feel about their current Microsoft Office usage. They’ve been buying licenses of the tried and true software for years now, and everything has gone along just fine - so why make the switch? You might think that moving to the cloud is going to be a drastic change, but actually, the differences are almost non-existent on the user side since it’s the same software package.

Here are three signs that your organization should move to Office 365.

1. You’ve Been Considering a Move to the Cloud

Let’s discuss one of the biggest reasons why organizations decide to move to Office 365, which makes a lot of sense.

In today’s “work anyplace, anytime, anywhere” environment, giving your employees cloud access to the software and files they need is a huge productivity booster. The number one reason that companies become victims of Shadow IT is that their employees are trying to find ways around the current technology to make their jobs easier. Therefore, they do things like load files into their personal DropBox or Google Drive accounts, so that they can access them from home or work on them collaboratively as a team.

This essentially pulls your data out of your organization’s secure environment and introduces it into the unknown. Sure, your employee probably has absolutely zero intention of doing anything nefarious with the information - they just want to do their work and do it well - but when it’s no longer secure, who knows what could happen to it.

2. It’s Time to Renew Your Microsoft Office Licenses

If it’s time to make a purchasing decision regarding Microsoft Office, why not make one that gives your organization greater flexibility and control over your spending and provides added features while also potentially saving your organization money? By moving over to Office 365, you’ll eliminate the requirement to purchase new licenses for every user every time you want to upgrade to the latest version of the Microsoft Office Suite. Instead, you’ll purchase licenses on a per user, per month basis (that you can add or drop as needed), and that will include the latest and greatest editions of the beloved Office apps - as well as the other software that comes in the Office 365 bundles.

3. You’re Sick of Constant Updates and Patches

Hooray! One of the biggest benefits of Office 365 - or almost any cloud-based SaaS, to be honest - is that updates and patches are pushed out automatically. You’ll no longer need your IT team (or John from Accounting who’s your de facto IT guy simply because he knows how to fix the printer) to spend time updating each workstation as new versions of Microsoft Office come out, or pushing out patches and security updates to make sure your organization isn’t left vulnerable.

Are you interested in migrating over to Office 365? Learn how working with an MSP can help your organization streamline operations and make these types of technology transitions smoother with our free eBook What To Expect When You’re Expecting IT.