Microsoft has announced that it will be releasing a brand new product targeted at enterprise customers of all different sizes, and that brings together the different capabilities of its Windows 10 and Office 365 solutions – as well as offering a number of new ones for business management and security.
The tech company is calling this latest product ‘Microsoft 365’, and it will be released in two different forms. The first of these has been specifically designed for use by small and medium sized businesses and the other for use by larger organisations. The latter, titled Microsoft 365 Enterprise, will bundle together the Office 365 Enterprise suite with the Windows 10 Enterprise one. It will also provide those organisations that opt to sign up for it with the solution for the management of devices and security called Enterprise Mobility + Security.
Microsoft is referring to this version of the product as being the latest development of the solution previously called Secure Productive Enterprise. On the other hand, the version of Microsoft 365 that is being aimed at smaller firms is called Microsoft 365 Business. It pulls together Enterprise Mobility + Security, Office 365 Business Premium and a number of Windows 10 functions for management and security that have been selected by Microsoft for their relevance to the target customer base – which is firms with around 300 employees.
Those companies that decide to sign up for this version of the new product will find they have access to a single device security, management and deployment console that is centralised. The purpose behind this is to enable them to carry out these tasks in a more efficient manner, freeing up time for the companies in question to spend on other matters, which should help increase overall productivity levels.
This version of Microsoft 365 is expected to be available in its preview form by the start of August. Larger organisations may have to wait a little longer before they can try out Microsoft 365 Enterprise however, as Microsoft has not yet provided any details concerning a date of release for it. In the blog it posted to announce the product, the software company stated that it marked a major change in the way it would be designing, creating and marketing products to meet the needs of its many corporate clients, going on to add that:
“It’s a more cohesive approach and reflects the shift our partners and our mutual customers are making – from viewing productivity, security and device management as individual workloads to seeking a comprehensive approach to secure productivity.”
This is Microsoft’s latest subscription product, as the tech giant is keen to secure smaller fees on a regular basis from customers, rather than larger one-off fees.
It will be interesting to see the ways in which this enhances enterprise efficiency once it has been released. You can see how the products we provide at WM Reply do this now by getting in touch by email or phone.