Switch to Office 365, yes or no?

Unlike the earlier versions of Office, such as Office 2010, 2013 or 2016, Office 365 applies a new strategy. Instead of purchasing a one-time software package, you buy a monthly or annual service that always provides the latest version of Office. In addition, your files are now stored online in the cloud, which makes working together easier. If you make the one-off transition, you will be assured of an excellent Office work environment in the immediate future.

The transition brings with it many Quality of Life (QOL) improvements. This means that the fundamentals of the programs remain basically the same, but that their use is becoming easier and easier. This is reflected in the following benefits:

• All documents always available
  Because your documents are online you never have to worry about whether the right people have access to the documents on the right computer. Give them access to the shared folder and the files will always be available. You can even view the quotation on the way to the customer or from home.
• Available from any device
  Whether you use your desktop, your laptop or your phone; your files can be accessed anywhere. This makes mobile working even easier. You can feel free to enter the meeting with just your tablet without worrying about whether you can obtain all the necessary data.
• Flexibility in purchase
  Because Office 365 works on account basis, it is very easy to do invoicing and payments. You therefore do not pay more employees than necessary, and if you grow as a company, Office 365 grows with you.

But as is often seen, in addition to the benefits, there are a number of disadvantages/challenges to this transition. It is important to take a good look at how they affect your business before you make the switch.

• Dependance on the internet
  Although working in the cloud is of course very easy, you still are dependent on the internet. This means that if the internet fails, you will no longer have access to all options. If you work with subjects that are very time-sensitive, we advise you to keep (a part of) your files offline. Microsoft promises an uptime of 99.9%, which is more than enough for some, but not enough for others.
• The latest version needed
  Although Microsoft itself ensures that you always have all the new versions of Office, that is not the only requirement. For example, Office 365 requires that you use at least Windows 7 or newer. This causes problems for companies that still work with Vista or XP. It is therefore wise to take this into account.

When you decide to make the transition to Office 365, it is therefore good to take the above issues into account. We are happy to give you some tips to make the transition as smooth as possible.

• Check out the tools
  With the switch to Office 365 you can tackle other aspects of your organization at the same time. Go in search of the options! For example, consider whether you can make the standardization of your corporate identity easier to use with a tool like iWRITER.
• Full transfer or Hybrid?
  As mentioned earlier, it is sometimes useful to have a part of your files available offline. Knowing this, you can either make the complete switch, or decide not to transfer everything (initially) to the cloud. Make sure you make this choice in advance.
• Do a bandwidth test
  A cloud storage can be very useful, but if it turns out that your internet connection is a bottleneck, you will always be a step behind. Therefore, do the bandwidth test that Microsoft offers. You will not only be testing the speed but also the packet loss and the latency.