Microsoft Office 365 vs. Microsoft Office Suite: Which is Right for Your Business?

Regardless of what type of organization you run, there is always a need for a word processor, spreadsheet software, and email solution. You might already take advantage of Microsoft Office, but do you take advantage of the subscription service (Office 365), or do you purchase the software licenses outright?

The primary benefit of Office 365 compared to Microsoft Office 2016 comes from understanding the difference between the two. In particular, users and business professionals need to know that Office 365 is a subscription-based model, while the traditional Office 2016 suite is a one-time purchase. However, the differences don’t stop there. Here are three of the major reasons why your business should consider Office 365 as its primary productivity suite solution.

Office 365 is More Cost-Effective
When you consider the fact that small monthly payments fit into budgets easier than large up-front expenses, the benefits of Office 365 are clear. When purchased through Microsoft, Office 365 provides users with a discount for paying for 12 months ahead of time, allowing for further cost savings.

Office 365 Stays Up-to-Date
When using the traditional Microsoft Office suite, you would purchase the most recent version of the software. In this case, it would be Office 2016. However, in several years when the next version of Microsoft Office is released, users who paid up-front for their solution will have to, once again, shell out for up-front costs. A better option is to just pay for the Office 365 subscription, which will take into account all of these upgrades so that you’re always using the most recent version of Office--for no real additional costs.

Office 365 is More Flexible
Unlike Office 2016, which is a one-time download of your productivity solutions, Office 365 benefits from its subscription-based status by providing varied levels of service. If your current service plan doesn’t quite meet your expectations, you can change your plan to better suit your business’s needs. This type of flexibility is great for businesses that are growing or anticipating growth.

So, have we convinced you to switch to Office 365, or at least give it a shot? Either way, regardless of how you want to take advantage of Microsoft Office, Macro Systems can help you get started. To learn more, reach out to us at (703) 359-9211.