Office 365 updated with trio of new business plans

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 27 Feb 2013 at 15:30

Microsoft has updated the business versions of Office 365, bringing it up to date with Office 2013 and adding new subscription plans.

The consumer version of Office 365 was updated at the end of January, bringing in the new features from Office 2013. That's now been extended to the business side.

Office 365 is the subscription version of the productivity suite, with users paying a monthly subscription fee for access to the software and other online services, such as hosted email and SkyDrive.

Microsoft has now extended the number of subscription plans for businesses. In addition to the existing five business packages, as well as plans for universities and the public sector, Microsoft has added three new subscriptions: Office 365 Pro Plus, Office 365 Mid-size Business, and Office 365 Small Business Premium.

Office 365 ProPlus includes the full suite of Office applications, delivered as a service to up to five devices. "People can now simply sign in to Office 365 from any of their devices, and their documents and personalised settings roam with them, allowing them to quickly pick up right where they left off," the company explained.

ProPlus will be offered on its own for £10.10 a month per person, but will also be included in the Enterprise and Midsize Business packages.

The new Midsize Business version of Office 365 features ProPlus, as well as Exchange Online, Lync Online and SharePoint Online, Active Directory integration and admin tools. It will cost £9.80 per user, per month for companies of between ten and 350 employees.

Office 365 Small Business Premium is for firms with fewer than ten employees. It includes the Office suite, email, shared calendars, website tools and HD videoconferencing, and is designed to require no IT expertise to manage. It costs £10.10 per user, per month.

The full selection of Microsoft's Office 365 for business pricing plans are available here.

Business success?

Kurt DelBene, president of Microsoft Office, said Office 365 for business "delivers capabilities that far surpass anything available in browser-only solutions", taking a dig at Google's web-based productivity software.

Microsoft claimed Office 365 was the fastest growing business in the firm's history, with one in five enterprise customers moving to 365, up from one in seven last year.