In an eBook
we published previously, we talked about some of the common mistakes to avoid
when migrating to Microsoft
Office 365 for the first time. These steps will help you to avoid
disruption to your migration process and ensure a smooth journey towards your transition
to Office 365.
Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (Formerly Office 365 ProPlus) Office 365 Enterprise E1: Office 365 Enterprise E3: Office 365 Enterprise E5: Price: $12.00/month (Based on annual commitment) $8.00/month (Based on annual commitment) $20.00/month (Based on annual commitment) $35.00/month (Based on annual commitment) Office applications included.
- Connect and empower every employee, from the office to the frontline worker, with a Microsoft 365 solution that enhances productivity and drives innovation.
- All Microsoft 365 plans allow you to view documents using the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote apps for iOS, Android, or Windows mobile devices. However, the features and files available to you depend on if you have a Microsoft 365 qualifying plan or non-qualifying plan.
But apart from the considerations discussed in the eBook, selecting
the right subscription plan is also one of the more crucial steps in an Office
365 migration. With several plans to choose from, it can be hard to pick the
right one for your business’ needs.
Here in this blog, we explain the commonalities and differences between the Enterprise plans on Office 365, available in E1, E3 and E5.
The Enterprise Plan, as the name suggests, is intended for
larger organisations, typically with 300 plus users or those with more complex
productivity, communication and collaboration needs. But there may be benefits
(like shared activation rights) that mean an E3 is useful to you even if you
are a smaller business. The following benefits apply to all Enterprise Plans:
- 99.9% guaranteed uptime and SLA.
- Enterprise email with custom email domain
address. - A license that covers up to 5 phones, 5 tablets
and 5 PCs or Macs per user. - Free FastTrack deployment support for up to 150
seats purchased. - 24/7 phone and web support with Microsoft (and
8×5 support with PA Managed Services).
There are three SKUs under the Enterprise Plan. These are
E1, E3 and E5 and they differ in these ways:
Desktop or mobile apps
One of the key differences in the Enterprise plans is the
availability of the apps in desktop, web or mobile.
- E1 includes only web-based Microsoft Office apps
(Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) plus email, file storage (OneDrive for
Business) real-time collaboration (SharePoint), communication (Yammer), instant
messaging and online meetings (Teams). - E3 includes all the features in E1 with Microsoft
Office apps available on desktop, web and mobile. Also includes email, file
storage, instant messaging, online meetings, real-time collaboration and
document management. Shared activation rights of the Office client is also a
feature of E3 (and E5) making it suitable for Citrix and RDS deployments. - E5 includes all the features in E3 plus advanced
security, analytics and voice capabilities.
Storage Space
All Enterprise plans start at 1 TB storage on OneDrive for
Business. For E1, 1 TB is already the maximum limit. E3 and E5 plans have the
option to adjust to 5 TB, which your administrator can configure. You can
request for more additional space on OneDrive for Business by contacting
Microsoft support.
Communication and Collaboration
Communication and real-time collaboration are key features
in Office 365, with multiple apps to choose from. You can stay connected using Teams,
SharePoint or Yammer.
Microsoft Teams is a hub for teamwork that allows you
to store, share and collaborate on files and host online meetings or send
instant messages. All E1, E3 and E5 plans allow you to do online meetings or
video conferencing for up to 250 people and live events for up to 10,000
people.
Microsoft Office 365 Login
SharePoint is a content and collaboration platform
designed to help organisations manage and collaborate on their documents and to
streamline and automate workflows. Communication sites and team sites for
department-level communication are available across the three Office 365
Enterprise plans.
Yammer is a corporate social networking service also
included in the three Office 365 Enterprise plans. As more organisations become
more social, Yammer can assist with cultivating and enhancing your workplace
culture.
Other Apps
Packed with other business applications, Office 365 is designed
to modernise and transform any workplace. App availability depends on the plan
that you are subscribed in, however.
- E1 includes Stream, a corporate video streaming app; Planner, for lightweight task management; PowerApps and Flor for low- to no-code workflow automation; ToDo for personal task management; and Delve, for easy search and discovery.
- E3 includes the features in E1 plus access to OneNote, for browser-based note-taking ; eDiscovery, for evidence use in legal cases; and manual retention and data classification policies.
- E5 includes everything in E3 plus advanced analytics and self-service reporting with Power BI Pro and allows you to make phone calls using Office 365’s E5 voice capabilities.
Security
Securing your information in the cloud is a top priority for
Microsoft. Each Enterprise plan has built-in and progressive security features
as follows:
- E1 has built-in Data Loss Prevention (DLP), mail
filtering and anti-malware. - E3 includes all the features in E1 plus eDiscovery,
for evidence use in legal cases and manual retention and data classification
policies. - E5 has everything in E3 plus sophisticated security
with Advanced Threat Protection, Advanced eDiscovery, auto data classification
with Advanced Data Governance and Office Cloud App Security.
Microsoft 365 E1 Plan
Note: Some of the security features in Office 365 is a cut-down version of what’s available in the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) suite. It is best to combine Office 365 plans with EMS plans for a more secured mobile IT environment. You can find the differences of the various EMS plans here.
For a more comprehensive list of comparison, you can check the Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise Plans here. You may also download the high-resolution infographic here.
Need more guidance with choosing the right Office 365 plan for you? Get in touch with us at 1800 126 499 or visit our website here.
The post Microsoft Office 365 E1, E3 and E5 Plans Explained appeared first on Enterprise Software Blog – Professional Advantage.
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-->Organizations with Phone System licensed users can assign either a free Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license or a paid Phone System user license to resource accounts. A Calling Plan isn't required. All auto attendants or call queues require an associated resource account. Resource accounts that require a phone number need a free Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license or a paid Phone System user license before a phone number can be applied to the resource account.
Tip
No license is needed for resource accounts that will be used with nested auto attendants or call queues that don't have a phone number assigned. See the following diagram for reference:
Virtual User license allocation
Your organization is allotted Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User licenses depending on its overall size. Any organization that has at least one license including Phone System or has Phone System added has 25 Virtual User licenses available at no cost. When you add 10 Phone System user licenses in your organization, one more Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license becomes available.
Note
Phone System is an add-on license available with Microsoft 365 and Office 365 E1 and E3. Phone System is also included as part of Microsoft 365 E5, Office 365 E5, and Microsoft 365 Business Voice licenses.
If your organization uses up the available free Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User licenses in creating auto attendant or call queue nodes, you can still use the paid Phone system licenses with a resource account. Most organizations will have enough Virtual User licenses based on the scaling plan.
License allocation example
Contoso, Inc. purchased 600 licenses that included Phone System (one for each employee). Contoso is allotted an initial 25 plus 60 Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User licenses, 85 in total. Their organization has 90 call queues and auto attendants that have phone numbers. They need to assign all the Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User licenses and obtain five regular-priced Phone System licenses.
Contoso should consider redesigning the auto attendant and call queue system. If they use fewer phone numbers and more nested nodes that don't need a phone number, they simplify the implementation and reduce costs.
How to buy Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User licenses
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Go to Billing > Purchase services > Add-ons
- Scroll to the end to find the Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license. Select Buy now.
Note
Keep in mind you must still Buy the license even though it has a cost of zero.
Change an existing resource account to use a Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license
If you decide to switch the license on your resource account from a Phone System license to a Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license:
- Get the new Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license.
- Follow the linked steps in the Microsoft 365 Admin center to Move users to a different subscription.
Warning
Always remove a full Phone System License and assign the Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license in the same license activity. If you remove the old license, save the account changes, add the new license, and then save the account settings again, the resource account may no longer function as expected. If this happens, we recommend you create a new resource account for the Microsoft 365 Phone System – Virtual User license and remove the broken resource account.
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