Microsoft’s Office 365 E5 provides advanced enterprise solutions

The workplace environment is constantly changing and today’s environment is filled with opportunities, threats and challenges. The business that can readily adapt and take advantage of information while protecting its most critical assets will have a definite advantage over its competitors.

Microsoft recognizes the importance of helping in increasing the productivity and profitability of businesses using its Office 365 suite of applications. High quality and secure communications, collaboration, and data analytics are now key to a business’ success in an increasingly competitive world.

This is why, unlike previous Office 365 Suites, Microsoft has now merged Office 365 E5’s advanced features on security, analytics, and real-time communication into one single suite.

At a recent forum with tech bloggers and traditional media, Microsoft Philippines introduced us to the different advanced features of Office 365 E5 that are available to businesses.

Security

Malware, hacking, phishing, and other cyber attacks face businesses these days and if not caught in time, can create huge problems. Here are some of the more important Office 365 E5 security features:

* Advanced Threat Protection – many email clients scan links when an email is received. However, as the email sits in one’s inbox, malware could affect the link’s site. When you finally click on the link, you could be affected by the malware. This is what is referred to as a zero-day threat. With Office 365 E5, link scanning is done at the time you click on the link.

* Advanced Security Management – These tools help identify high-risk and abnormal usage, security incidents, and threats while also gaining enhanced visibility and context into Office 365 usage and shadow IT.

* Customer Lockbox – This gives a customer explicit control in a rare situation where a Microsoft engineer needs to access the customer’s data to resolve an issue or perform maintenance.

Analytics

* Power BI Pro – This provides live cloud-based business analytics. You can consolidate data from various sources on-premises and in the cloud, view dashboards with dynamic visualizations and KPIs.

* Delve Analytics – Big data and behavioral analytics reveal how activities drive business outcomes and help people manage their time better and spend it more effectively.

Real-Time Communications

Office 365 E5’s real-time communication features allow a business to manage calls, conferences and online meetings for as many as 10,000 people from anywhere in the world.

* Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Conferencing – Wherever you are in the world, you can join a meeting with a dial-in conference number. You can join a meeting from anywhere even if you do not have internet access.

* Cloud PBX – This provides each person with a phone system in the cloud that is tightly integrated with Office 365. We saw an actual demo where a blogger, using his mobile phone, dialed a cloud-assigned number and the recipient was able to receive the call on a laptop. This feature is very useful for office personnel who are out of the office but are readily accessible.