Is your business making the most of Microsoft 365’s potential? Known for its core productivity tools like Word, Excel, and Teams, many businesses don’t realise that Microsoft 365 offers advanced security, data analytics, automation, and collaboration tools that can transform their operations. This blog will uncover some of the hidden benefits of Microsoft 365 licensing and explore how our IT support in Reading can help you maximise your investment.
Unlocking the Advanced Features of Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a complete business productivity suite that is packed with advanced security, automation, analytics, and collaboration tools. However, many businesses fail to unlock its full potential because they aren’t aware of these features or they don’t have the right licence. Let’s explore the most valuable, yet overlooked, features that could transform your business operations.
- Enterprise-Grade Security & Compliance Features
The sophistication of cyber threats cannot be ignored by businesses. Having the right security in place is a top priority, which is where Microsoft 365 comes in. According to an article, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the most cost-effective package, with its comprehensive security features that help businesses remain compliant. This extends beyond maintaining compliance, with advanced protocols to protect sensitive data and prevent cyber-attacks.
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Provides real-time protection against phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks by scanning emails, attachments, and links.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Helps prevent unauthorised sharing of sensitive information by automatically detecting and blocking data leaks in emails and cloud storage.
- Conditional Access: Ensures that users only access business data from secure devices and locations, reducing the risk of breaches.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity with a second factor, such as a mobile app or SMS code.
- Compliance Manager: Helps businesses in regulated industries stay compliant with GDPR, ISO 27001, and other data protection standards.
- Intelligent Data Analytics & Automation
For businesses that rely on third-party analytics platforms, Microsoft 365 offers powerful data insights and automation tools to streamline operations and improve decision-making. This includes Power BI, which transforms raw data into interactive dashboards and real-time reports. Microsoft Viva Insights provides actionable productivity insights by analysing work patterns, helping businesses optimise meetings and improve employee engagement.
Power Automate allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks like sending notifications, processing approvals, and syncing data between applications. Finally, AI-powered search (Microsoft Search) uses artificial intelligence to instantly find relevant files, emails, and business insights to reduce time spent searching for information.
- Next-Level Collaboration & Communication
Microsoft Teams is a popular feature for businesses, seamlessly enabling them to conduct meetings and send messages. But Microsoft 365 offers additional collaboration features that enhance teamwork, streamline communication, and improve efficiency. For example, real-time co-authoring allows multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously, and loop components in Teams and Outlook let teams edit shared content (e.g., task lists and project updates) in real-time.
Furthermore, SharePoint and OneDrive integration provides secure cloud storage with advanced file-sharing controls, allowing businesses to manage access, track changes, and collaborate securely.
- AI-Powered Productivity & Smart Workflows
Microsoft is integrating AI across its 365 platform, making it easier for businesses to work smarter. These new features can automate tasks, generate content, and improve workflows. Firstly, Microsoft 365 Copilot uses AI to draft emails, summarise meetings, create reports, and automate repetitive tasks so employees can spend more time on high-value work.
AI-powered writing assistance features in Word and Outlook suggest grammatical improvement, rewording, and email summaries to help users communicate more effectively. Additionally, smart scheduling in Outlook and Teams uses AI to automatically find the best meeting times, book rooms, and even summarise action points from discussions.
Maximise Your Microsoft 365 with Us
Specialising in IT support for Reading businesses, at SolCo, we are proud to help businesses fully utilise Microsoft 365. We can help you make the most of your technological investments with our comprehensive IT services, including:
- Licence Optimisation: We ensure you’re on the right Microsoft 365 plan to maximise benefits without overpaying.
- Security & Compliance Support: We configure advanced security features to protect your business from cyber threats.
- Productivity Training: We help your team understand and use Microsoft 365’s hidden features to improve efficiency.
- Ongoing IT Support: Our IT services in Reading provide expert guidance, troubleshooting, and updates to keep your systems running smoothly.
Are You Making the Most of Your Microsoft 365 Licence?
Many businesses underutilise the features they’re already paying for, missing out on enhanced security, better collaboration, and powerful automation. With our expertise in Reading, you can maximise Microsoft 365 with ease. Contact us today to find out how our IT services in Reading can help your business unlock the hidden power of Microsoft 365.
