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Upgrade or change to a different Microsoft 365 for business plan

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When your business needs change, or you want more features, you can change to a different Microsoft 365 for business plan. Most of the time, you can change plans automatically. An automatic change walks you through the entire process from beginning to end. After you buy a new plan, all users are automatically assigned licenses in the new plan, and your old plan is canceled for you. In some cases, you can't automatically change to a new plan, and instead must change plans manually .

Before you begin

• Find out what type of billing account you have.
• If you have a Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) billing account type, you must be a billing account owner or contributor, or a billing profile owner or contributor to do the tasks in this article. For information about billing account and billing profile roles, see Understand your Microsoft business billing account and Manage your Microsoft business billing profiles .
• If you have a Microsoft Online Services Agreement (MOSA) billing account type, you must be a Global or Billing admin to do the tasks in this article. For more information, see About admin roles in the Microsoft 365 admin center .

If you’re the person who signed up for the subscription, you’re automatically a billing account owner or global admin.

When should I change plans?

Changing plans is the right choice when you want to move all users assigned to a single plan. When you change plans, all users in the current plan are assigned licenses for the new plan at the same time. If you only want to move some users to a new plan, buy a new plan with the number of licenses you need, and assign those licenses to the users that you want to move. For more information, see Move users to a different subscription .

Automatically change your subscription to a new plan

If you have an mca billing account type.

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

• If you’re using the Simplified view , select Subscriptions .
• If you’re using the Dashboard view , go to the Billing > Your products page.
• Select the subscription that you want to manage.
• On the subscription details page, in the Other subscription options section, select Change to a different subscription option .
• On the Compare products and select another option page, select a different plan to compare with your current plan. When you find the one that you want to buy, select Next .
• Choose when to schedule the change, enter the number of licenses that you want, select a subscription length and a billing frequency, then select Next .
• Review your selections, then select Save changes .

If you have an MOSA billing account type

If the View upgrades recommended for your org link is grayed out, see Why can't I change plans?

• On the Available upgrades page, find a new product, then select Upgrade .
• On the Checkout page, select or add a payment method, then select Place order .

After you place the order, it might take a few minutes to finalize the change. You can start using your new subscription right away.

Why can't I change plans?

The information in this section only applies if you have an MOSA billing account type.

If you can't select the View upgrades recommended for your org link, it means that you can't automatically change your plan right now. In some cases, you can resolve the issue so that you can view available plans. In other cases, you can change plans manually , instead. The following table lists issues you might encounter when you try to change your plan, and tells how to resolve them.

What does automatically changing plans do to my service and billing?

When you change plans automatically, your services and billing are affected in the following ways.

Access to services

• Admins: Admins can't make changes to the subscription details page while the change is in process, but you can use the rest of the admin center. The change between plans can take up to an hour.
• Users: Users experience no interruption of service during the plan change. They continue to have the existing service until the change is finished.

Users and licenses

• Users: Users on the old subscription are automatically moved to the new subscription.
• Services: If your old subscription includes multiple services, and if you changed which of these services your users are assigned to, make note of these changes before you change plans. Your notes can help you can recreate these changes afterwards. All users are given access to all services in the new subscription. For example, if you previously bought Microsoft 365 Business Premium for all 10 of your users, but you unassigned the SharePoint Online service from five of them, this change isn't kept after you change plans.
• License assignments: If you have more than one subscription before you change plans, and users have licenses to more than one subscription, this assignment pattern is kept as much as possible in the new subscription.
• Data: All user data is retained during the change, including Exchange mailboxes and SharePoint Online documents, lists, and other information.

The day your plan change is complete, the billing on your old subscription is turned off and the billing on your new subscription is turned on. Depending on the new plan you selected, you might receive a prorated credit. You receive a new invoice that includes the credit for your old subscription within 30 days of changing to the new subscription.

The length of time it takes to receive your prorated credit depends on the payment method used for the old subscription.

Change plans manually

Most of the time, you can change plans automatically. However, sometimes this isn't possible. You can change plans manually if:

• You can't select the View upgrades recommended for your org link.
• When you select the View upgrades recommended for your org link, the plan you want isn't listed.
• You don't want to move all your users to the same plan. Some businesses need different users licensed for different plans.

If you're changing to a plan with fewer data-related services than your current plan, you must manually back up any data that you want to keep. For more information, see Back up data before changing Microsoft 365 for business plans .

Step 1: Buy a new subscription

Already bought a new subscription? If you already have the subscription that you want to move users to, skip this step and go to Step 2: Check your new subscription and licenses .

Need to buy a new subscription and licenses? Follow the steps in Buy a different subscription .

Make sure that you buy a subscription for the same organization that the users are in now. For example, check the email addresses for the users that you want to move. If their email addresses include @contoso.com , you must buy a new subscription for contoso.com. Buy a license for each user that you want to move.

Step 2: Check your new subscription and licenses

In the Microsoft 365 admin center , go to the Billing > Your products page, then do the following:

• Verify that both the old and new subscriptions are listed and active. The subscription that you're moving users from and the subscription that you're moving users to must be listed together. If the new subscription isn't there when you first check, try again later. Verify that both subscriptions are listed as Active .
• Check that you have enough licenses for each user. Each user needs a license that matches their subscription. If you want to move 10 users to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, make sure 10 unassigned licenses are available in that subscription.
• Need more licenses for the new subscription? Go to the Your products page, select the subscription, and buy more licenses .

The new subscription isn't listed, or isn't active

If you bought two subscriptions and they aren't both listed on the Your products page, you might have bought them for different organizations (for different domains). Subscriptions can't cross organization boundaries.

If you know you have another subscription, and it isn't listed here, or isn't active, contact support .

What about old licenses?

The licenses for the current subscription are removed in Step 4: Cancel subscriptions or remove licenses that you no longer need (Optional) . After that, you only pay for the new licenses.

Step 3: Move users to the new subscription

After you confirm the number of licenses in your new subscription, you can move users from the old subscription to the new one .

Step 4: Cancel subscriptions or remove licenses that you no longer need (Optional)

If you moved all users from one subscription to another, and you don't need the original subscription anymore, just cancel the subscription .

If you have an MCA billing account type, you can only cancel and receive a prorated credit or refund if you cancel within seven days after the start or renewal of your subscription. If you cancel during this limited time window, the prorated amount is either credited towards your next invoice or returned to you in the next billing cycle. For details, see Determine your cancellation option .

If you moved only some users to a different subscription, remove licenses that you no longer need .

If you upgraded to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, use the steps in the Business Premium library to set up your new security capabilities.

Visit the Microsoft 365 Business Premium library

Related content

Move users to a different subscription (article) Try or buy a Microsoft 365 for business subscription (article)

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Additional resources

Decision: Microsoft 365 Apps for Business or Enterprise

Last updated: May 19, 2023

10 min read

Table of contents

In this article, you’ll find an in-depth exploration of each plan. Ultimately, you’ll have a clear picture of which version best suits you and your Business (or Enterprise). You’ll also discover what infrastructure you should put in place to ensure everything is secure. 

Two versions of Microsoft 365 Apps, three types of plans

Within the two options of Business and Enterprise, there are three tiers.  

This means you actually have a choice of six plans.  

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business Plans

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business was formerly known as Office 365 Business . That was until Microsoft embarked on a rebrand in early 2020. The company said the changes were made to represent ‘our vision for the future of Microsoft productivity tools – an integrated set of apps and services that puts artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge innovations to work for you.’  

Today, these changes mean you can choose from Basic (formerly Office 365 Business Essentials), Standard (formerly Office 365 Business), and Premium (formerly Office 365 Business Premium).

Microsoft Apps for Enterprise Plans

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise also changed its name and was previously known as Office 365 ProPlus.  

You’ll now find three tiers. Microsoft 365 F3 is the entry-level tier, then Microsoft 365 E3 , and finally Microsoft 365 E5 . People often refer to them as F3, E3, and E5 licenses. 

Microsoft 365 Business  vs. Enterprise: Exploring the familiar Microsoft 365 apps  

Some Microsoft apps, tools, and features are included across all three tiers in both Business and Enterprise.  

Others are partly included, with caps on usage or limits on the types of devices. So first, let’s examine some of the more familiar offerings:

Office apps

All three tiers in Business and Enterprise come with web versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Users can have these apps available on up to 5 phones and five tablets (iOS and Android).  

However, only Standard and Premium (Business) and E3 and E5 (Enterprise Office 365) also include desktop versions. Access and Publisher are only available on desktop, so if you need either of these apps, you’ll need a plan that isn’t Basic or F3.

Email and calendar

The three tiers within Microsoft 365 Apps for Business (Basic, Standard, Premium) offer users a 50GB mailbox. There’s also Exchange for business-class email on the phone, tablet, desktop, and web.  

Users can also manage appointments using a shared calendar. Features include scheduling, availability, and reminders. Admins also benefit from anywhere access to set up new emails, restore deleted accounts, and create custom scripts.  

For Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, E3 and E5 tiers come with a 100GB mailbox, Outlook desktop client, email archiving, Microsoft Bookings, online booking, and scheduling app.  

The F3 tier comes with a 2GB mailbox, Outlook is web-only, and there’s also no integration for Outlook or voicemail.

File storage and sharing

Each Microsoft 365 Apps for Business tier includes 1TB OneDrive cloud storage. OneDrive and SharePoint files are accessible and synced across devices. There are also options for external sharing and sharing permissions to help manage security.  

More significant differences are between Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise tiers. The F3 tier comes with 2GB OneDrive personal storage. However, E3 and E5 plans come with 1TB OneDrive cloud storage plus 10GB storage per license. There’s also unlimited OneDrive personal storage, external sharing capabilities, plus sharing permissions for security.

Naturally, both plans include access to Microsoft Teams.  

You can host online meetings and video calls and chat through mobile or desktop with colleagues. Files and apps are available, so online collaboration is a breeze. However, Microsoft 365 Apps for Business has a limit of 300 users. Plus, if you want to host webinars, you’ll need Standard or Premium.  

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise offers teamwork tools for an unlimited number of users. Also, its top two tiers (E3 and F5) include live event and webinar functionality, with attendee registration, email confirmation, and reporting. E3 and F5 also include a phone system and audio conferencing.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise vs Business: Exploring the next-generation apps

So far, we’ve looked at some of the more common Microsoft Office 365 features. For example, file sharing storage. Now let’s examine some areas where Business and Enterprise have a more precise separation.

The Business plan includes Exchange Online Protection for guarding email against spam, malware, and known threats. There are also 1,000+ security and privacy controls, security groups, custom permissions, and password reset policies.  

However, only the Premium tier of Microsoft 365 for Business offers what Microsoft classifies as Advanced Security. This covers zero-day threats, ransomware, and other sophisticated forms of malware that can significantly impact day-to-day operations. The Premium tier also offers security policies that can be applied to iOS, Android, and Windows PCs.  

There’s also a setup wizard configuring security features and settings and options to automatically deploy Office apps to Windows 10 PCs. However, these device management tools are only available with Microsoft 365 Business Premium.  

For Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, you’ll find a host of advanced security features. These include:

Endpoint and app management

All Enterprise plans give you Mobile Device Management, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Endpoint Analytics, and shared computer activation for Microsoft 365 Apps. These apps are built to help you measure employee productivity and customer experience – two areas where many modern businesses compete to gain an advantage.

Threat protection

A similarly comprehensive threat protection list is available to all Enterprise users. These include Microsoft Defender Antimalware, Microsoft Defender Firewall, Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard, BitLocker, and Windows Information Protection. Given how security threats have evolved from the perimeter to end-users, these forms of advanced defense solutions have become business-critical .

Identity and access management

The rise in remote working and dispersed organizations is well documented. That’s why it’s never been more important to make sure only the right people have the proper access at the right time. That’s also why Microsoft 365 Enterprise Apps offers Self Service Password Reset, Advanced Security Reports, Multi-factor Authentication, and Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics.

Information protection

Only E5 offers Machine Learning-based sensitivity labels, Advanced Office Message Encryption , Endpoint DLP. Also, only E5 offers the full suite of retention policies, including Machine Learning-based retention.

Information governance

You have multiple options for applying sensitivity labels for specialized governance, although Machine Learning is only available with E5. Encryption is available in all Enterprise plans, although Advanced Office Message Encryption is limited to E5.

Insider risk management

These features are mostly only available in the E5 plan of Microsoft 365 Enterprise Apps. For example, Communication Compliance, Customer Lockbox, Information Barriers, and Privileged Access Management.

Microsoft 365 Apps: Knowledge, insights, and content

We’ve discussed the features and benefits of each plan. However, the third element to factor in is your long-term strategy.  

Check out how Microsoft describes its Business and Enterprise plans. The words offer a clue into the potential use cases. They also may help you decide from a strategic angle and what you want to achieve with Microsoft 365 apps.  

Here’s the heading for Business: “Pick the right productivity solution for your business.” Notice its focus on productivity.  

And here’s the heading for Enterprise: “Transform your enterprise with Microsoft 365.” Notice its focus on transformation.  

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise includes a range of apps for workplace transformation.  

Microsoft Graph API helps you unlock insights within your data. You can analyze users’ productivity, uncover collaboration patterns, and even build intelligent apps.  

Tier E5 gives you access to Power BI Pro. This self-service tool enables you to build real-time visualizations of enterprise performance. You can then use these insights to inform your strategic decisions. What’s more, all Enterprise plans include Power Apps and Power Automate for Microsoft 365. Users can build applications and automated workflows to transform their business processes.

Cloud-based considerations

The rise of cloud computing partly drove Microsoft’s decision to rebrand Office 365 apps as Microsoft 365 apps. Indeed, the press release refers to a vision of being ‘the world’s productivity cloud.’ So naturally, the cloud should also figure highly in any security considerations.  

The apps are available for desktop and browser. Of course, the cloud is a crucial way to gain a competitive advantage, particularly for early M365 adopters . With potentially up to 15 devices per user to manage, this presents many endpoint security challenges, particularly when your business is scaling and hiring more employees. 

While offering these cloud-based options is essential, putting specific security systems in place is equally essential. To ensure smooth remote management and specialized governance , look at the following:

If you have 300+ users, you’ll need an Enterprise plan. Also, consider how often you have to deploy the hardware. Perhaps if your business is growing and you’re taking on new team members who need devices that you may need to manage remotely.

Connectivity

Will employees always have access to a reliable and fast internet connection? If not, they may need desktop versions of Microsoft Apps. Bear in mind these aren’t available in Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Microsoft 365 Enterprise F3.

Audits and compliance

The rise in data-related directives is constantly asking new questions for those tasked with ensuring cloud-based compliance. Mainly if you’re operating in regions where privacy is a key concern. Only E5 offers Office 365 Cloud App Security and Microsoft Cloud App Security. Basic Audit is available in all Enterprise plans. However, for advanced auditing and advanced eDiscovery, you’d need the E5 tier.

How to have advanced security without Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

You may want the advanced security capabilities of Microsoft, but not want to invest resources in maintaining and monitoring everything. After all, there’s always the risk of over-provisioning. Plus, you may not wish to get locked into Enterprise-level pricing.  

Of course, all plans come with phone and web-based online support and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. However, you’ll need to decide if this level of security is enough and whether you want to spend time troubleshooting.  

For example, take one of Microsoft’s most advanced security add-ons – Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure Advanced Threat Protection). It offers a suite of features for identifying attacks, including learning-based analytics that monitor user behavior and entity behavior. It’s a crucial tool when defending your infrastructure in hybrid environments, where your security is only as strong as your weakest link. And also, only available with Microsoft 365 E5. 

Microsoft for Business offers protection for ‘known’ threats. However, modern cyber threats often have to deal with unknown or emerging threats too.  

Fortunately, there’s another way.

Introducing Syskit Point

Enabling collaboration while enabling security is an ongoing challenge for IT admins. Especially with pressure coming in from multiple angles.  

You’ve got employees’ needs and expectations around hybrid, remote, and flexible work. There’s the wider industry, where new competitors and cyber threats continue to evolve and emerge. And there are also your customers, now used to 24/7 connectivity and on-demand self-service.  

With so many angles to deal with, you need one central point for your app security and governance. In other words, you need Syskit Point. Here are six ways Syskit Point supports you:  

Detect unauthorized changes , permissions, and sharing so you can act on potentially suspicious and malicious activity.  

Schedule periodic access reviews so only the right people have the proper access to the correct files.

Enjoy a single pane view of your Microsoft Office 365 environment and ownership, spanning Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and more.

Syskit Point includes Microsoft 365 provisioning features to keep usage and creation efficient and secure. You can customize approval flows and processes and apply relevant governance policies.

Get in-depth analytics that show user activities, interaction, and more .

Manage policy governance from one central location. Auditors can simplify and automate reporting, while admins can control and ensure security and compliance.

Book a free demo to explore what Syskit can do for your business (or enterprise).

Discover, secure, and control M365

Manage your company’s Microsoft 365 ecosystem with Syskit Point, a scalable platform that will help you govern and secure your environment while giving you deep visibility into your entire inventory.

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Compare all Microsoft Office 365 Plans in one Overview

The Microsoft Office 365 plans offer great tools for businesses and enterprises to fully work in the cloud. Microsoft has changed the names of most plans to Microsoft 365 but also kept partially the Office 365 label. Comparing all the plans together on the Microsoft site can sometimes be a bit challenging, so to help you out I have created an overview to compare all office 365 plans.

If you have a small business with less than 300 users, then the most interesting plans are the Microsoft 365 Business plans. Large organizations will have to look at the Office 365 Enterprise and Microsoft 365 plans.

I have also written a couple of articles where I go more into detail between the different plans, you can find the links further down in the article.

Microsoft Office 365 Comparison Chart

The table below will help you to compare the Office 365 plans. The prices are based on an annual subscription model. Enterprise plans are only available in a yearly agreement.

Note Microsoft added new plans without Teams wich are only available in the European Union. These plans are less expensive. Read everything about it in this article

Microsoft 365 Business plans

For most small businesses is the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan the best choice. With a price of $12.50 per user per month, you get the full Office 365 suite, with the desktop apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc. Everything you need to get your business started in the cloud. If you also want to fully manage your devices (computers, mobile phones) or make use of advanced threat protection, then take a look at the Business Premium plan.

Office 365 Enterprise plans

The Enterprise plans can also be used by companies with less than 300 users, but they are more meant for companies that also need Active Directory integration or features like Litigation Hold and eDiscovery. You get more storage for Exchange Online, OneDrive, and SharePoint with the Enterprise plans.

You can check the prices for your country or buy one of the Office 365 plans here at Office.com

Microsoft Office 365 license comparison

Start with an microsoft office 365 trial.

It can be difficult to select the right plan for your business with the many options that are available for Office 365. It’s good to start with the comparison of Office 365 plans, but keep in mind that you can also start with an Office 365 Trial . This way you can see what will work for your organization.

You can use your own domain for the trial, but only do that when you are really sure you are going to proceed with Office 365. Otherwise use a temporary domain, like Contoso-lab01, to test out Office 365.

There are a couple of trails available, Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium and Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E5 . If you have a small company, with less than 50 employees I recommend starting with a Microsoft 365 Business Premium trial. The business plans give you some nice features like Invoicing and Outlook Customer Manager which can be really useful in smaller companies.

If you have more than 50 employees I would recommend going for the Enterprise solution. It’s more expensive, but the Compliance and Information Protection services will help you protect your data and make it easier for you to comply with Business regulations and industry standards.

Comparing the plans side-by-side

I have written multiple in-depth articles about the differences between specific plans. These articles will help you when you can’t choose between E3 and E5 for example.

Microsoft 365 F1 vs Office 365 E1

I got a lot of questions on what the differences are between the Microsoft 365 F1 plan and the existing Office E1 plan. I worked out the details between them, you can read more about it in the in-depth article Microsoft 365 F1 vs Office 365 E1

Office 365 E1 vs E3

Do you want to know when Office 365 E1 is sufficient and what the differences are with Office 365 E3? Check out this article where we go into the differences between the two.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium vs Office E3

They look almost the same, but there is a huge price difference between these two plans. Want to know what these differences are and if E3 is worth the extra money? You can read all the details here in this article .

Microsoft 365 Business Plans

Are you a small business and do you want to know which Microsoft 365 Business Plan is the best fit for you? Then you should check out this article with all the details you need to know about the Business Plans.

Microsoft 365 Plans

Interested in Microsoft 365 as well? Take a look at this article where I explain the differences between Office 365 and Microsoft 365

Wrapping Up

Microsoft offers a lot of different plans, but in general, they offer you a lot of flexibility and can really help your business to grow. I hope this article helped you to compare Office 365 plans. If you have any questions, then just drop a comment below.

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How to choose the right Microsoft 365 for Business plan

Microsoft’s business plans are aimed in particular at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) . The Microsoft business plans are called Business Basic, Apps for Business, Business Standard and Business Premium. Included in all four business plans are Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive applications.

Microsoft business plans vs. Office home plans

What are the 4 microsoft business plans, the essentials in a nutshell, business basic in detail, apps for business in detail, business standard in detail, business premium in detail, microsoft 365 business solutions from ionos.

All information in this article is correct as of August 2023.

The difference between Office plans for individuals and those for SMBs is what you get with them. For the the private sector , Microsoft offers plans that include the usual programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. For companies, the plans include additional or business-optimized services that simplify collaborative work processes.

Microsoft 365 small business plans offer you familiar and trusted Microsoft applications as an online app or installable component. Microsoft also grants you access to useful tools and programs that primarily help you to develop, manage and advance collaborative projects as well as facilitate internal and external communication.

Microsoft 365 is available for small and medium-sized businesses in four different plans for up to 300 people:

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 apps for business, microsoft 365 business standard, microsoft 365 business premium.

All of the small business solutions require you to sign up for a subscription, and you can choose between the slightly more expensive monthly subscription and an annual subscription . You pay for the former on a monthly basis, and you can cancel it at any time without incurring any additional costs. On the other hand, early cancellation of the annual subscription, which can be paid both monthly and annually, usually results in additional costs. You will not receive a refund for payments already made for annual subscriptions.

There are special solutions such as Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise for businesses with over 300 employees. Exchange Online Plan 1 offers a professional email server solution with Outlook support.

Among Microsoft business plans, Business Basic is the ideal office suite for any company whose employees travel extensively or work from home but need access to project files and emails at all times . The plan provides your company’s data with a secure storage platform and your employees with access to the most important Office applications via their browser . In addition, communication features such as shared inboxes, web conferences or team websites facilitate project collaboration.

Costs : $6.00 (per user per month) with an annual subscription or $7.20 (per user per month) with a monthly subscription.

Business Basic is the most affordable model for small and medium-sized businesses. It gives you access to the online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote via any standard web browser.

All employees can work on files from the above programs in real time at any time and from anywhere as long as they have internet access. Files created with the online programs are compatible with the latest versions of the desktop applications, so you can send your own documents or open and edit external documents.

However, the focus of the Business Basic plan is to help you and your company communicate and collaborate. To that end, the plan includes useful online services, which is where Exchange really stands out. Protected from viruses, spam and phishing attacks, the email system provides a central hosting platform for your company’s entire email traffic . Access messages at any time from any device via the Outlook Web app.

What’s more, every user gets an inbox with 50 GB of storage space , as well as the ability to send attachments up to 150 MB in size. If you also purchase an installable Outlook version, you can retrieve your mails as usual via the client application interface. You can set up shared inboxes and calendars too.

Get Microsoft 365 Business Basic from IONOS and benefit from all the features that come with it.

The other services of Microsoft 365 Business Basic at a glance:

Skype for Business

With the help of the business version of the well-known video conferencing software Skype, you can communicate comfortably by voice, chat or video – internally or with business partners. With Outlook integration, schedule your online meetings in advance and send personalized links for participation . Hold video conferences with up to 250 participants and up to HD 1080p quality. If you want to use Skype for Business, you need to download it from the Microsoft 365 portal beforehand.

OneDrive for Business

Microsoft’s secure cloud storage OneDrive is the perfect solution to store and manage your company’s data. Create custom directory structures and specify which people can view, create or edit files. All files are available online, can be accessed from anywhere and with any device, and are always up to date thanks to synchronization. In Business Basic, 1 TB of storage space is available per person.

In addition to the Google Drive alternative OneDrive, you can use the SharePoint application. Create team websites , which – simply put – are folders where you can store files of a specific project. All users involved can access the team documents and share files, info, etc. with each other.

With Sway, Microsoft offers you an application that lets you easily create a presentation of your latest products, an informative newsletter or an online training. Interactive and web-based , the created “Sways” can be easily shared and displayed on various display sizes.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business is the right choice if you’re happy with the digital information and work structure within your company but are looking for a feature-rich and versatile office suite. This Microsoft business plan, unlike the other Business offerings, only offers OneDrive by itself and does not include SharePoint. The plan also assumes you already run an email server and rely on your own communications software, as Exchange is also not available. In return, however, you get access to the desktop versions of the Office apps, including Premium features , as well as the handy Access and Publisher apps when you sign up for a subscription.

Costs : $8.25 (per user per month) with an annual subscription or $9.90 (per user per month) with a monthly subscription.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business also allows you to use the online applications of Word, OneNote, PowerPoint and Excel via a browser or mobile app (iOS and Android). Users can install the suite on up to five Windows or macOS devices, as well as five mobile devices and five tablets, for a maximum of fifteen devices.

Since Apps for Business has a link to the OneDrive for Business cloud , it is possible to share and collaborate on all files in real time. If you have been working offline, the cloud service will synchronize your documents as soon as you have an internet connection again. Microsoft also provides 1 TB of OneDrive storage per person in this business plan.

While the Sway presentation tool is also part of Apps for Business, Skype for Business and SharePoint team websites are not included. So, when it comes to project and corporate communications, it’s a matter of setting up alternative solutions. The Exchange mail hosting environment is also not included in Microsoft 365 Apps for Business. You therefore need your own mail server solution for email communication and archiving.

Microsoft’s Business Standard plan is the right choice for users who want to use the Apps for Business features, but also need email hosting in the form of the Exchange application . Business Standard offers you the usual Office programs like Word, Excel and Powerpoint, but also scores points with practical tools such as Teams and SharePoint, which optimize collaboration.

Costs : $12.50 (per user per month) with an annual subscription or $15.00 (per user per month) with a monthly subscription.

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you get all the apps and services from Business Basic , such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive. Just as with Apps for Business, the desktop versions of the apps are available here, including premium features.

Other applications in Business Standard are Access and Publisher , but these can only be used via a PC. Access allows you to create and manage databases, while Publisher is used, for example, to design layouts for print publications and contains numerous templates.

You can promote your teamwork in Business Standard with the help of the Teams application , which enables online meetings with up to 300 people. Unlike Business Basic and Apps for Business, the Business Standard version gives you the option of holding webinars , which users can register for.

Finally, benefit from email hosting thanks to Microsoft’s cloud solution Exchange . The application gives you access to an inbox with 50 GB of storage and a personal calendar for professional scheduling.

You can get Microsoft 365 Business Standard from IONOS at an affordable price. This plan comes with many features for effective collaboration with your team.

With the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan, you acquire the all-in-one solution for your company’s everyday office life, which not only presents a cross-company email solution (including calendar and 50 GB of storage per person) , but also offers more security as well as protection against ransomware and other cyber threats.

Costs : $22.00 (per user per month) with an annual subscription or $26.40 (per user per month) with a monthly subscription

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes all the features of Business Standard . This means that the plan includes both the latest Microsoft Office products (online and desktop version) and access to the powerful communication platforms Exchange and Teams.

Business Premium offers you all the tools you need as a modern small business for structuring and collaborating on projects in one place. You are not dependent on additional hardware or software to operate an email server or a file server.

Unlike the other Microsoft business plans, the Exchange application gives you an additional archiving option that lets you customize policies around cloud archiving, for example. Your email hosting inbox includes 50 GB, as with the other plans.

Another benefit that sets Business Premium apart from the rest of the Microsoft business plans is Advanced Threat Protection. With various protections like Defender, App Protection, and Information Rights Management, your company’s devices and data are secure.

Microsoft 365 for Business with IONOS!

Powerful Exchange email and the latest versions of your favorite Office apps on any device - get started with our free setup assistance.

If you are interested in one of the Microsoft 365 Business Plans we have shown you, you can also take out a subscription directly with IONOS . In addition to the standard Microsoft features, this includes an optional setup service that guides you step by step through the installation and configuration of the applications.

To protect your data in the best possible way, IONOS offers you spam filtering and virus protection in addition to backups in certified data centers . In case of problems or questions about software, subscription or similar issues, support is available around the clock.

A great pro of these office solutions is that they combine IONOS hosting products with powerful Microsoft applications . If you have questions about your invoice, require technical support or need help logging into the Control Center, you only need to contact one person.

If you want to purchase a Microsoft business plan or another Office offering, you can find more relevant information on subscriptions and licensing models in our dedicated articles:

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On August 2, 2021, Windows introduced Windows 365 Cloud PC. This means that Windows is now offering completely virtual PCs. Users have access to all Microsoft apps from the browser, whatever the device, and regardless of whether they are accessing the PC from home, on the road, or from the office. All processes run via the cloud. Let’s take a closer look at the new Cloud PC.

Microsoft 365 vs. Office 365: What’s the difference?

Microsoft 365 vs. Office 365 – what exactly are the differences? Since the rebranding of Office 365 to Microsoft 365, this question comes up regularly. Microsoft 365, like Office 365, combines applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, but also offers several innovations. We explain what has changed as a result of the rebranding.

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It doesn’t matter if you use your PC or laptop for work, everyday home use or entertainment – at some point you’ll need productivity tools . And if you find yourself in that position, you’ll undoubtedly take a look at Microsoft 365.

While there’s no doubting the quality on offer from Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps, though, it can be difficult to figure out exactly which version of the product you need.

That’s true enough if you’re just buying for your home or family computer, but there’s even more pressure on the decision if you want to buy Microsoft 365 for corporate use.

To save you a headache, we’ve examined Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium to see how the three products differ – and to help you figure out which one to buy. Don’t worry if you need more software help, either, because we’ve also explored the best secure file hosting and key methods if you need to choose business antivirus software .

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Microsoft 365 Business Basic Explained

As the name suggests, Microsoft 365 Business Basic is the firm’s entry-level productivity suite. And while that does mean you get fewer features, it also brings the cost down: in the US it costs just $6 per user per month, and in the UK it’s £4.50. All the prices here are based on an annual subscription purchase, and all the prices we’ve mentioned here don’t include sales taxes.

For that money you get access to a host of popular apps. You can use web, Android and iOS versions of Word , Excel , PowerPoint , OneNote and Outlook , and you also get access to Exchange so you can use your domain name for emails.

Collaborative working is possible in documents and spreadsheets, and files are saved and synced across all of your devices with OneDrive and SharePoint.

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If you want these apps as desktop versions, you can pay $8.25 or £7.90 for Microsoft 365 Apps for Business, which gives you downloadable office apps instead of web versions but without Teams.

Beyond that, the Basic tier includes 1TB of cloud storage for each user, business-class email with 50GB of space per mailbox, custom domain names and full calendar capabilities. You can use Teams to plan schedules, track information with Lists, interact with customers through Bookings and get feedback with Forms.

Security comes from Exchange Online Protection, and Microsoft’s software adheres to critical international and industry-standard security and privacy protocols. Admins can deploy custom permissions and groups to restrict access to sensitive data. The Basic product supports 300 users.

That’s a solid start that’ll sate many small and medium-sized businesses, but the Basic tier lacks many advanced features.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard explored 

You’ll get more versatility if you upgrade to Microsoft 365 Standard, which costs $12.50 per user per month in the US and £9.40 in the UK.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard gets off to a good start by including the same range of features as the Basic tier, including web apps, support for 300 users and 1TB of cloud storage per user.

This product justifies the higher cost in a handful of important ways. The key addition is the ability to download and install desktop versions of Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote on your PC or Mac hardware – so you don’t have to rely on online versions. PC users also get Access and Publisher, and each user can install these tools on five devices. Beyond that, Microsoft 365 Business Standard allows users to host webinars.

There’s one more key difference. With Business Standard, firms can choose how much control Microsoft has over your data. There’s a more in-depth option that’s ideal for any company that already has its own domain, but you’ll need more tech know-how to get going.

If that’s not suitable for your business, you can access Microsoft 365 Business Standard with email accounts from different providers instead, but you won’t get as many advanced customization options. That’s a process that Microsoft calls Simplified Sign-Up.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium – the best option?

Head to Microsoft 365 Business Premium and you don’t get Simplified Sign-Up, but at this level your firm should have its own domain and the knowledge to manage it properly.

With Microsoft 365 Business Premium you get every other feature we’ve already mentioned here – including the full suite of desktop apps – alongside loads of extra security and management tools from Azure and Intune.

Business Premium users get enterprise-grade security that protects all your devices from malware and ransomware, and you can deploy Microsoft’s best email protection tools to prevent your employees from falling foul of phishing messages.

You’re able to restrict data sharing, prevent unauthorized users from accessing company information, and give trusted employees elevated levels of access no matter where they work, which means you get maximum versatility for hybrid staff.

Business Premium also includes wizards to help admins apply security and access changes to wide swathes of mobile and desktop devices, and apps can be automatically deployed across your organization. Updates can be applied automatically, and you can remotely wipe data from company devices in case of breaches or theft.

That’s a great slate of features for any business needing better security and more control over its devices, but remember that Microsoft 365 Business Premium still only supports 300 users. And be prepared to pay more for this product, too: it costs $22 or £16.60 per user per month.

Which Microsoft 365 Business package should you choose?

There are stark differences between the three different Microsoft 365 Business offerings, which makes it a little easier for companies and IT managers to figure out which option is best for their organization.

The Microsoft 365 Business Basic product is ideal for smaller companies who need reliable web-based productivity tools alongside trustworthy, capable corporate email.

You get cloud storage, calendar functionality and decent security, and this product could be worth a purchase if you already use external products to provide more robust security and management tools – or if your small business just doesn’t need them.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard adds the ability to download and install apps, so that’s worthwhile if you’d prefer to use Windows and Mac software rather than web-based tools. If your employees don’t always have internet access, that’s a worthwhile upgrade.

Elsewhere, Business Standard also gives you the option to retain more control over your data and domains, so it’s ideal if you’ve already got your own domain.

Business Premium is only worthwhile if you need granular control over your devices and if you need stronger security settings to protect sensitive data and regulate access across your company’s range of devices.  

Ultimately, it depends on your needs: Business Basic is suitable for reliable, web-based productivity, Business Standard adds downloadable tools, and the Premium product deploys advanced security and management.

We've featured the best Microsoft Office alternatives .

Mike has worked as a technology journalist for more than a decade and has written for most of the UK’s big technology titles alongside numerous global outlets. He loves PCs, laptops and any new hardware, and covers everything from the latest business trends to high-end gaming gear.

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How to delete a Plan in the new Microsoft Planner App for Teams?

I recently was upgraded to the new Planner App for Teams. I love the ability to create a "Plan"; however, I'm unable to delete or archive a plan once it's completed. All the instructions state to click on the 3 dots to the right of the plan name and select delete. However, when I click on the 3 dots, my only choices are Open, Rename, Pin Plan or Hide. When I select Hide, it does nothing... the Plan stays in the list of My Plans. Since I have a few plans, it's okay to navigate; however, in a few months, I don't want to have to scroll through multiple closed plans to find my active ones. If I use the Planner on the Web (Office 365) my only choices when clicking the 3 dots are: Pin, Copy Plan or Copy Link.

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Dear BFM064,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft community. We are delighted to offer our assistance.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble deleting a plan in the new Microsoft Planner App for Teams. It sounds like you're following the correct steps to delete a plan, but the option to delete is not appearing for you.

We are afraid that in order to address this issue, it may be necessary to investigate the environment on your end. As forum support, we do not have sufficient permissions and resources to perform an investigation directly.

We have noted that you have posted this question in the For Business category and assume that you have a Microsoft 365 for Business subscription. Therefore, we sincerely recommend that you contact your Microsoft 365 administrator and follow the steps outlined in this article to create a support ticket and contact Online Support.

The support team at Online Support has higher permissions than us and can remotely examine the situation on your end, gather more resources, and assist you with troubleshooting. This will be a more efficient way to address your concerns.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! Have a great day.

Sean | Microsoft Community Moderator

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The option to delete a plan is now in a different location.

You have to click on the plan name on the top bar, it's next to the tabs for 'Grid', 'Board', etc. It will open up the Plan Settings pane on the right side. In that pane click the 'General' tab, look at the very bottom of that for the option to delete it which says 'Delete this plan'.

Note that it might still show up on your list of plans for a bit even after deleting, but it should go away in a few minutes.

That did it! Thanks!

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Set your work hours and location in Outlook

Microsoft 365 helps you manage and share your work schedule. New features allow you to specify more details about your work schedule: from where you’re working (remotely or in the office) and whether you work different hours on different days. In addition, you can schedule meetings with others based on their work location, view the work location on people’s profile card, and see your out of office time reflected in your location.

Note:  Setting work hours is only available to individuals using a work or school account in Outlook with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription.

In this article:

Set work hours and location

View and update your work location

View the location of others, view suggestions to optimize your day, legacy work hours.

You can view work hours and location for yourself and others in classic Outlook, but you need to set them up with a work or school account using new Outlook or Outlook on the web following the steps below. Not sure of what version you're using? See  What version of Outlook do I have?   

Set your work hours and location

Set up your recurring work location from the Outlook Calendar or from Settings .

Set work hours from the Calendar

In the pop-up window, select the days you plan to go to the office. If your organization has multiple buildings, you might also see a dropdown to select the building you'll work from.

Note:  Building selection is only available if your organization set up a directory of buildings to pick from.

If you work remotely, select the days you're remote, and then select the checkbox I work remotely .

Select Set . Once your plan is set, a location icon appears on your calendar days to indicate where you're working from.

Note:  The setup experience from the Outlook Calendar is currently only available in new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. Setting up work hours and location in Teams, Outlook Mobile, and Outlook for Mac is upcoming.

Set work hours and location from Settings

To set your work schedule in Settings , do the following: 

Select Settings   > Calendar .

Choose Work hours and location , and then define your work schedule by choosing days, times, and locations. 

When you set your workplace location, anyone in your organization can view this information.

To let others in your organization see additional details, such as what building you're in, go to the section Share your location , and select the checkbox Share office location details under the section.

To have others only see your work location set as In-office or Remote ,   uncheck  Share office location details .

When you're finished, click Save .

Note:  This new setup experience is currently available only in new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, but setting up work hours and location will eventually be available in Teams and Outlook for iOS, Android, and Mac.

When your schedule changes, it is easy to update your work location from Outlook or Teams.

Note:  The option to change location per day is currently only available in Outlook on the web and Teams Desktop, but will eventually be available in classic Outlook for Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac. 

Update your work location from Outlook

When viewing your calendar, select the icon representing your scheduled work location and change the location as needed. The work location can be cleared by deselecting the location.

You can also choose to update your work location to a specific building. Buildings you set as part of your recurring work hours and location appear first as suggested places.

To choose a building, open the location picker.

Select Search for a place . You can also set your location to ony say, Office by searching for it.

Note:  Selecting a specific building is only available if your organization set up buildings as a location option. 

Set your Out of Office location

You can set your out of office location by selecting that option from the Work plan window.

Select the Work plan icon on the date you want to show you're out of office.

Type a title and set the date and time you plan to be out of office.

Click Save . An out of office appointment is added to your calendar and your Teams presence status is also updated.

Tip:  You can also create a calendar appointment from any device and set the Free/Busy option to Out of office. Your location is set to Out of office during that period of time.  

Update your work location from Teams

Select the circle icon with your profile picture and change the work location. The new location will be applied to your work hours for the remainder of the day and reflected in both Outlook and Teams.

Knowing where others are working from is important for scheduling and collaboration. You can view others’ locations from your own work location card, when scheduling from Outlook, or when viewing another person's profile card.    

View from your daily work location card

From your daily location card, you’ll be able to see who else you work with is going into the office that day. If you have a specific building set, the list will be filtered to others who have also set their location to the same place for that day. 

View when scheduling a meeting in Outlook

If others have set up their work hours and location, their work location will appear in the Scheduling Assistant, as shown below.

View another person's profile card

If you want to quickly look up where someone is working from, you can view their location in their profile card next to their availability.

Optimizing your work location schedule is important to maximize collaboration and connection on your in-person days. You can identify which days have suggestions by a red dot on the location icon for the day on the calendar surface. 

When you click on the location icon, a suggestion appears at the bottom of your daily location card. You can choose to take an action based on the suggestion or close the card.

Suggestions include:

Update your work plan for an in-person event

Book rooms for your meetings on in-office days

Note:  The suggestions experience is currently opt-in. - Please visit Microsoft Places for more details.

This new experience replaces the legacy work hours experience, but legacy work hours will continue to be supported. Because the legacy experience supports only a single start time and end time for the entire work week, the legacy work hours will approximate the modern work hours and location.  

For example, a user sets up the following schedule using the new work hours and location: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm & Wednesdays, Fridays: 10:00am - 7:00 pm. The times for their legacy work hours will be configured to the best approximation (8:00 am to 7:00 pm) – the minimum start time and maximum end time of the modern work hours.   

Until a user sets up modern working hours, changes to legacy working hours will also update the times in their modern working hours. However, once a user sets up (or updates) their modern working hours, future changes to legacy working hours will not propagate and overwrite the modern working hours.  

The exception to this rule is working hours time zone. Whenever the legacy working hours time zone changes, it will update the time zone for the modern working hours. This ensures that others can view accurate availability if someone on a legacy client travels across time zones.

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Create images with your words – Bing Image Creator comes to the new Bing

Mar 21, 2023 | Yusuf Mehdi - Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer

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Last month we introduced the new AI-powered Bing and Microsoft Edge, your copilot for the web – delivering better search, complete answers, a new chat experience and the ability to create content. Already, we have seen that chat is reinventing how people search with more than 100 million chats to date. We’ve seen people use chat in a variety of ways, from refining answers to complex questions to using it as a form of entertainment or for creative inspiration. Today we’re taking the chat experience to the next level by making the new Bing more visual.

We’re excited to announce we are bringing Bing Image Creator, new AI-powered visual Stories and updated Knowledge Cards to the new Bing and Edge preview. Powered by an advanced version of the DALL∙E model from our partners at OpenAI, Bing Image Creator allows you to create an image simply by using your own words to describe the picture you want to see. Now you can generate both written and visual content in one place, from within chat.

We know from research that the human brain processes visual information about 60,000 times faster than text , making visual tools a critical way people search, create and gain understanding. Based on Bing data, images are one of the most searched categories – second only to general web searches. Historically, search was limited to images that already existed on the web. Now, there are almost no limits to what you can search for and create.

For those in the Bing preview, Bing Image Creator will be fully integrated into the Bing chat experience, rolling out initially in Creative mode. By typing in a description of an image, providing additional context like location or activity, and choosing an art style, Image Creator will generate an image from your own imagination. It’s like your creative copilot. Just type something like “draw an image” or “create an image” as a prompt in chat to get creating a visual for a newsletter to friends or as inspiration for redecorating your living room.

Bing Image Creator preview will also be available in Microsoft Edge, making it the first and only browser with an integrated AI-powered image generator. To use Bing Image Creator in Edge, simply click the Bing Image Creator icon in the sidebar to create your image or invoke from Bing chat in Edge.

At Microsoft, our teams are guided by our Responsible AI principles and the Responsible AI Standard to help them develop and deploy AI systems responsibly. To curb the potential misuse of Image creator, we are working together with our partner OpenAI, who developed DALL∙E, to deliver an experience that encourages responsible use of Image Creator. We have ensured OpenAI’s safeguards, plus additional protections, have been incorporated into Image Creator. For example, we have put controls in place that aim to limit the generation of harmful or unsafe images. When our system detects that a potentially harmful image could be generated by a prompt, it blocks the prompt and warns the user. We also make it clear that Image Creator’s images are generated by AI, and we include a modified Bing icon in the bottom left corner of each image to help indicate that the image was created using Image Creator. We continue to work closely with OpenAI to build, test and review mitigations for our integrations.

Since making the new Bing available in preview, we have been testing it with people to get real-world feedback to learn and improve the experience. People used it in some ways we expected and others we didn’t. In this spirit of learning and continuing to build new capabilities responsibly, we’re rolling out Bing Image Creator in a phased approach by flighting with a set of preview users before expanding more broadly. We will initially only include Image Creator in the Creative mode of Bing chat and our intention is to make it available in Balanced and Precise mode over time. We are also working on some ongoing optimizations for how Image Creator works in multi-turn chats. We continue to believe the best way to bring these technologies to market is to test them carefully, in the open, where everyone can provide feedback.

New AI-Powered Visual Stories and Knowledge Cards

To support the growing demand for more visual search experiences, we are also making Stories and Knowledge Cards 2.0 available to all Bing users. Stories provide a more engaging way to search and interact with content, offering images and short videos. Also new to Bing users today, Knowledge Cards 2.0 is an AI-powered infographic-inspired experience that provides fun facts and key information at a glance. It’s been updated to include interactive, dynamic content like charts, graphs, timelines, visual stories and more. With these updates and more coming, our goal is to deliver more immersive experiences in Bing and Edge that make finding answers and exploring the web more interesting, useful and fun.

Availability

Bing Image Creator integrated into Bing chat will begin to roll out to Bing preview users on both desktop and mobile starting today. For those not in the new Bing preview, the preview experience of Image Creator is now available at bing.com/create for Bing users around the world in English. We will add more language support over time.

Bing Image Creator is also available in Microsoft Edge from the Image Creator icon in sidebar for both desktop and mobile starting today for Edge users around the world in English. We will also soon integrate Image Creator into Edge from the new Bing button in chat mode in the preview version of Edge.

If you’re not yet in the new Bing preview, you can sign up for the waitlist today. We’re adding more people every day. Thanks for your continued feedback and we look forward to sharing more updates soon.

Tags: AI , Bing , Bing Image Creator , Microsoft Edge , search

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