Productivity Redefined: Convenience and Seamless Collaboration with Microsoft Office 365

With the advent of technology, new ways of working have been developed. Just a decade ago, it was unthinkable that they’d be Kenyans making money solely online. With job titles like social media manager, digital brand manager and a slew of bloggers and influencers, technology has brought with it fantastic opportunities. It has also gotten easier to get work done. There are a good number of products in the market that have made our working lives easier with the convenience only technology can bring.

I am a creative entrepreneur, I have 3 gadgets, work on the go and at odd hours. I also collaborate a lot on projects and this requires quite a bit of back and forth. This kind of work schedule baffles those used to a structured 8 to 5 regimen but it really is the future. A flexible schedule offers me the privilege to own my time and to dip my toes into various opportunities. One of the challenges though has been finding a convenient way to work on the go that doesn’t require me to constantly check my different devices or make several phone calls and send emails to make sure we’re all on the same page on my team.

Microsoft has been a frontrunner in the technology for business race and with their new offering, may be the best option available in the market right now. I already upgraded to Windows 10 when the upgrade became available and have enjoyed the intuitiveness of it. When I received word that Office 365 had been launched, my interest was immediately piqued. Office has always been the default and I was curious to see what more they could add to improve the product. I tried Office 365 and here are some of the things that have stood out for me.

1. Options and pricing

I like that Microsoft gives varied options including: Office 365 Home, Personal, University and Business. The pricing is at a monthly rate and is incredibly affordable, ranging between $7 and $13 dollars. After comparing the features, I settled for Office 365 Home. Priced at $9.99 per month, which is roughly Ksh. 1000, it covers subscription for 5 PCs, 5 tablets and 5 phones.

2. Collaboration and increased productivity

My subscription basically covers 5 people, which is perfect because I mostly work with a core team of 4. We’re able to access and contribute to the same file while in different locations and on different devices, cutting out the time we used to spend waiting for emails to be sent back and forth. I especially appreciate the Office for Android app as I’m able to work on the go especially while stuck in traffic without attracting unnecessary attention that would surely come from taking out a laptop or tab in a PSV. The subscription also comes with 60 free minutes of Skype per user that is pretty convenient for teamwork.

3. Storage

In my line of work, storage is always an issue. We work with storage heavy picture and video files and this can be a challenge especially when you need to send something for quick feedback. Office 365 comes with 1TB of storage per user which makes it much easier to share files and collaborate. It also cuts out the danger of failed drives mid project that is the stuff of nightmares in the creative world.  Also, it’s just nice to have 1TB of extra storage space even for personal use.

4. Support

You know what is boring, constantly having to remember to upgrade. With Office 365, that isn’t an option as you at any one time have access to the latest features and services. You also get free help via chat or phone in case you get stuck or have a query. I tried out the chat option on their site and actually got prompt and helpful advice. So yes, it works.

Office 365 is a good investment especially for a small business and I currently have no complaints. I am excited about the business friendly products Microsoft is putting out and so will be checking out their other offerings including Azure and Microsoft4Afrika.