This recent article, “How to use OneDrive with Microsoft 365 Desktop” – TechRepublic.com, on how easy it is to use Microsoft OneDrive started me thinking of what a value Microsoft 365 represents. Small and medium-sized businesses looking for value in each dollar spent on technology should have a Microsoft 365 account. OneDrive completely replaces services like DropBox and Google Drive.
OneDrive is free with all of the paid Microsoft 365 accounts, and it has 1 Terabyte of storage. That is a lot more than you get from the free and low-cost tiers at other vendors. One can use it to share large files too big to attach to an email or for collaboration. SharePoint Online is also free for Business and Business Premium accounts. OneDrive is really just part of SharePoint with a simpler to use presentation. Both are integrated into Microsoft Teams, also free; Teams is a great way to work on projects and do video meetings with people inside your org and out. SharePoint Online has all the features to replace an onsite fileserver. If completely implemented, SharePoint can be a complete document management system for all your receipts and long-term file storage needs.
All this free stuff, what are you paying for. The Online version of the common Microsoft applications, Business Basic $5 a month – or both the online and Desktop Versions of the most common Microsoft applications on Business Standard and Premium starting at $12.50 a month. You are also getting a Microsoft hosted Exchange Online email address to use. Having Exchange Online host your organization’s email domain brings a world of ease to sending and receiving email from your own domain. Plus, calendars.
It really is an amazing value.
