O2 brings cloud computing to SMBs

O2 Business today announced the launch of Microsoft Office 365 from O2, providing cloud packages for small and midsized businesses (SMBs).

Office 365 provides a suite of collaborative tools, document management and communication tools to enhance flexible working and improve efficiencies for smaller businesses. As a cloud-based service on a subscription basis from O2 and available across multiple devices, small businesses will have a great user experience and benefit from cost efficiencies.  O2 has also set up a Microsoft-accredited support team to assist with implementation and getting the most out of the product if needed.

For businesses that are time and resource-limited this is a simple way to implement a digital product helping them to:

• Work virtually wherever they need to – as Office 365 is cloud-based, employees can access and update all of their documents wherever they are, on the device of their choice when they are online. 4G with O2 is coming this summer, so this is a particularly exciting proposition as small business employees will be able to upload and download content and communicate with colleagues via Lync even more quickly, wherever they need to.  Each license extends to up to five PCs and Windows tablets and with a subscription employees can also download Office for Mac 2011, so it really is possible to work flexibly.

• Give their business a professional feel – through Office 365, small businesses can design and build their own website and create business email addresses. These personalised domain names establish a cohesive brand and business profile – and everything can be managed by the small business employee.

• Work together – by bringing together the Microsoft Office desktop and combining it with business-class Microsoft Outlook email, shared calendars, instant messaging and HD video conferencing, employees can easily work together from wherever they are.

• Keep everything in the cloud – with Office 365, information and data is backed-up to two security-enhanced remote servers, with anti-spam filtering and anti-virus protection updated regularly, giving small businesses the peace of mind they deserve.

• Pay monthly – small businesses pay O2 a monthly fee for its Office 365 packages, so there is no need for capital expenditure (capex). Additionally, as the cloud is much faster to deploy, businesses have minimal project start-up costs and can predict on-going operating expenses.

Paul Lawton, General Manager of SMB at O2, said:

“At O2 we believe Office 365 helps small businesses work virtually anywhere, helping them become more agile and responsive. Our business customers have told us that they value flexibility but that they can’t afford costly set-up and maintenance fees, or devote their time to IT issues. With the simple set up of Office 365 and the ability to add this product to other services on a subscription basis, we believe that this offering addresses those issues, plus with the added support from our experts, our customers can feel comfortable that there is someone on hand if they need it.  We pride ourselves on putting the customer at the heart of everything we do and we are passionate about helping small business growth.”

Mark Rice, Senior Director, Business Services, Operator Channels at Microsoft said,

“Customers are choosing Microsoft productivity solutions because they deliver a comprehensive experience and flexibility to move to the cloud. With O2’s outstanding customer service at their fingertips, as well as a great range of devices to keep them connected on the go, customers will get to enjoy the benefits of enterprise-class IT with no expertise needed.”

Office 365 from O2 is now available, visit us online for more details www.o2.co.uk/office-365.

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*Network coverage required for virtual working. 4G tariff and device will be required for 4G services.  Additional charges may apply for 4G service. 4G Speed will vary depending on location and number of people using the service. Potential 4G speed claim based on Ofcom website info at consumers.ofcom.org.uk/what-is-4g/. [JC1]