The small business guide to cloud computing

By Michaela MadgwickTips & support

Cloud computing transforms traditional ways of thinking about IT resources, as computing services are delivered over the Internet or “the cloud”. This means your business can significantly reduce expenses by eliminating the costs associated with hardware, IT experts and the set up and running of on-site data centres. Crucially, your business can take advantage of built-in continuity features, ensuring your business will not be disrupted by unexpected events such as snow, floods, strikes or utility works. This ensures data backup and disaster recovery is in place, while business continuity is easier and less expensive as data can be mirrored at multiple sites on the cloud provider’s network.

Office 365 - The cost-effective, smart solution  to cloud computing

Take advantage of collaboration tools and ease of use

  • Office 365 gives you the ability to create your own ‘team site’, allowing you to share documents and information with colleagues and customers.
  • With your important documents online, you can make sure the latest versions are always at hand. 
  • Easily protect critical business information by controlling who can unlock, read and share documents and information. 
  • Go a step further and market your business with Office 365 -  create a simple public-facing website with a custom domain name. For example, www.davesdeliveries.com, giving you a professional online presence for customers and prospects to visit.
  • Office 365 Web Apps are companions to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote that offer you an easy way to access, view, and edit docs directly from your web browser. Designed to provide you with a similar experience to the desktop Office applications, for complete ease of use.
 Tools for flexible working info-graphic

Super smart email, calendar and contacts 

  • With Office 365, your email, calendar and contacts are automatically updated across the devices you use the most. Whether you’re on your PC, Smartphone or your Mac, you can ensure you stay in sync with the information you need. Unlucky enough for your Mac to crash? Grab those crucial prospect details from your smartphone. On a call? Check your diary on your PC while you converse, secure that meeting date, and know that your mobile will automatically catch up.
  • Scheduling a meeting is now easier than ever. You can ‘share’ calendars with colleagues. View calendars side by side, and compare availability as you go. You can make sure you work around each other, ensuring you have enough bodies back at base to man the phones, welcome customers, or let the delivery man in.
  • Create professional email addresses with your existing domain name, for example Tina@davesdeliveries.com, rather than an unpolished address such as Tina@hotmail.com. And gain added protection from spam and viruses with Microsoft Forefront Online Protection.

For more information on Office 365 please do not hesitate to get in touch, our friendly team are always more than happy to help.

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