Pairing your business with the right productivity-enhancing software is essential, however, selecting the best fit for your specific business requirements can sometimes prove challenging. Fortunately, we are here to help with two popular options: Office 2016 and Office 365. But which is right for your business? Here are a few main differences that may help you decide.
PAYMENT STRUCTURES
Office 2016 is a stand-alone suite and, regardless of the quantity purchased, is described by Microsoft as a “one-time purchase”. You pay a single, upfront cost — meaning the entire purchase price must be paid before receiving the license to legally run the software for life.
By contrast, Office 365 is a subscription service requiring monthly or annual payments. Office 365 allows users to run applications only if payments are made. If you stop, you will have 30 days to continue operating after the previous payment’s due date before the license expires.
SOFTWARE UPDATES
Another aspect to consider is the service and support offerings. Microsoft provides monthly security updates for Office 2016 applications and these updates fix non-security bugs. However, you don’t get upgrades for improved features and functionality. If you wish to run the latest edition, you’ll have to pay another upfront fee.
Office 365 users, on the other hand, get the same security patches as Office 2016 and also additional feature and functionality upgrades twice a year.
CLOUD SYNCHRONIZATION
Microsoft announced a major change this past April — as of October 13, 2020, Office 2016 applications acquired through an upfront purchase are required to be in the “mainstream” support period (the first five years of the decade-long commitment) to obtain cloud connectivity. Office 365 subscriptions won’t experience this problem.
APPLICATIONS SPECIFIC TO OFFICE 365
Microsoft has recently announced numerous updates to Office 365 Business Premium, adding new applications &mash; Microsoft Connections, Microsoft Listings, Microsoft Invoicing and the Office 365 Business Center — all of which are unique to Office 365. You can read our blog post about the new applications here:
Microsoft Adds New Office 365 Applications for SMBs
In order to achieve measurable results and enjoy business growth, it is imperative that your business is working with the right Office solution. Give us a call and let our team of experts assess your needs and determine the better option for your business environment.