Everything You Need to Know About the Rebrand of Office 365 to Microsoft 365

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Everything You Need to Know About the Rebrand of Office 365 to Microsoft 365

Something major just occurred in the Microsoft universe. On April 21, 2020, the company did a rebranding, which dropped the “Office” name for home and business subscriptions of Office 365.

Those plans are now referred to as Microsoft 365, and users have a lot of questions about what this switch means for them.

Office 365 first launched in 2011 and is not even a decade old. It’s the most widely used cloud platform in the world by user count and as of February 2020, it had nearly 600,000 company users in the U.S. alone.

With Microsoft services, and specifically Office 365, being so popular, why change the name now?

Microsoft has actually been going through this name change for a few years, it just hasn’t been quite as impactful to users. For example, a few years back, the company changed the name of the security tool Office 365 Secure Score to Microsoft Secure Score.

It also brought out a packaged Microsoft 365 Business subscription recently that includes Office 365, Windows 10, Intune, and additional security tools.

The company has stated that the reason for the name change is to better reflect the depth of applications within the Office 365 subscription, which go well beyond the core Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).

If you’ve got questions, you’re not alone. Many business owners are wondering what this rebranding means for them.

We’ll go over everything you need to know in addition to the new plan names.

Your Office 365 Rename Questions Answered

Below are some of the most common questions business owners have about the rebranding of Office 365.

Will We Lose the Office Programs?

You can rest easy, just because Microsoft is dropping “Office” from the subscription name doesn’t mean the Office suite is going anywhere.

They know this is the heart of the cloud platform and they continue to roll out features for it (like Editor) even in the midst of the rebranding.

Are We Going to Pay More for Microsoft 365?

You will not have to pay any more for Microsoft 365. Microsoft states that neither the price nor the features are changing for the plans being renamed.

Are All Office 365 Subscriptions Being Renamed?

Only the home and business versions of Office 365 are being transitioned to Microsoft 365 with no price change. Things are a bit different for the enterprise subscriptions.

For Office 365 E1, E3, E5, and government, education, and similar plans, the name is staying the same.

But… Microsoft has already released Microsoft 365 Enterprise versions, so now there are both Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise subscriptions.

The plans are NOT at the same price points, which is most likely why these have been handled differently. Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans are higher priced and have more features.

What Is Our Plan Called Now?

Here is a listing of the old to new name conversions:

  • If you had Office 365 Business Essentials, the new name is Microsoft 365 Business Basic
  • If you had Office 365 Business Premium, the new name is Microsoft 365 Business Standard
  • If you had Office 365 Business OR Office 365 Pro Plus, the new name is Microsoft 365 Apps (A differentiator of “for Business” or “for Enterprise” will be used where applicable)
  • If you had Microsoft 365 Business, the new name is Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Do We Need to Do Anything?

You don’t have to do anything. The transition has actually already happened behind the scenes. You’ve most likely received emails from Microsoft noting the transition.

If you’re an enterprise user, then it might be a good idea to take a look at the new Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans to become familiar with them and check out the new features.

Microsoft hasn’t said anything yet, but it’s safe to assume they would be phasing out the Office 365 plans at some point.

I Don’t Have Office 365, Can I Sign Up for a New Microsoft 365 Plan?

Yes, Microsoft has all the newly renamed plans available for new user sign up. Plus, due to the pandemic, they’re offering a special deal to help businesses get started with their cloud solutions.

Microsoft is currently offering 6 months for free, with an annual commitment, for one of the new Microsoft 365 plans and one Office 365 Enterprise plan:

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic (companies with less than 300 users)
  • Office 365 E1 (companies with more than 300 users)

Here are some of the features that come with each one.

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic: Online versions of the Office suite, SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive (1TB of space per user), Microsoft Teams
  • Office 365 E1: Online versions of the Office suite, SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive (1TB of space per user), Microsoft Teams, Flow (for automation), Sway (digital storytelling), Microsoft Stream (video service.)

Just ask us, and we can help you take advantage of the 6 months free special. The offer is through the end of June 2020.

Get the Most Out of Your Microsoft 365 Subscription!

There are multiple customizations that can be done in Microsoft 365 to optimize your team. C Solutions can help you get started, optimize, and get the most out of your Microsoft cloud solutions.

Schedule a free Microsoft consultation today!  Call 407-536-8381 or reach us online.