Microsoft Office 365 should be on the software shortlist for any small business or start-up. Launched in June 2011, the cloud-based suite has revolutionised the way we do business.

Microsoft Office 365 FREE TRIAL!

Cloud software solutions are the way forward for any business, and Microsoft Office 365 is the stepping stone for small and new businesses to help them have the benefits of the cloud without forking out for the top priced cloud services. It is simple, and Microsoft makes sure it is offered in a familiar and user friendly way, to help businesses adjust to the cloud concept. Microsoft has high hopes that their cloud software could begin to break into the gap filled by Google Apps for several years now.

It has been tried and tested by small business users, and they have come back without a bad word to say about the product. It offers 99.9% uptime, a reasonable and varying price plans, plentiful features, and cross-application compatibility; many new and small businesses are switching to Office 365, and some have even declared it better for small and new companies than Google App, due to its familiarity and more features.

The great thing about the varying price plans is not just that they are all reasonable for what they offer, but also that a small or new business with few employees is not expected to pay the same as a larger company with over 25 employees. Price plans start from just £4 per user per month for small businesses (under 25 people). For medium+ size businesses you can choose from a range of plans with different features to suit your business’s needs, ranging from £2.60 per user per month up to £14.50.

When your business begins to grow and Office 365 isn’t enough anymore, you can pay more per month to upgrade to Office Professional Plus, which offers more powerful features than the Office Web Apps available in the cloud.

If you have used or looked into Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite, you will find that much of what is available in Office 365 was previously available in BPOS, however you will find that the tools have been updated and improved somewhat, including the features of 2010 desktop versions of the software as opposed to the 2007 version features available on BPOS.

The online services offered in Office 365 are Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online, and Office Web Apps, as well as Web App versions Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote which are accessible through a web browser.

For a free trial on Office 365 P1 plan, click here.