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Girish Vijay - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager IT at Carl Bechem Lubricants India Pvt. Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
The control aspects are top-notch, it could email quarantine details, block, and allow domains
Pros and Cons
  • "Quarantine email alerts to users to allow the email to their inbox (tricky but handy) - tricky if one doesn't have third-party email security, handy if one has got good third party email security)."
  • "Data protection and email security are almost the same for all the organizations, irrespective of their segment (SMB or enterprises), with standard subscription at least basic Data loss prevention and Advance threat protection can be enabled for SMB segments, it is available in enterprise version / Premium versions."

What is our primary use case?

Email, Instant Messaging with Teams, Teams Video Conference & Mobile Outlook Application.

Office 365 works very well with Microsoft Windows ECO system without any friction. Microsoft Teams video conference is a very good tool to have instant or scheduled video conferences, the quality of the video and audio is excellent but requires good internet bandwidth. As an email Admin, control aspects are top-notch, it could email quarantine details, block, allow domains, etc. especially Microsoft email filters (Spam, Malware, etc) with a basic standard subscription are on par with leaders in Email filters (Like Symantec, Barracuda, Cisco). These features are really handy for small and medium organizations. Outlook configuration for receiving and sending emails is very simple.

How has it helped my organization?

We have been struggling with quarantine email details, with office 365 as an admin, with an easy interface, we could able to trace which are all the emails are in quarantine, sometimes Genuine emails also will get blocked and quarantine, with trace option we can easily find the quarantined email and can allow the same to deliver it to recipients. IP Blocklists and country-wise, language-wise blocklist or allow list can be enabled to have better email security controls. Additional features like audit logs, message trace (delivered or failed to send or receive) are handy for IT admin personnel. And this solution can be easily connected with the help of Microsoft connectors to third-party cloud partners like Symantec, Sophos, barracuda, or Cisco email security. Last but not least exceptional channel partner and Microsoft services, based on the subscription services will be honored (like phone/email/remote, etc.)

What is most valuable?

1. Admin Console, control on allow, block, and quarantine list -  always top feature as an admin.

2. Strong sharing control options in One drive & Share points.

3. Microsoft Teams (instant message or audio or video conference with excellent quality).

4. Easy integration with Microsoft Windows environment.

5. Outlook is or was an all-time favorite email application for most of the users, IMAP or Exchange configuration for sending and receiving emails are very easy and frictionless.

6. Outlook is capable of integrating multiple calendars and it can enable add ons like Webex/go-to-meeting/teams/team viewer etc...

7. Seamless integration with third-party partners for email security aspects.

8. Quarantine email alerts to users to allow the email to their inbox (tricky but handy) - tricky if one doesn't have third-party email security, handy if one has got good third party email security).

What needs improvement?

Data protection and email security are almost the same for all the organizations, irrespective of their segment (SMB or enterprises), with standard subscription at least basic Data loss prevention and Advance threat protection can be enabled for SMB segments, it is available in enterprise version / Premium versions. For basic business subscriptions, Microsoft can think of providing PC and mobile management features to enable good security for data in different devices (It comes with additional cost). Overall Microsoft can think of providing DLP and ATP (at least some basic) options to Small and Medium organizations (Its already available for premium and enterprise customers).

Buyer's Guide
Office 365
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Office 365. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for two months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft product works very well with the Microsoft Windows environment. (It could be windows 10/windows 7/Office 2019,2016,2013), works well with Mac Environment with Outlook as an email application.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is not at all a problem when you use Microsoft products.

How are customer service and support?

Excellent.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using IBM Smart Cloud Notes (IBM Verse). Switch because of IBM Email solutions migrated to HCL technologies, the cost of subscriptions are very high with external data centers with disaster recovery. So thought of switch over to Microsoft (Since Microsoft is a reliable player in the globe).

How was the initial setup?

Very easy, no third party support is required. Microsoft services team will definitely help you in this with a single service request (at least the basic setup).

What about the implementation team?

We have done the deployment with an internal team.

What was our ROI?

Maximum two months with the features or products like Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint (these are bundled with Basic business subscription) that's a great move from Microsoft.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Pricing and licensing are not an issue with Microsoft - they offer good prices for any subscription. Migrating from other solutions like IBM Domino (NSF format emails) is tricky because Microsoft outlook only accepts *.PST (Windows) or *.OLM (Mac Book) converted emails to have a backup of your older emails or till the last email before the switch over to Microsoft email solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated HCL & Google Suite.

What other advice do I have?

Overall excellent product with great features, consider small and medium businesses to have at least basic ATP and DLP features.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Manager at Self employeed
Real User
Leaderboard
It has more features than expected, but it could be more user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "It has more features than somebody would expect, and it is worth taking a deeper look into the features available."
  • "It could be more user-friendly for inexperienced people."

What is our primary use case?

I use it for everything that has to do with data input and of course Excel, Office and the like. It is pretty much the cornerstone software for what I do.

What needs improvement?

I'm not really sure whether this is possible, but maybe some sort of PDF editing. I also think that it could be more user-friendly for not-so-experienced people.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for the last couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I had a couple of crises, but I believe it was due to hardware, so I will not comment on the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is pretty good. But the enemy of something good, is something even better. There is always room for improvement.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was previously using Google Docs. I changed to Office 365 because it's more stable and I'm more familiar with it.

How was the initial setup?

The last time I set it up, it was pretty straightforward. This time, to be honest, I had an external company set it up.

What about the implementation team?

I used an external company for the installation.

What other advice do I have?

It has more features than somebody would expect, and it is worth taking a deeper look into the features available.

I would rate this solution as a seven out of ten. It does what it says that it does. However, as I said, it could be more user-friendly for inexperienced people, and of course, things can always get better.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Office 365
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Office 365. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Christian-Stein - PeerSpot reviewer
Adv. Partner Systems Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
It's highly reliable and deploys quickly
Pros and Cons
  • "I like Office 365's usability."
  • "As a private user, I do not appreciate the cloud features, but I doubt that this is something Microsoft would consider a feature request."

What is our primary use case?

I mostly use Office 365 for email. I have a license for five desktops, and my family is using all the five, including myself

What is most valuable?

I like Office 365's usability. 

What needs improvement?

As a private user, I do not appreciate the cloud features, but I doubt that this is something Microsoft would consider a feature request.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using Office 365 since it was launched. Our company is a Microsoft partner. so we use Office 365 all the time. I also use 365 at home.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Office 365 is highly reliable. That's one reason I'm still using it. 

How are customer service and support?

In the company, I was providing support for Microsoft solutions, so I never needed to contact support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I'm still using Linux and Linux features. I primarily use Firefox and Thunderbird at home. 

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Office 365 is straightforward. I use it on Mac and Windows, and it only takes a few minutes in both cases.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Office 365 costs 100 euros per year. That's perfectly okay for the features it has.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Office 365 nine out of 10. In the old days, we always compared open-source solutions to Microsoft, and Microsoft usually had the better offering. I'm not sure that's always the case for personal use.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Crm/Business Intelligence administrator at Kc firiakis LTD
Real User
Reasonably priced with a good user interface and great Excel formulas
Pros and Cons
  • "It's inexpensive to license."
  • "I'd like to see them add more features in the future in order to continue to advance the product."

What is our primary use case?

Within this solution, I've been using Excel most of the time, as well as Microsoft Word. Excel is the main reason to use this product, however. 

What is most valuable?

The formulas are great. You can play with Excel and you can put the formulas in and kill some time. It is very, very useful for the user.

The solution is quite stable.

It's inexpensive to license. 

The user interface is great. 

The solution gives users a lot of different options. 

What needs improvement?

I don't see any areas of improvement right now in terms of features. That said, I'd like to see them add more features in the future in order to continue to advance the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution over the last six months, and I have been using it quite regularly.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. This is true, especially in Excel. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's a very reliable product. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is great. I would rate it a ten out of ten. 

I would estimate that 80% of the people in our company are using Excel. That's over 60 people, for sure.

How are customer service and support?

I've never directly dealt with technical support in the past. 

How was the initial setup?

I didn't handle the initial setup. I can't speak about if it is simple or complex to execute.

What about the implementation team?

Someone from within our organization handled the initial setup. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We do pay a monthly licensing fee, however, I cannot speak to what the exact costs are for the company. 

It's not overly expensive. It's my understanding that it is a pretty inexpensive product. 

I'd rate the cost a two out of ten in terms of how expensive it is. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and an end-user. I'm not sure which version of the solution I am using. 

I'd advise those who want to use the solution, especially Excel, that they should do some studying first. It will make everything easier once you start using it.

I'd rate the solution a nine out of ten. It's great. It's a really excellent solution. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1765848 - PeerSpot reviewer
CGO | Diretor de Inovação e Crescimento at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Adaptable and easy to use, with a good interface
Pros and Cons
  • "Adaptable solution with a good interface. It's easy to set up and easy to use."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 could use some customization, but this area for improvement is trivial."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is mostly used for AI, SharePoint online, and importing information.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 has been used here in Brazil for a long time, so the familiarity is there. It's being used by both individual and enterprise users, and it has a good interface. It's very adaptable and it's easy to market in Brazil. We've installed this solution for a lot of enterprise clients. It's a solution that's easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 could use some customization, but it's trivial.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are some solutions that are easier to scale compared to Microsoft Defender for Office 365, but in general, its scalability is okay.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for this solution is very easy.

What other advice do I have?

I've been selling all kinds of solutions, including Office 365, Power BI, and Microsoft Defender for Office 365. I'm based in Brazil and I've been working with Microsoft partners. We have a whole list of customers who use Microsoft solutions. We usually deal with the newest versions and models of Microsoft products.

I don't know exactly what could be improved in this solution. There could be a small room for improvement, but I don't know what it is, or if Microsoft Defender for Office 365 really needs improvement, because it is a very solid solution.

For deployment and maintenance of this solution, we have five people who are in charge.

I don't have direct interaction with technical support, so I can't say from my experience if it's good or not, but what I observed it they give very good support.

My advice for people planning to use Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is that it's a very good solution, and they won't have problems using it.

I'm rating Microsoft Defender for Office 365 a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Director - R&D at Axtria - Ingenious Insights
Real User
Promotes collaboration and we can access our documents from anywhere
Pros and Cons
  • "Using Office 365 has allowed us to go digital and onboard people seamlessly for working at home during the COVID pandemic."
  • "Integration with other platforms can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use is for document management.

We use Sharepoint for managing documents, Teams for collaboration, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook for email management. We also use the document creator for creating internal surveys.

How has it helped my organization?

Using Office 365 has allowed us to go digital and onboard people seamlessly for working at home during the COVID pandemic. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that we can access our documents from anywhere. If we aren't using our official laptops, we can still go online to work. I think it helps a lot.

What needs improvement?

Integration with other platforms can be improved. As it is now, it works really well with Azure and other products from Microsoft. However, if you want to integrate something outside of this, especially with Excel, it gives us challenges. There are a lot of use cases in Excel where we want to integrate with other services.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for the past couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I think that Office 365 is pretty stable. We are using it pretty extensively and I have not encountered any major issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm pretty sure that this platform is very scalable because now, almost everybody is working from home and using it. We have between 1,500 and 1,600 users who are scattered across geography. Approximately 1,300 are in India and the remainder is spread across the US.

How are customer service and technical support?

I do not deal with technical support personally, although because we haven't had any major issues, I think that our interaction with them has been smooth.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Prior to using Office 365, we were using the on-premises version.

How was the initial setup?

I would not say that the initial setup is complex. Rather, it is of medium difficulty, somewhere between straightforward and complex.

Once we decided to use Office 365, we were able to onboard people seamlessly. We were able to quickly start working with Team, Skype, and other products.

What about the implementation team?

Our internal IT team took charge of the implementation and deployment. They were able to complete it without assistance. The deployment is now fairly automatic for new people and there is very little time spent on maintenance.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, the features are really good, it has made our lives easy, and I highly recommend it.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Solution Manager at Softtek
Vendor
Good integration between products in the suite, and I can do my work from anywhere
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that it is cloud-based, wherefrom any computer I can access my documents and continue working."
  • "I would like to see the macro functionality in Excel made simpler."

What is our primary use case?

I use Office 365 for a variety of things including sending emails to customers and colleagues, creating PowerPoint presentations, using Excel, and using Access. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the integration, where all of the modules are talking to each other.

I like that it is cloud-based, wherefrom any computer I can access my documents and continue working. Even if my computer is down or something has happened to it, I can use another computer for work.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the macro functionality in Excel made simpler. 

Excel should be made more intelligent in terms of being able to figure out data types. For example, it should understand that if I have 16,000 records, it should know the datatype of each of the columns. There might be numbers, dates, and other types of data, and it should be able to recognize these based on context. If this were the case then it would make things easier for me.

I would like to see Azure artificial intelligence available in Office 365 so that it is available to everyone.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for the past three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is great. I have never faced any such issues. If I load too much into PowerPoint then it will slow down a little bit, but nothing like the old desktop version. When I was using the desktop version of Office, it would hang. The cloud version is far more stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Office 365 is scalable, although collaboration has to happen through SharePoint. I would say that it can scale to large, global enterprises very easily.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have never spoken to technical support for Microsoft Office. I have never had a problem that needed it.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy because it's online. You pay for it and you get it, and that's it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I think that we pay $9.99 USD per user, monthly. There are yearly packages available.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect & Cloud Architect & Project Manager at papaya global
Real User
If you have a global solution, you can go from one product to the other very easily
Pros and Cons
  • "If you have a global solution, you can go from one product to the other very easily. And then you can share data between all the different tools of Office which is good because participation and sharing is very good. That's the most important aspect of Office 365."
  • "A need that a company like ours has is that we want to be able to have data flow into one tool, for example, for all the management of tasks through the company and workflow of who is doing what and so on. There are no real solutions for this at the moment in Office 365. It would be nice if they could implement this in the next release, so we can have one solution from one company giving us the whole data and flow of data into the company."

What is most valuable?

If you have a global solution, you can go from one product to the other very easily. And then you can share data between all the different Office tools which is good because participation and sharing is very good. That's the most important aspect of Office 365.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Office 365 for four years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We don't have any problems with scalability. We have around 150 users. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We have an internal IT support team. So we send any problem to IT support and they contact Microsoft if needed. 

How was the initial setup?

I'm not the one doing the setup, so I don't know exactly how long it takes and if it was difficult, but I think it went quickly.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend it because it's rather user friendly and we don't have any particular problems. I would recommend it to a company without a problem.

A need that a company like ours has is that we want to be able to have data flow into one tool, for example, for all the management of tasks through the company and workflow of who is doing what and so on. There are no real solutions for this at the moment in Office 365. It would be nice if they could implement this in the next release, so we can have one solution from one company giving us the whole data and flow of data into the company.

I would rate Office 365 an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user