What is our primary use case?
Primarily, I use
Office 365 and Teams for various tasks. My firm works as a consulting and IT solution provider for small and micro businesses. We use
Office 365 for a range of applications like Teams, Exchange, Outlook,
SharePoint, Power Application, and Power Apps.
What is most valuable?
I find the extensive list of features in Office 365 tremendously valuable, including Teams, Exchange, Outlook,
SharePoint, Power Application, and Power Apps. In particular, I am an end user, and I consult my partner firms to use Office 365 and Teams. I have found that Teams and Outlook are my primary applications. Furthermore, I like Copilot Pro, which I have licensed for use with Outlook, Teams, Excel, and Word; it often provides excellent information and guidelines.
What needs improvement?
I have issues with call licensing problems, and there is a lack of good information about PBX and IT integration with Teams. Questions regarding licensing, such as the appropriate license needed for integration with PBX or for supporting call centers and IVRs, are common, along with inquiries about pricing for domestic and international phone calls. Additionally, I would appreciate more documentation on specific integrations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Office 365 for a few years, maybe five or more.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The initial setup is not entirely easy. A setup may require changing configurations in Exchange and Teams, but overall it is manageable. Although not every deployment is straightforward, I do not spend excessive time resolving problems. The setup is flexible.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of Office 365 as eight out of ten, indicating room for improvement. Specifically,
Microsoft Teams can have issues sometimes. Today, for instance, I was unable to log in to my Teams account for over an hour on my mobile. This might be due to my mobile operator or a Microsoft issue.
How are customer service and support?
In a case a few months ago, I assisted a non-profit organization, and I can say that communication has greatly improved with Microsoft. Everything was finished within five to seven days, and the support was cooperative, providing good guidelines. Microsoft is consistently improving in this type of communication.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have only used Microsoft solutions, primarily because my technical team consists of Microsoft-certified professionals. We have no experience with Linux, Google, or other platforms.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup can vary depending on the client's requirements. Some setups are quick and fast, taking little time, while others require more effort from my team, especially when clients are uncertain about their needs.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In Serbia, IT is considered expensive because our monthly budget comparison to the rest of Europe is low. With an average salary of 500 euros, Office 365 appears expensive. Many clients request discounts.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other options because my technical team is composed of Microsoft-certified professionals.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Office 365 as seven out of ten, taking into account the areas for improvement.
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?
*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner