Microsoft365 Office365 New Commerce Experience (NCE)

A new program has been announced by Microsoft which means that how you subscribe to Microsoft Office365 and other Microsoft services through Ashdown Solutions or directly with Microsoft is changing. Called the “New Commerce Experience” or NCE, this is a natural evolution of how you can continue to purchase Microsoft’s online suite of services via Ashdown Solutions.

Microsoft has launched the NCE with the aim of improving flexibility for dynamic business and providing cost savings for those consumers who are able to make longer-term commitments. The downside is there are prixe rises and surcharges for full licence flexibility:

Microsoft NCE will apply to a wide range of their CSP product set, whilst only the select few M365 products are set to increase in price on March the 1^st, many more will be impacted by the annual vs monthly commitment options, and the 20% premium that will apply to monthly term subscriptions.

There will also be a number of Microsoft products that will only be available in annual commitment terms on NCE, notable mentioned here are:

Exchange Online (P1 & P2)
Azure Active Directory Premium (P1 & P2)
Audio Conferencing
Intune Device
Defender for Office (P1 & P2)

Stay fully, flexible, commit for 12 months or lock in pricing with 36 month terms – want to see what it means for your business?

HELP! What NCE means for my business

Lock in pricing for 12 & 36 month terms

20% Surcharge for monthly commitment

New commitment term options

Flexibility to scale up or down

What we do

We will get to know your business to determine the best Office 365 suite that will improve the efficiency of your business, whilst remaining in budget.

How we do it

We will manage the Office 365 set up for you and ensure a seamless migration of your data from your existing system.

Benefits

Cloud-based so files and programs can be accessed anywhere, anytime and on any device

It automatically updates so you are always using the latest version

Your business data is stored on the cloud so cannot be lost

Employees have access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access

Your business will benefit from Microsoft’s compliance and security

What is Office 365?

Office 365 – which is also know as Microsoft 365 – is a cloud-based suite of tools that allows all your employees to access files, programs and applications that are on your office-based computers on any other devices. It is licensed on a subscription basis, making it ideal for small and medium-sized businesses by delivering software and technical services that could otherwise be cost-prohibitive and hard for businesses to manage on site.

There is a range of suites to meet every business requirement and budget, giving you the flexibility to scale up or down as required.

What’s available with Office 365?

You’ll have all the latest Office applications which are updated automatically:

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

OneNote

Access

Publisher

As well as secure cloud services:

MicrosoftTeams

MicrosoftExchange

MicrosoftOneDrive

MicrosoftSharePoint

You will also benefit from business-grade email, shared calendars, online meetings and have access to Skype for Business where you can make and receive calls and give presentations. Office 365 has a guaranteed 99.9% uptime.

What’s a business grade email?

For cost reasons, emerging businesses very often make use of a free email service. While this is fine to begin with, a dedicated business email solution like Microsoft’s Exchange Online is a big step up for efficiency and has a more professional feel – and it doesn’t have to blow your budget.

Integration with Outlook means the email experience will be familiar, yet greatly enhanced with:

Custom email addresses

Cloud storage space – no more full inboxes or data loss

Tools to enable collaboration

Easy accessibility from any device, anywhere

Anti-malware and anti-spam filtering – advanced protection against viruses, spam and phishing attacks, monitored 24/7

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Why is using Outlook better than a free email service?

Of course, there are the added features, but the main benefit is the support. What would happen if your free email service went down? Microsoft Exchange Online takes away this worry with spare servers so your business can carry on while the problem is sorted.

Exchange Online allows you to operate your business, safe in the knowledge your email system is handled and looks professional, and your data is backed up, accessible and protected from people with malicious intent.

What about Office 365 security?

Security breaches for small businesses mainly result from out-of-date software and loss of a device or data through damage, theft, or human error, and it can be extremely costly for your business and your reputation.

Office 365 mitigates the effects of such disasters.

You have 1 TB of business storage space on OneDrive, so if you drop your phone in the bath or leave your laptop on the bus, you can still access your files from any other device. You also benefit from Microsoft’s own compliance and security capabilities, which are bigger and better than anything your business could ever run to.