Microsoft 365 for businesses and schools: how teams work better in the cloud
Office 365 is now Microsoft 365. Here is how businesses and schools use it to work together from anywhere, and how to get real value from the licences you pay for.
Updated October 2026 · 6 min read
Collaboration now happens across offices, homes and devices. Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365, brings together the tools people use every day with cloud storage, communication and security, so teams and classrooms can work together from anywhere.
What is in Microsoft 365?
- Office apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, on desktop, web and mobile.
- Email and calendar: Exchange Online.
- Teams: chat, meetings and calling.
- SharePoint and OneDrive: shared and personal file storage with version history.
- Security and management: identity protection, device management with Intune and data protection, depending on your plan.
How businesses benefit
- Co-author in real time: several people can edit the same document at once.
- Work from anywhere: secure access on laptops, tablets and phones.
- One place for teamwork: Teams brings chat, files and meetings together.
- Less infrastructure: no email or file servers to maintain.
How schools and universities benefit
- Collaborative learning: students and teachers co-author documents and presentations.
- Assignments and feedback: create, collect and grade work in Teams.
- Remote and hybrid classes: online lessons and recordings for students who miss a class.
- Accessible tools: features such as Immersive Reader support different learning needs.
Getting full value from your licences
- Choose the right plan: Business Basic, Standard and Premium differ significantly in security and management features.
- Secure it properly: turn on multi-factor authentication and conditional access, and protect devices.
- Organise content: plan Teams and SharePoint structure before people create hundreds of sites.
- Train people: short, role-based sessions drive adoption more than long manuals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365?
Microsoft renamed most Office 365 plans to Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 plans add security and device management on top of the familiar apps and services.
Which plan is right for a small or mid-sized business?
It depends on your security needs. Business Premium adds advanced threat protection and device management, which many organisations now need.
Can we migrate our existing email without downtime?
Yes. A planned migration moves mailboxes in stages with minimal disruption to users.
Is Microsoft 365 available for schools?
Yes. Microsoft offers education plans for schools and universities.