Office 365 now live in Australia

I decided to start reviewing Office 365 for both current and future clients. Interestingly, during the beta period Office 365 was being promoted as $6 a month for the Office 365 for professionals and small business, but now that it has been released, it is $7.90 a month in Australia. I decided to check the pricing in other countries and found the following:

Australia - $7.90 AUD
United States - $6 USD
Canada - $7 CAD
New Zealand - $9.25 NZD
Great Britain - £4 GBP

It is interesting to see the different pricing, but really in the end, it is all about what the product does for you and whether it is value for money or not for you.

I found setting up Office 365 was a bit cumbersome and may be beyond many users. If people take it easy and spend the time to learn then they’ll get there, but it isn’t as easy as setting up a Gmail or Hotmail account for example.

For those thinking you’ll get Microsoft Office 2010 type functionality and speed on the internet you really need to think again. You’ll get reduced functionality and slower speeds. But keep in mind this is not desktop software and there may be additional functionality that assists you in your business. For example having access to your documents and files from anywhere in the world without carrying around everything with you may be just what you need. Only you know what you need.

For me I’m looking at my needs and the needs of clients and will review Office 365 against people’s needs. The first step however is to review Office 365 to find out what it does do and what it doesn’t do. As I review various aspects of Office 365 I hope to share my experiences via the MyAnswers service (www.MyAnswers.biz). I’ve already identified a number of issues for myself. It is too early to tell if they are show stoppers, or whether it simply means a different way to work.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au