Like Windows 11, Microsoft "proves" why Microsoft 365 is better than Office for you

If you are familiar with Microsoft's tactics, you know how the company makes every effort to try and get users on Windows 10 to update to Windows 11. For example, recently we noticed how Microsoft suggested a clean installation of the latter in order to use the Windows 11 exclusive Smart App Control security feature.

Quite stupidly perhaps, Microsoft does not seem to make this process any friendlier as it recently blocked the popular BYPASSNRO script used to get by internet and MSA requirements during Windows 11 installs. Interestingly, there is also an official way to do so that is endorsed by Microsoft itself.

Like Windows 11, Microsoft also wants users, like business owners, to consider moving on from Office to Microsoft 365. It has highlighted the various limitations of working offline, among other things. It writes:

As a leader of a small or medium-sized business, you may have invested in Microsoft Office years ago through a perpetual license or “on-premises” version to equip your team with essential productivity apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Over the years, these familiar tools have become ingrained in your daily operations—so much so that you can't imagine working without them.

 

Yet, you may have started noticing limitations. Your apps are stuck on your desktop, limiting productivity anytime you're away from your office. You can't easily access your files or collaborate when working remotely or traveling, creating unnecessary friction for your team. Perhaps you’ve seen your company’s IT expenses creep upwards as you’ve added separate solutions for email, file storage, and virtual meetings.

Microsoft thus believes that this is the "perfect time" to get Microsoft 365, and it also has "numbers to prove" why it is right, especially considering Office 2016 and 2019 reach the end of support later this year alongside Windows 10.

It explains:

Now is the perfect time to move to Microsoft 365—and we’ve got the numbers to prove it

 

To examine the potential return on investment (ROI) companies realize by implementing Microsoft 365, Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a study on The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft 365 For Business. The study highlights a substantial 223% ROI over three years, with a payback period of less than six months, proving that the initial investment is quickly recovered. Even more compelling, the study quantified over $500,000 in benefits over three years, driven by:

 

• Collaboration time savings of 1.5 hours weekly per user thanks to advanced communication tools, business automation, and process improvements.
• Enhanced IT specialist productivity, saving 686 hours annually by reducing help desks tickets and minimizing time spent on system updates and patching.
• Significant cost reductions, with over $297,000 in savings from retiring outdated hardware and software, along with lower IT maintenance costs.

You can find the blog post here on Microsoft's official Tech Community website.

Microsoft pulled a similar "commissioned study" stunt back in October 2024 in the case of Windows 11 vs 10. If you missed that story, the company actually compared differently-abled devices to prove Windows 11 was better.

Unfortunately for Microsoft 365, many IT admins and system admins feel that the New Outlook for Windows app is "hot garbage", and a lot of Neowin readers feel the same way too.

Not everything is bad, though, as there is some performance boost in the pipeline too. If you are on Windows 10, it is noteworthy here that users must move to Windows 11 too before November or else all Microsoft 365 updates will stop.

Source

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