Office 365 is a new cloud-based service that brings together Office and selected business software like SharePoint, Exchange and Lync for use from virtually anywhere and on almost any device. It combines the familiar Office Web Apps with a new set of web-enabled tools. Included are Microsoft Exchange with Forefront Online Protection (to protect you from viruses and spam), SharePoint, Lync (effectively Messenger, but for businesses) and Office Web Apps. Click here to learn how to login to your new account.

Exchange Online With Exchange Online you can access your e-mail, contacts and calendar from virtually anywhere, including your desktop pc, laptop, cellular phone or tablet all whilst protecting you against spam and malicious software. You can easily connect to Exchange Online and use all the Outlook functionality you are accustomed to.

If you are on the go and do not have a pc or laptop with Microsoft Outlook installed you can still access your e-mails, calendar and contacts via the Outlook Web App which looks very similar to the desktop version of Outlook and provides a familiar interface.

You can easily manage your e-mail with a 25GB mailbox and send e-mail up to 25MB. Additionally, you can also schedule meetings by sharing calendars and seeing colleagues’ availability from the online calendar. Exchange Online includes Microsoft Forefront® Online Protection for Exchange which will take care of any spam or viruses.

Lync Online Lync Online makes it easy for you to find and connect with your colleagues and conduct online meetings, which can include audio, video and web conferencing. You can share your desktops, presentations, and even online whiteboards with both your colleagues and people outside your organization. Lync Online includes a Microsoft Live Messenger style instant messaging application, which also allows for PC-to-PC video and audio calls.

SharePoint Online SharePoint Online helps you to create sites to share information and documents with your colleagues. You can keep your organizations or team’s documents online so that the latest version will always be available to whoever needs it.

SharePoint online can keep everyone in sync by tracking project milestones and sharing documents with ease. It also integrates seamlessly with both the online and offline version of and you would be able to publish, share and edit your Microsoft Access applications on your team’s site.

Office Web Applications Office Web Apps allows you to easily access, view and edit your documents directly from any major web browser. This includes , Word, PowerPoint and OneNote. You are able to work simultaneously with other you in Excel spreadsheets and OneNote notebooks whilst seeing who is editing which part of the document. You can also access your Office documents from your mobile devices, a fact that I have tested with great success on the iPad.