The collection of user productivity applications, now known as Microsoft 365 Apps for Business and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, is one of the core elements of the Microsoft 365 subscription products. Formerly known as Office 365 for Business and Office 365 ProPlus, this element is most visible to users because it provides the applications they probably use every day. For administrators, productivity applications are a crucial part of the Microsoft 365 deployment process because they can use all the cloud-based services included in the Microsoft 365 product.
The various Microsoft 365 subscription products contain application packages that can differ slightly. For example, the Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription includes only the web and mobile versions of the productivity apps, not the installable desktop versions.
The Office applications for web and mobile use are limited in their advanced features compared to the installed versions, but they enable users with a Microsoft 365 license full access to their documents using any Internet-connected computer or mobile device with a web browser. Users can also save documents in their OneDrive cloud storage for access later.
Most of the other Microsoft 365 packages include the desktop versions, and the core applications are the same; the differences are the additional applications and services that are included in the bundle. Microsoft 365 subscriptions include the following elements:
- Word Word processing
- Excel Spreadsheets and charting
- PowerPoint Presentation graphics
- Microsoft Teams Chat, messaging, and collaboration
- Outlook Email and scheduling
- Access Database management
- Publisher Desktop publishing
- OneDrive Cloud storage
Other Microsoft 365 business and enterprise packages include various combinations of the Microsoft cloud services discussed earlier in this chapter. The Microsoft 365 E5 package, for example, adds the following:
- Exchange Online This cloud-based email and calendaring service provides enterprise users with mailboxes and calendars they can access and share using virtually any device.
- SharePoint This cloud-based collaboration tool enables administrators and users to create websites and maintain document libraries.
- Viva Connections This cloud-based employee information feed is built on SharePoint and integrated into Microsoft Teams.
- Viva Engage This is a cloud-based enterprise social networking service that Microsoft is positioning as the successor to Yammer.
- Power Platform This is a low-code end-user development environment that includes Power BI Pro, a data mining and business analytics package; Power Apps, an app development tool; Power Automate, a tool for automating repetitive tasks; and Power Virtual Agents, a tool for creating chatbots.
- Stream This video streaming service enables enterprise users to upload, view, and share video content.
- Planner This cloud-based team management application includes file sharing and communication capabilities.
- To Do This is a cloud-based task management application.
The Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 package includes all these elements, plus licenses for Windows 11 Enterprise and Enterprise Mobility + Security. The product is designed to enable all these components to work together intelligently and provide users with advanced communication and collaboration capabilities.
Exam Tip
Microsoft has officially designated the web-based versions of the Office applications as Office on the Web. They were formerly known as Office Web Apps, and some older sources might still refer to them by that name.