Comcast Business is now offering Microsoft Office 365 through Comcast Business Cloud Solutions, its cloud application marketplace for small and midsized businesses and formerly known as Upware.
Businesses can sign up for the cloud-based office software and access Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint from virtually anywhere, on any device, according to the company. They also can utilize Comcast’s Cloud Desk Agents to assist with Office 365 implementation.
“Office 365 modernizes the classic suite of Office applications while adding important new capabilities: OneDrive cloud storage, modern meetings powered by Skype, integrated collaboration tools and whole new capabilities like Sway, which enables SMBs to create digital, online content for their customers,” Kevin O’Toole, senior vice president and general manager of new business solutions at Comcast Business, told eWEEK. “Further, all of these services are now built for a mobile, multidevice world. Whether an SMB uses PCs, Macs, iDevices or Android, Office 365 is an important centerpiece in any small business’ SaaS adoption plan.”
Trust, user management, support and education are the key issues for businesses looking to harness the power of cloud-based software, he said, noting SaaS and cloud technology bring a “tsunami” of innovation to SMBs.
“Amidst that tsunami, SMBs are finding both great value and new challenges,” O’Toole said. “SMBs need help understanding which products are the right fit for their business. They need a simpler way to manage employee access across multiple SaaS services. They need help with migration and troubleshooting. And perhaps most importantly, they often just need help learning how to get the employees activated and using new applications. Comcast Business Cloud Solutions was built to specifically address each of these customer pain points.”
Business Cloud Solutions is a curated suite of cloud-based applications that enable SMBs to access software applications to help improve business productivity, offering business solutions ranging from online backup, security, electronic signature and more from vendors including Microsoft, Carbonite, DocuSign and F-Secure.
“Digital documents have become the lifeblood of almost any small business. Contracts, marketing materials, sales orders, proposals—virtually every aspect of business is now conducted digitally,” O’Toole said. “Office 365 OneDrive includes 1TB of storage per user that is securely accessible from virtually any Internet-connected device. This allows company users to always have access to the latest versions of documents and be ready, wherever they are, to conduct whatever business they need to.”
He noted, however, that Comcast does not offer free storage in perpetuity.
The company is currently offering an introductory offer of up to five users free for six months on all Microsoft Office365 services. After the promotional period, customers will pay full price for the Office 365 services.