Microsoft are to remove one of the high end Office 365 licenses by replacing it with a new and improved offering to be released before the end of year.

The new E5 license will pack a real punch by including Skype for Business which will now have a platform for Cloud telephony by introducing Cloud PBX and Meeting Broadcast. Added security measures are in place by offering eDiscovery, Safe Attachments and Customer Lockbox. Power BI has seen an upgrade by giving users Power BI Pro, the added analytic features in Pro will help to drive organizational productivity with more in-depth results and coupled with Delve Organizational Analytics, Office 365 is firmly in the driving seat when it comes to powering work efficiencies.

Some customers may feel that the E5 package is too much for them yet they may find themselves interested in the Cloud PBX options. Customers will be able to purchase E1 or E3 plans and obtain the PBX or PSTN capabilities by making the relevant add-ons and upgrades. What does this mean for those already using the soon to be retired E4 plan? Users will have to either upgrade to the new E5 plan or downgrade to E3 and adding the options for PBX should they wish.

At Doherty we have already been using a Cloud PBX by using the VIA platform as it seamlessly integrates with Office 365 Read about it here

Although no official date has been given regarding the launch and no price point to compare as of yet, what’s certain is Microsoft are definitely creating a hype with the introduction of E5, and it’s refreshing to see that Microsoft are always trying to make Office 365, which is already a great product, that much better.

Definitely something to be excited about, Microsoft; we’re watching this space!

Give us a call on 020 8987 1150 to speak to one our specialists about the new E5 plan.