Many clients, especially those with Enterprise Agreements, are being asked by Microsoft to convert their licensing agreements into Office 365 based subscription solutions and are confused by their options.  This comparison is for clients who currently own just the Core CAL (client access license) and are considering moving to an Office 365 E1 plan with a Bridge CAL.  

Let’s start with what is the same.

Both E1 and the Core CAL give you the right to run Exchange Standard CAL, Skype for Business Standard CAL (formerly known as Lync), and SharePoint Standard CAL on premise, in your own data center for your users.  Both plans would require the requisite Server licenses purchases. 

The Bridge CAL completes the traditional functionality of the Core CAL by licensing you for a Windows CAL, System Center Configuration Manager CML, and the Microsoft EndPoint Protection Antivirus service. 

Office Pro Plus – is the version that is sold in volume licensing.  It is the default package when purchasing under an EA agreement, Select, or new Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA). 

Office 365 Pro Plus – is the version that is sold via Office 365.  Subscriptions for Office 365 can either be purchased directly from the web portal or on a traditional licensing agreement like an Enterprise Agreement, Select, or new MPSA.  It frequently is sold as part of the E3 or E4 packages.  

Although Office Online was designed with accessibility in mind, upgrades are always needed for continuous improvement. These started with Office Online utilizing WAI-ARIA(Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications), which is a new accessibility standard for blind or low vision web users. Of course, this was just the start. More recently, users are finding all kinds of new tools and features that increase their ability to use Office Online products despite their need for assistance. Microsoft has made a conscious effort to make their products more user-friendly for people with disabilities.  Enhancements are focused on giving everyone a level playing field to maximize the use of Office products and software.

Microsoft SharePoint started out as a collaboration tool designed to help with team sites, and it has come a long way. The evolution of SharePoint includes management layers along with customizable features, and is now focusing on taking things to the cloud for the next generation of business productivity tools. As technology continues to evolve, so do the needs of the modern business. Microsoft is using tools like SharePoint to continue to provide solutions for its enterprise clients.

SharePoint in the Cloud

The cloud is the next level of business productivity. The core areas of SharePoint, experiences, management, and extensibility are evolving in Office 365; as well as other Microsoft Office products, are taken to a new level in the cloud. Many organizations still run much, if not all, of their SharePoint on-premises. Microsoft is making significant investments in a Hybrid SharePoint solution. That’s why with this latest release of SharePoint, security has been at the forefront so that organizations can take advantage of cloud innovation on their terms.