O2 unveils Office 365 packages for SMBs

O2’s business arm has launched a range of SMB-friendly Microsoft Office 365 bundles, with prices starting from £3.90 per month.

The telco said its packages are suitable for sole traders and businesses with up to 2,000 employees, who will also benefit from having telephone access to a Microsoft-accredited O2 support team.

Office 365 is Microsoft’s online business productivity suite, which provides users with cloud-based versions of Office, Exchange, Lync, Sharepoint and SkyDrive on a monthly subscription basis.

Each Office 365 license extends to up to five PCs and Windows tablets, O2 Business added, and users will have the added benefit of automatic software updates.

Paul Lawton, general manager of SMB at O2, said the packages will benefit small firms that do not have the resources to manage their own IT in-house.

“Our business customers have told us they value flexibility but they can’t afford costly set-up and maintenance fees, or devote their time to IT issues,” said Lawton.

“We believe this offering addresses those issues, plus with the added support from our experts, our customers can feel comfortable that there is someone on hand if they need it.”

Mark Rice, senior director of business services and operator channels at Microsoft, added: “Customers are choosing Microsoft productivity solutions because they deliver a comprehensive experience and flexibility to move to the cloud...[and] customers will get to enjoy the benefits of enterprise-class IT with no expertise needed.”

The O2 launch comes nearly two years after rival operator Vodafone launched its own range of Office 365 bundles for business users, after being crowned a Microsoft launch partner for the cloud product suite.