Microsoft 365 Business Premium

July 2025 | Nextworks

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based suite of cloud-based productivity, collaboration, and security tools designed for businesses, individuals, and teams, combining popular applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with cloud services like OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and advanced security features.

Microsoft offers several 365 business plans, the most common being Business Standard used primarily for email and access to the Microsoft Office application suite.

Business Premium is rapidly gaining in popularity in response to today's ever more dangerous cyber security threats.

Why Business Premium Over Business Standard?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers several key advantages over Microsoft 365 Business Standard, primarily centered around enhanced security, device management, and compliance features. Here's a concise summary of the advantages:

Advanced Security Features

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 - provides protection against advanced cyber threats like phishing, malware, and ransomware with real-time detection and remediation.


• Azure Information Protection - Enables classification, encryption, and restricted access for sensitive data, ensuring secure collaboration.


• Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) - Guards apps, emails, and files against malware, viruses, and spyware using machine learning and behavioral analysis.

Comprehensive Device Management

• Microsoft Intune - Offers mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM), allowing control over company devices (PCs, tablets, phones) and apps, including remote data wiping and policy enforcement.


• Conditional Access - Enhances security by controlling access to data and apps based on user identity, location, or device status.

Enhanced Compliance and Governance

• Includes tools like Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Exchange Online Archiving, and eDiscovery for better data governance and compliance with regulatory standards.


• Supports businesses with multi-branch operations or specific industry compliance needs.

Support for Hybrid and Remote Work

• Offers enterprise-grade security and management tools tailored for remote workers and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments, ensuring secure access to business data.

Cost Comparison

At the time of this writing, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $12.50/user/month. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is $22/user/month. Both are annual pricing. Monthly pricing is available at additional cost.

Summary

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a more robust solution than Business Standard, offering advanced security, device management, and compliance tools. It's particularly suited for businesses needing to protect sensitive data, manage diverse devices, and ensure compliance in dynamic or remote work settings, potentially saving costs by consolidating security needs into one platform.

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