For organizations that maintain an in-house development team, selecting the right Office 365 subscription plan is critical. The plan must not only meet basic productivity needs but also support the specific requirements of software developers who need tools that foster collaboration, version control, and continuous integration.
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In this blog post, we’ll explore the most suitable Office 365 subscription options for organizations with in-house development teams, detailing each plan’s features, benefits, and how they can enhance your team’s productivity and collaboration.
Understanding the Office 365 Enterprise Plans
Office 365, now part of Microsoft 365, offers several subscription plans tailored to the needs of different business sizes and types. For larger organizations or those with specific needs such as development teams, the Enterprise plans are often the most fitting. These plans include Office 365 E1, E3, and E5. Each plan offers varying levels of features and tools that can be beneficial for development teams.
Office 365 E1: The Basics
Starting with Office 365 E1, this plan is the most basic option that includes essential services like email, file storage, and various communication tools including Microsoft Teams. While it offers web-based versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, it lacks the desktop versions of these applications. This plan is best suited for organizations that need basic collaboration tools without the necessity for advanced security and compliance features.
- Key Features:
- Email and calendaring with Outlook and Exchange
- Microsoft Teams for collaboration
- Web versions of Office applications
- 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user
- Benefits for Development Teams:
- Seamless collaboration and communication via Teams.
- Sufficient cloud storage for sharing and storing code repositories non-natively.
Office 365 E3: Enhanced Productivity and Security
Office 365 E3 is a step up and is well-suited for development teams that require more robust capabilities. It includes everything in E1 with the addition of desktop versions of Office apps, which can be vital for teams that prefer working through full-featured applications. More importantly for developers, E3 includes enhanced security features and compliance capabilities, which are essential when dealing with sensitive codebases.
- Key Features:
- All features of E1 plus desktop Office apps
- Enhanced security features for data protection
- Unlimited email storage
- Device management capabilities with Microsoft Intune
- Advanced compliance solutions including data loss prevention
- Benefits for Development Teams:
- Full Office suite enhances flexibility in tool usage.
- Advanced security features protect sensitive software code and data.
- Device management helps in maintaining a secure and compliant development environment.
Office 365 E5: The Ultimate Solution
For development teams looking for the ultimate in productivity, collaboration, and security, Office 365 E5 is the top choice. It includes all features of E3 along with advanced analytics tools, voice capabilities, and more sophisticated security and compliance features. This plan is particularly beneficial for teams that integrate their development environment with business intelligence tools and require advanced threat protection.
- Key Features:
- All features of E3 plus advanced analytics with Power BI
- Enhanced threat protection with Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- Advanced compliance and eDiscovery tools
- Audio conferencing and phone system capabilities
- Benefits for Development Teams:
- Integration of BI tools helps in analyzing and managing projects effectively.
- Superior threat protection ensures the security of code and development environments.
- Comprehensive communication tools enhance collaboration even with remote teams.
Conclusion
Selecting the right Office 365 subscription plan depends largely on the specific needs of your development team. For teams needing advanced security, compliance, and full desktop applications, Office 365 E3 presents a balanced option. However, for those requiring the highest level of features, including analytics and superior security measures, Office 365 E5 is the best choice. Consider your team’s specific needs, including the type of projects you handle, the level of security required, and your budget when making this decision.
For more detailed information and to compare these plans directly, visit the Microsoft 365 Business Plans Comparison Page.
Selecting the appropriate plan ensures your development team has the tools and security they need to be productive and protect their work, ultimately benefiting your entire organization.
