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TOP OF THE WEEK TO YOU!
(by realwired! CEO, Brenda Dohring Hicks)
Top of the Week to You! is designed to offer the inside scoop and latest of what's important in the world of technology as it relates to the commercial real estate industry. |
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Is There a Reason for a 365 Degree View?
I want to write to you this week about Microsoft's 365 and also their office Web Apps. I bring these topics up because there's so much talk about "The Cloud" lately. It just seems that spending a little bit of time on how most of us work using lots of software in the Microsoft environment that we've mastered over the years, might be a useful discussion.
As I thought about how to approach this topic in this very short column, I was overwhelmed by the amount of both technical and marketing information available about Microsoft's Office 365. Here's what I'd say off the bat, Office 365 isn't Office. In spite of the name, Office 365 isn't a new version of Office. It's more like a re-branding of server services Microsoft has offered for years. Specifically, Office 365 is an upgrade of the business productivity online standard suite (now there's a mouthful) that Microsoft has offered for years. You've probably never heard of it because frankly its marketing was done poorly. Somehow, like the word "cloud" these days, which finally has people starting to understand software as a service, Office 365 is a much better name. So let's see what it is. Office 365 is meant to be used with a locally installed version of Office (preferably Office 2010). Microsoft aptly refers to it as a companion product.
So while it might feel as though everything is going to the cloud; I think it's fairly naive to think that getting to the cloud is like walking a stairway to heaven. Clearly working in the cloud has some economic benefits, particularly if you can figure out how to "rent" only what you need. There are also lots of benefits to moving the general level of expertise needed to keep your systems working into the cloud, but my personal opinion is there's no way that the cloud will deliver in every department or aspect of your business. For our industry, where a typical office is under 20 people, it does seem that working in the cloud using Office 365 (which starts at $6 per user/per month if you already own Office 2007 or 2010) has some strong benefits.
For many, the biggest benefit, if you're not already running an Exchange Server is the ability to access all of your Outlook stuff everywhere, or all at the same time. The features here are really good. For instance, if you use rules to move mail on your PC, those same rules apply when you access mail on your phone. That's the magic of an Exchange Server, and it's all included in Office 365. Everything appears identically on your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, or BlackBerry. So if any of this sounds appealing to you, or you just want to see what your friends in big companies have been up to, I suggest you take Microsoft up on its offer for a test drive.
And while you're at it you might also want to check out Microsoft's Office Web apps. Again, I found there's so much information on this that all I can do here is give you a little personal insight and if you are motivated to learn more, there's plenty out there for you. I do suggest you might use these questions as a starting point.
1. Can your company save money by paying Microsoft to take on what you'd otherwise attempt or are already doing in-house?
2. What kinds of problems have others incurred? What benefits?
3. Will a cloud solution make sense for you, or is the grass always greener on the cloudy side and a bit dried and brown on the sunny side where you are now?
Generally, the pros for Office Web Apps' cloud-based application suite are that creates and edits Office documents. It's easy to upload directly from desktop Office applications and allows for simultaneous editing by multiple users in Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. However, just know that Office Web Apps offers only a limited subset of the desktop-based features you're most accustomed to. Additionally, it does not handle large files very well. So overall, in my opinion it's a dichotomy. It is comprised of disappointing and impressive features. But like most things that we explore in our lives, there are a lot of choices and no one solution is going to ever be "perfect". My recommendation is to do a little research, explore what your trusted peers and friends have found works and then make a decision. I guess I look at it like painting a room. You always start out with the vision and a plan to make things better. The prep is the hardest part because it takes a lot of time and attention to detail. But the good news is if you don't like it once you're done, it's not that big of a deal to repaint. Welcome to the world of renting software instead of making big capital expenditures.
If you would like to join our blog discussion click here or I welcome your feedback through email.
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Hot Deals/Leads
Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. trades as Frisch's Big Boy and Golden Corral at 124 locations throughout IN, KY, OH, PA and WV. The restaurants occupy spaces of 4,000 sq.ft. to 5,000 sq.ft. in freestanding locations. Growth opportunities are sought for the Frisch's Big Boy concept throughout select markets of IN; Louisville, Lexington and northern KY and the surrounding areas, and Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, OH and the surrounding areas during the coming 18 months. A land area of 1.25 acres and a drive-thru are required. The company prefers to acquire sites. For more information, contact Jim Horwitz, Frisch's Restaurants, Inc., 2800 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45206-1206
Joe - The Art of Coffee operates six locations throughout Manhattan, NY. The upscale coffee shops occupy spaces of 600 sq.ft. to 1,200 sq.ft. in downtown areas. Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing market, with a focus on the Upper East Side, during the coming 18 months, with representation by BCD. For more information, contact Alexandra Turboff, BCD, 115 East 23rd Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010
Cherry On Top operates 45 locations throughout CA, HI, NV and TX. The self-serve frozen yogurt shops occupy spaces of 1,200 sq.ft. to 1,500 sq.ft. in power and strip centers. Plans call for 10 openings throughout CA during the coming 18 months, with representation by R.L. Pratt & Associates. Typical leases run 10 years with two, five-year options. For more information, contact Rob Pratt, R.L. Pratt & Associates, 123 Washington Boulevard, Penthouse Suite, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Like these leads? Want More? Go to the Dealmakers website for a Subscription. Dealmakers, the nation's weekly news source on retail real estate. |
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