Microsoft 365 Business Premium vs Standard

Spot the difference

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is one of the most popular business SKUs for small to medium businesses — and for good reason. It incorporates everything needed to run a successful, collaborative business with email, desktop Office apps and cloud storage.

But when it comes to cloud and email security, Microsoft 365 Business Standard only comes with the basic cyber security tools to help prevent and protect against real-time threats. Microsoft 365 Business Premium identifies those vulnerabilities and helps navigate potential gaps in security.

Five points to a layered security approach

Identity security

In its FY18 report, the ICO revealed that four out of five leading causes of data breaches are down to human error. Microsoft 365 Business Premium helps to combat this by enabling features such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and self-service password reset to keep user credentials secure.

Device security

With more businesses adopting flexible working, securing remote devices is vital to ensuring data integrity. By integrating select features from Intune, Microsoft 365 Business Premium enables companies to protect sensitive data via Mobile Device Management (MDM) and encryption policies.

Application security

Using Intune App Protection, Microsoft 365 Business Premium can restrict individuals from copying, pasting or saving sensitive company data to personal apps on their device, ensuring data integrity.

Email security

Cyber criminals are rapidly targeting Exchange Online for an easy point of entry. Microsoft 365 Business Premium now comes with Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for protection against malware, ransomware and zero-day threats, alongside Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to monitor sensitive data from being transmitted.

Document security

To prevent data leakage, Microsoft 365 Business Premium comes with Azure Information Protection, enabling secure document sharing, sensitive document tracking and the ability to revoke access to certain documents.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium features

• Business-class email (50GB default)
• Desktop Office apps (up to 5 PCs)
• Office apps – tablets/phones
• Online Office apps
• OneDrive for Business (1TB per user)
• Microsoft Teams (inc. meetings / video conferencing), O365 Groups & Yammer
• SharePoint
• Outlook Customer Manager
• Microsoft Planner
• Microsoft Invoicing / Bookings / StaffHub / MileIQ
• Delve
• Windows Autopilot for automatic Office install
• Intune Mobile Device Management for iOS, Android, macOS & Windows PCs
• Intune App Protection & Selective Data Wipe
• Shared Computer Activation (SCA)
• Windows Defender Antivirus
• Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Azure Active Directory – MFA, Single Sign-On (SSO), Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR), Conditional Access
• Azure Information Protection P1
• Windows Information Protection & BitLocker
• Exchange Online Archiving
• Litigation Hold, eDiscovery, Compliance Manager & Data Subject Requests
• Free upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 Pro

Microsoft 365 Business Standard features

• Business-class email (50GB default)
• Desktop Office apps (up to 5 PCs)
• Office apps – tablets/phones
• Online Office apps
• OneDrive for Business (1TB per user)
• Microsoft Teams (inc. meetings / video conferencing), O365 Groups & Yammer
• SharePoint
• Outlook Customer Manager
• Microsoft Planner
• Microsoft Invoicing / Bookings / StaffHub / MileIQ

Additional Business Premium benefits

Front door security

Better manage your identity and access controls, secure links and attachments in emails, and stop breaches before they escalate in severity.

Supports GDPR compliance

Microsoft 365 Business Premium employs tools that better protect business data, guard against accidental sharing of sensitive information, protect data in cloud applications and improve compliance.

Single sign-on

Sign into applications and devices using your primary login credentials. Since it's twinned with multi-factor authentication, you're protected from all angles.

Unlimited email archiving

Enable unlimited cloud archive and long-term policies to ensure critical business email is never lost.

Easy upgrade to Windows 10

If you're on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 Pro, you'll receive a free upgrade to Windows 10 — the most up-to-date operating system.

Selective data wipe

If an employee device is lost or stolen, corporate data can be removed remotely to ensure data integrity.

Talk to a specialist about Microsoft 365 Business Premium

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