SLIDESHOW

Office 365 Virtual Tour: 13 Useful Features

Here is a close look at Microsoft's attempt to bring your desktop up to the cloud via Office 365.

By Mike Heck, Network World |

13 Cool Features in Office 365

Microsoft released the official beta version of Office 365 today, but we've been playing with it for a while now. Here are 13 cool features of the cloud-based service that combines Office, SharePoint, Lync and Exchange.

Also read: First look at Microsoft Office 365

Read PCWorld's Microsoft Office 365 vs. Google Apps for Business: Cloud Showdown

Powerful Admin page

A simple Admin page lets support staff easily manage users and configure Exchange, SharePoint and Lync Online services.

Solve problems before they begin

With the "service status" feature, IT staff can monitor Microsoft Office 365 services to help isolate any potential problems.

Smartphone management tools

With ExchangeOnline ActiveSync, IT managers can create device policies to enforce strong passwords and control some hardware features of smartphones.

Let externals users access Sharepoint Online

Administrators may configure SharePoint Online in multiple ways, such as giving Team Site owners the option to invite users from outside your organization.

Team Site extends email

Within SharePoint Online, Team Site stewards can quickly add users with external e-mail addresses.

Rich Outlook functionality

The Outlook Web Application offers much of the rich functionality found in the desktop application, including right-click access to many functions.

Robust calendaring

The Office 365 Outlook Web App includes the same robust calendar and scheduling capabilities available in the desktop client.

Keep tabs on colleagues

Whether using the Outlook desktop or Web App, users can always see the online status of colleagues and immediately invoke Lync Online to start an IM session or a full meeting.