Getting Started
What is Microsoft 365?
This guide explains what Microsoft 365 is, what you get with it, and why your organisation uses it instead of the older boxed or one-time Office software.
Time needed
5 minutes to read
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
3 clear sections
Before you begin
None — this is an overview guide only.
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Understand what Microsoft 365 is
- Instruction 1: Microsoft 365 (formerly called Office 365) is a subscription service from Microsoft that gives you a bundle of productivity and collaboration apps.
- Instruction 2: Instead of buying Office once and installing it forever, your organisation pays a monthly or annual licence per user. This keeps every app current with automatic updates.
- Instruction 3: The core apps you will use are: Outlook (email and calendar), Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams (chat, meetings, and calls), OneDrive (personal cloud storage), and SharePoint (shared team files).
- Instruction 4: All apps are available as full desktop programs on Windows and Mac, as mobile apps on iPhone and Android, and as web apps you open in any browser — no installation required for the web versions.
Action map
Understand what Microsoft 365 is
- 01
Microsoft 365 (formerly called Office 365) is a subscription service from Microsoft that…
- 02
Instead of buying Office once and installing it forever, your organisation pays a…
- 03
The core apps you will use are: Outlook (email and calendar), Word, Excel, PowerPoint,…
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open Microsoft 365 help & learning for What is Microsoft 365?Understand what Microsoft 365 replaces
- Instruction 1: Before Microsoft 365, many organisations bought a physical disc or download of Microsoft Office (e.g. Office 2016 or Office 2019). That gave you Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint — installed once on one computer.
- Instruction 2: Microsoft 365 replaces this with a cloud-connected subscription: the same apps you know, plus Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and ongoing security and feature updates included in the price.
- Instruction 3: If you previously saved files to a network drive or USB, you will now typically save them to OneDrive (your personal cloud folder) or a SharePoint site (a shared team folder), so files are accessible from anywhere.
- Instruction 4: Your organisation's IT team or managed service provider controls which apps and features are available to you. If you need access to something you cannot see, contact the helpdesk.
Know where to start
- Instruction 1: The quickest way to access all your Microsoft 365 apps is to open a browser and go to portal.office.com, then sign in with your work email address and password.
- Instruction 2: From the portal home page you can launch any app, see recent files, and access settings — all without installing anything.
- Instruction 3: For the best experience on a computer you use regularly, install the desktop apps by following the 'Installing M365 Apps on Your Computer' guide.
- Instruction 4: For your phone, follow the 'Installing M365 Apps on Your Phone' guide.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
I cannot see all the apps mentioned here in my portal
Which apps are available depends on your organisation's licence plan and what your IT team has enabled. Contact the helpdesk to check which plan you are on and whether access can be granted.
I still have an old version of Office installed on my computer
You can keep using the old version for now, but it will not receive feature or security updates. Ask your IT team or helpdesk whether you should uninstall it and install the Microsoft 365 version instead.
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Our support team can help with Microsoft 365.
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