At the Microsoft Ignite 2017 conference, Microsoft announced the expansion of Microsoft 365. Announced at Microsoft Inspire few months ago, Microsoft 365 brings together Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security to provide a complete, intelligent solution for organizations.
The two new Microsoft 365 offerings are:
- Microsoft 365 Education: It includes Office 365 for Education, Windows 10, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Minecraft: Education Edition and gives students, faculty, and staff everything they need to create and collaborate securely.
- Microsoft 365 F1: It includes Office 365 F1, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security and is designed to maximize the impact of the Firstline Worker. Firstline Workers are those employees who are first to engage customers, represent a company’s brand, and see products and services in action.
Firstline workers include sales associates, factory workers, customer service agents, medical staff, etc. and comprise of 80% of global workforce. Microsoft 365 F1 aims to provide purpose-built capabilities that help foster firstline culture and community, train and upskill employees, digitize business process, deliver real-time expertise, and minimize risk and cost.
Microsoft also announced the upcoming Microsoft 365–powered devices, including new commercial Windows 10 S devices from HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu, starting at $275 and available starting later this year. These devices will enable self-service deployment, simplified management, and a reduced total cost of ownership for businesses.
Microsoft also announced new Microsoft 365 capabilities to unlock employees’ creativity, fuel teamwork, and to provide IT a simpler way to manage users, devices, applications, and data.