New Office 365 Enterprise E5 plan comes with newly Office 2016 and cutting-edge features for optimal productivity in the mobile-first, cloud-first world
Bangkok, 23 December 2015 – Microsoft Thailand vowed to empower Thai enterprises with the arrival of the new Office 365 Enterprise E5. The cloud-based productivity suite not only comes with Office 2016 – the latest version of Office applications – but also delivers cutting-edge security features for all situations, an excellent platform for collaboration, powerful analytics, and complete safety and transparency in the cloud. For the first time ever, customers have total control and confidence over data access rights and can prevent even system administrators from accessing said data without explicit permission –makes Office 365 the most complete, most secured cloud productivity offering ever in the mobile-first, cloud-first world.
Microsoft also revealed the results of its ‘New World of Work’ study for enterprises[1]. Conducted by Microsoft Asia Pacific in Thailand and covering 200 respondents across various Thai organisations, the study uncovered new insights into the latest productivity trends and made it apparent that Thai employees today expect their organisations to pave the way to a ‘new world of work’ with full mobile productivity and collaboration as well as opportunities to share their ideas to create new workplace innovations.
Somsak Mukdavannakorn, Public Sector Director for Microsoft (Thailand) Limited, said, “Cloud services continue to grow here in Thailand, and the enterprise sector is a key player when it comes to cloud adoption for productivity purposes. We are confident that the cloud will completely transform the way people work and do business, giving organisations new competitive advantages and paving the way to new innovations and ideas that raise the bar for productivity. This year, there has been great interest in technological adoption in Thailand, especially in the use of third platforms such as cloud, mobility, and big data analytics. The trend is especially clear in the financial and banking sector, which has seen significant increases in data center and virtualization investments, all of which will lead to greater cloud adoption in 2016[2].
“However, this mobile-first, cloud-first world also presents many challenges to organisations. In recent times, we have been witnesses to many notable security incidents around the world and here in Thailand – including threats such as data theft and ransoming. Modern cyber criminals have developed elaborate attack patterns that leave organisations with less time than ever before to defend themselves. According to a report from the Thailand Computer Emergency Response Team (ThaiCERT)[3], Thailand currently ranks third in the world in cyber threats and attacks. As a leading player in the global IT industry, Microsoft invests more than a billion dollars each year in security technologies R&D for our products and cloud services in order to offer customers complete confidence in entering the mobile and cloud era. Microsoft cloud infrastructure supports over 1 billion customers (including both enterprise and consumer) across 140 countries worldwide, and 85% of Fortune 500 companies have placed their trust in the Microsoft Cloud.”
These enterprise productivity trends are evident in the results of Microsoft’s New World of Work study for enterprises, which was conducted in September this year with data from organisations with more than 250 employees in 13 Asia-Pacific territories – including 200 respondents in Thailand. The New World of Work study covered three key principles:
- People: Employees have the capability to work flexibly and productively in the digital modern workplace. They are supported by leaders and cultures that help them succeed in a dynamic environment that is open to ideas and creativity.
- Place: Employees can work flexibly from anywhere at any time.
- Technology: Employees are empowered with technologies and services that allow them to work more comfortably and generate better results at a faster pace.
Results from Thailand show that Thai employees expect their organisations to open the door to a ‘new world of work’ with full mobility and collaboration capabilities as well as opportunities to share ideas that lead to new workplace innovations. 62% of Thai employees spend more than 20% of their time working outside their offices, although 82% are working in an organisation with no policy to support such an arrangement. This data represents a starker contrast than the average situation across Asia-Pacific territories, where 67% of employees spend 20% or more of their time working outside the office and 67% are working in an organisation with no policy for out-of-office productivity.
On the mobility front, 66.5% of Thai employees still need to be in the office to access special equipment or tools that are only available there – higher than the Asia-Pacific average of 61.1%.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a state agency responsible for supervising the development of Thailand’s capital markets, is one of many organisations to have recognised the benefits and opportunities on offer in the cloud. Kumpol Sontanarat, Director, Information and Communication Technology Department, said, “The SEC’s primary responsibilities revolve around regulation and sustainable development of the capital market as well as the protection of investor interest. We fully recognise the severity of threats such as cybercrime and various emergencies that could disrupt the market’s operations. At the same time, we also have to lay the groundwork for a more flexible working environment that enables employees to access the system and any required data no matter where they are. To tackle this challenge, we chose to adopt cloud technology by migrating our email system to the Microsoft Office 365 platform while also deploying the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), which is a one-stop solution designed for the management and protection of mobile device users and data. This combination of Office 365 and EMS has provided us with a very satisfactory answer to the business continuity dilemma. We have also begun to offer training programs for Skype for Business, which is being adopted by the International Relation Centre. Elsewhere, we are actively encouraging financial organisations to invest in IT tools and solutions that can detect threats and keep their data safe. Cloud computing is proving to be the ideal answer to this requirement as well.”
In the manufacturing sector, leading sugar producer Wangkanai Group has embraced new technological advancements to enhance its operational capabilities. Sarin Na Wangkanai, Strategic Development Director of Wangkanai Group, said, “Information technology is a critical component in ensuring effective collaboration in our organisation. One of our priorities in this regard is enabling employees to use their personal computers at work. This requires us to have a platform and service that facilitate effective, secure collaboration. For this purpose, we chose Microsoft Office 2016, which gives us a degree of familiarity that is ideal for efficient collaboration in a manufacturing environment that focuses on better performance in less time. Office 2016 helps us on better teamwork process provides real-time collaborative editing with and securely access content and email with Personal Certificate Authentication. Wangkanai Group, soon will roll out the cloud-based Office 365 service to lighten up the IT department’s burden in system administration as well as travel expenses. A meeting conducted through Skype for Business, for example, takes up much less time than traveling to an actual face-to-face meeting.”
Prinya Hom-anek, President and Founder of ACIS Professional Center Co., Ltd., and information technology security specialist added: “Thailand needs a higher level of awareness in technology usage and the handling of cyber threats. Users today are largely lacking when it comes to the understanding of these threats and the tools that can protect them. The cloud offers a great platform for security. Thanks to its inherent flexibility, cloud-powered organisations can run their systems in a more secure manner with better and more fine-grained control over access rights. However, organisations must make sure to choose a trustworthy cloud platform that delivers genuine security for personally identifiable information, complies with modern standards and regulations, and operates in a fully transparent manner. In the cloud, organisations can improve their efficiency, reduce expenses, save time, and uphold their security commitments.”
Office 365 Enterprise E5 is the latest addition to the Office family with features tailored to meet the needs of enterprise customers. The plan includes Office 2016, the best and most secure Office suite ever.
Office 365 Enterprise E5 features
Built for teams and networks
With Skype for Business, you can simplify your infrastructure with one platform for calling, conferencing, video, and sharing. Connect teams with the experience they love, in the Office applications they use every day.
- Cloud PBX enables users to make, receive, and transfer calls from and to their mobile phones, tablets, and PCs through their own mobile network or the Internet.
- Skype Meeting Broadcast supports livestreams for up to 10,000 people, who can attend in a browser from anywhere.
- Co-authoring uses Skype for Business to support real-time collaborative editing in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote 2016.
- With Skype in-app integration, you can IM, screen share, talk or video chat right in your docs.
- Keep teams connected with Office 365 Planner, with shared conversations, notebook, content, plans and more.
- Store and Share documents easily and securely with OneDrive for Business.
Personalised and organizational insights
Easy-to-use live data monitoring and in-depth analysis tools let you discover new stories in your data with even more interactive reports, simpler dashboards and compelling data visualizations.
- Monitor and analyze a broad range of live data through easy-to-use dashboards, interactive reports, and compelling data visualizations with Power BI Pro.
- Excel 2016 is even more powerful than before with integrated publishing to Power BI and new modern chart-types to help you make the most of your data.
- Understand time management, business efficiency and organizational collaboration patterns with Delve Org Analytics
People centric security
Microsoft handles your security so you don’t have to. Now you have even more control with increased privacy, transparency and refined user controls – it’s easy to see why this is the most secure Office ever.
- Customer Lockbox gives customers explicit control over their content with zero interference by service administrators
- Stay secure with real time protection against malware, viruses and malicious URLs with Advanced Threat Protection.
- Significantly reduce the risk of leaking sensitive data with built-in Data Loss Prevention, which is fully supported in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
- Securely access your content anywhere with Multi-Factor Authentication for when you’re away from the corporate network.
- Enhance the performance of compliance teams with fast and efficient predictive analysis and data queries through Advanced eDiscovery, allowing them to zero in on data that violates the organisation’s rules and regulations.
For just $33 per user per month, enterprise customers can sign up for Office 365 Enterprise E5 and take advantage of the cloud service’s unprecedented security advances as well as Office 2016 applications. Microsoft also offers a variety of Office 365 offerings for enterprise customers. For more information, visit https://products.office.com/th-th/business/compare-more-office-365-for-business-plans or call 02-263-6888.
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About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Established in 1993, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited aims to Make 70 Million Lives Better by enabling Thai people and businesses to realize their full potential through technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate. We offer software, services, and devices that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives. Working with communities and the Thai government, Microsoft and its partners are committed to working closely with organizations and people across Thailand to fully harness the power of technology and innovation.
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For more information, press only:
Pornravee Suramool or Yada Sintavarattana
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Thailand
Tel: 0-2627-3501 ext. 110, 213 or 081-735-9213, 081-694-9949
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
[1]The Microsoft Asia Pacific New World of Work Study, conducted in September 2015 across organisations with 250 or more employees in 13 Asian territories – including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the Philippines
[2]Source: http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prTH25800815
[3]Source: Thaicert http://bit.ly/1Telmnr