Microsoft 365 (M365) is one of the most popular all-in-one office platforms for businesses. The cloud platform is used by over 187,000 companies in the UK alone.

Microsoft has a range of plans available for SME’s including Business Basic, Business Standard, Apps for Business, and Business Premium.

If you use one of the lower-level plans, what’s the advantage of upgrading to the top tier, Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of Microsoft 365 Business Premium and why the upgrade makes sense for business owners.

Important Security & Device Management Features in M365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium has all the applications that you’ll find in other Microsoft 365 Business plans, including:

• The Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• MS Teams
• OneDrive
• SharePoint
• Exchange
• Microsoft CoPilot
• And more

But it also includes tools that the others don’t have that are important in today’s dangerous threat climate.

1. Intune Endpoint Device Management

In 2024, 50% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cyber attack or security breach in the previous 12 months, up from 39% in 2022. 

Mobile devices now make up approximately 60% of an organisation’s endpoints, many are often left unsecured, especially if a company is using a “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy.

M365 Business Premium includes a powerful mobile device and endpoint device manager in the plan. This in itself makes the upgrade worth it as you are not purchasing a separate security product.

Microsoft Intune enables companies to centrally manage all company endpoints, including the “business side” of an employee’s mobile phone being used for business purposes.

Microsoft Intune allows companies to:

• Keep all endpoints updated with security patches
• Grant or revoke access to business apps remotely
• Use “find my device” and “wipe my device” for lost or stolen devices
• Deploy and authenticate apps on devices
• Protect company data by controlling how users can share it
• Ensure devices and apps are compliant with your security policies.

2. Easy Encryption for Email Messages

Users send all types of sensitive information via email, from customer records with personally identifiable information (PII) to usernames and passwords.

Approximately 66.2% of employees admit to sharing their passwords with colleagues.

Azure Information Protection in Microsoft 365 Business Premium allows your employees to use email encryption in the Outlook desktop app and Outlook online to secure emails containing sensitive information.

All users need to do is choose encryption from the menu when creating an email and the email and any attachments will be encrypted and only readable by the intended recipient.

3. Safe Links to Combat Phishing Attacks

Phishing is the most popular distribution channel for all types of online attacks, including ransomware, viruses, spyware, and more.

Using the additional security protection in M365 Business Premium gives you the ability to deploy Safe Links. This provides URL scanning and rewriting for inbound email messages and can even protect users from dangerous links being received in Microsoft Teams.

This important URL protection can keep users from receiving and clicking links to phishing sites and sites designed to spoof login forms to steal passwords.

4. Safe Attachments to Protect Against Malicious File Attachments

Like Safe Links, Safe Attachments goes a step further than the protection in the other Microsoft 365 Business Subscriptions. It provides additional scanning and defence against dangerous file attachments.

It uses a virtual environment, or “sandbox,” to check file attachments before your users can open them accidentally. You have the freedom to set your Safe Attachments policies to meet your company compliance and security needs.

5. Persistent Classification & Protection of Files

When data is traveling from office PCs and servers to remote teams and between multiple apps and devices, it’s difficult to keep protective policies in place. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes additional capabilities for classifying your files and applying security policies based on those classifications.

For example, you might have a classification of “highly confidential” applied to certain documents and then have the system automatically apply a “do not copy” protocol and watermark to those files. This will stay persistent, through different Microsoft apps and as the file is opened by different devices.

6. AI-Powered Productivity with Microsoft Copilot

One of the most exciting additions to Microsoft 365 is the introduction of Microsoft Copilot, an AI-driven tool that helps users work smarter by automating tasks, summarizing information, and even drafting content. Integrated into apps like Word, Excel, and Teams, Copilot makes it easier for employees to boost productivity and focus on high-value work by:

• Automating repetitive tasks in Excel, such as data analysis
• Summarizing long email threads or Teams conversations
• Drafting and refining documents quickly in Word
• Enhancing creativity and decision-making with data insights

Microsoft Copilot can be a game-changer for businesses looking to improve efficiency while staying at the cutting edge of technology.

Would you like to see the difference that upgrading to Microsoft 365 Business Premium would make for your business? HBT can discuss the upgraded features with you and help you make a successful transition.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation on 02476 867422 or email sales@hbtcommunications.com