What is Office 365?

Office 365 (now part of Microsoft 365) refers to subscription plans that provide access to Microsoft Office applications alongside a range of cloud-based productivity services. The University subscribes to Office 365 to ensure all staff and students can benefit from these features. Benefits include 1TB of cloud storage, 50–100GB email capacity, and the ability to install the latest version of Microsoft Office on up to five devices (available to users with A5 licences).

The service includes a variety of communication and collaboration tools such as email and calendaring, instant messaging, discussion groups, and online conferencing. With a single University account, users can access document management features including real-time co-authoring using familiar Office Online applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with secure storage, intelligent search, and flexible sharing options for both internal and external collaboration.

http://www.office365.ed.ac.uk

More details about key features included with the University's subscription are outlined below.  For limits and boundaries of this subscription then refer to the Office 365 Service Levels

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Email and Calendar

Feature-rich web browser access to University email, calendar and contacts, which includes:

• 50 - 100 Gigabytes (GB) of mailbox storage
• Ability to schedule meetings quickly and easily
• Ability to share your availability with others
• Access to staff/student contacts across campus

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OneDrive For Business

Microsoft’s file hosting service enables users to synchronise files from local devices to cloud-based storage, allowing access via a web browser or mobile device. It includes:

• 100GB or 1 terabyte (TB) of storage per user
• The ability to share documents for collaboration, including with external (non-University) users, via secure links or shared access permissions (view or edit)
• Use of the OneDrive for Business sync client on desktop and mobile devices to ensure consistent access across locations and platforms
• Automatic backup of files saved or synchronised to OneDrive

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OneNote and Office Online

Within the Office 365 suite there are web-browser-based versions of a number of Microsoft's regular Office applications. This Office Online includes:

• Web versions of the OneNote notebook creation and sharing software and the standard Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications, allowing users to edit Microsoft Office documents in their web browser from anywhere.
• Integration with the logged-in user's OneDrive For Business so that files are automatically saved and backed up in the cloud when created.
• All documents, like every Office 365 service, are encrypted so that, if a transmission is intercepted by someone without authorization, they won't be able to read it.
• Document compatibility is no longer an issue as the web apps in Office 365 are compatible with Office filetypes back to Windows XP and Mac OS 10.5.

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Teams

Teams is a collaboration hub for 1:1, group or team conversation, allows file authoring & sharing, online meetings and webinars:

• Immediately see colleagues' availability status.
• Instant message with friends and colleagues across campus and beyond.
• Share a whiteboard for brainstorming with your colleagues in real-time.
• Co-author office documents in-situ whilst in conversation or meeting.
• Share an application, desktop, or document on-screen.
• Initiate audio video meetings, host or attend webinars.

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Microsoft Office software and mobile apps

As part of the University's Office 365 subscription, staff (with A5 licenses) and all students are able to download, install and activate up to 5 copies of Microsoft's traditional Office software on personal computers or mobile devices for as long as they remain members of the University. Microsoft Office software allow users to:

Users can create and edit documents both online and offline, access email, contacts, and calendars through Microsoft Outlook, and collaborate with colleagues using Microsoft Teams. The suite is available across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, ensuring consistent access across devices.

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SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is the University’s web-based platform for document management, intranet content, and team collaboration. It enables departments and teams to create sites for sharing information, storing and managing documents, and collaborating securely. Users can work on files in real time, control access through permissions, and maintain version history, ensuring content is organised, accessible, and governed effectively across the University.

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And more...

There are additional features within Office 365 that are available to users but have not yet been fully adopted or implemented across the University. While these services can be accessed through your account, they are currently provided on a best-effort basis and are not fully supported by the University.

Newsfeed - A service to allow you to follow activity and conversations started by colleagues, or you create your own, complete with hashtagged trends.

Tasks - A feature allowing you to keep track of tasks that you need to do but don’t necessarily want to put on your calendar. These synchronise with Office 365 accounts set up in the desktop or mobile Microsoft Office software.

Sway - Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and much more.

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