Overview of Microsoft 365 Products and Plans
In today’s digital-first world, productivity suites need to do more than provide word-processing and spreadsheets. They must offer seamless cloud storage, real-time collaboration, security, and intelligent features across devices. That’s exactly what Microsoft 365 delivers. Whether you’re an individual, a family, a small business, or a global enterprise, Microsoft 365 offers tailored products and plans to meet your needs. This blog explores what Microsoft 365 includes, the key differences between its home, business, and enterprise plans, and how to choose the right option for your work or lifestyle. https://dellenny.com/overview-of-microsoft-365-products-and-plans/Introduction to Microsoft 365 Apps for Business and Enterprise
In today’s fast-moving digital workplace, organizations need productivity tools that are secure, scalable, and always up to date. Microsoft offers two major editions of its flagship productivity suite — Microsoft 365 Apps for Business and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise — that help businesses of every size access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other essential tools across devices. This article provides a complete overview of what each edition includes, how they differ, and how to choose the right one for your organization. https://dellenny.com/introduction-to-microsoft-365-apps-for-business-and-enterprise/Exchange Online Basics – How Email Works in Microsoft 365
In today’s business environment, email remains a critical communication tool—and increasingly, it’s running entirely in the cloud. If your organization uses or is considering using Exchange Online as part of Microsoft 365 (or even standalone), it’s helpful to understand how email works in that context: what happens behind the scenes, what you need to set up, and how to ensure things run smoothly and securely. This article guides you through the basics of Exchange Online mail flow, architecture, administration, and security. https://dellenny.com/exchange-online-basics-how-email-works-in-microsoft-365/Getting Started with SharePoint Online for Collaboration
In today’s fast-paced world of hybrid work and remote teams, organizations need reliable platforms that promote communication, transparency, and productivity. SharePoint Online, the cloud-based version of Microsoft’s SharePoint platform, is one of the most powerful tools for this purpose. It enables teams to create centralized spaces for file sharing, project management, document collaboration, and intranet communication. In this guide, we’ll explore how to get started with SharePoint Online for collaboration — from understanding its core benefits to setting up your first team site, managing permissions, and adopting best practices to ensure long-term success. https://dellenny.com/getting-started-with-sharepoint-online-for-collaboration/Announcing Office 365 for IT Pros (2026 Edition)
Office 365 for IT Pros (2026 edition), the 12th in an eBook series going back to May 2015, is now available. Covering all the essential aspects of Microsoft 365 tenant management from Entra ID to Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Teams, data lifecycle management, information protection, and more, Office 365 for IT Pros is an indispensable companion for tenant administrators who want to understand how Microsoft 365 really works. https://office365itpros.com/2025/07/01/office-365-for-it-pros-2026-edition/Asking for Using a work account (Business Basic) in Outlook Home Version
I have the Home version of Office built into my Windows laptop and am already using it with a personal account. I plan to subscribe to Business Basic. Can my Business Basic account be used with the Home version of Office? Perhaps I could sign out of my personal account and then sign in with my Business Basic work account. Are there any implications if I do that? Or do you have any suggestions? Thank you
Unified Company Calendar for Mixed Microsoft 365 and Non-365 Users – 2025
Seeking a Shared Calendar Solution for Mixed Microsoft 365 and Non-365 Users I’m working on a solution to create a shared company calendar that everyone in our organization can view, while keeping editing permissions limited to a few selected individuals. The challenge: Some of our team members do not use Microsoft 365, and I’d like them to still be able to subscribe to or view the calendar and receive updates. Ideally, this should work without requiring full Microsoft accounts. I initially considered using an ICS-based calendar, but it seems Microsoft 365 Group calendars don’t support sharing via ICS links. I also explored creating a Group calendar as suggested in other threads, but ran into issues making it accessible to external users or those without 365 accounts. For context, I’m a Global Admin, so I have full access to configure settings in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and Exchange if needed. We’re a small business, and our main goal is to have a centralized calendar for vacation schedules and company-wide events. It should be simple to access and maintain, with a focus on collaboration and accessibility across the board. What I’m looking for: A calendar that’s viewable by all, including non-M365 users Editable only by a few delegated team members Compatible with Microsoft 365, but not dependent on it for basic access Any tools, workarounds, or best practices that have worked for others in similar hybrid environmentsOutlook Classic for M365 - File > Encrypt > 'Encrypt-Only' option applies 'Do Not Forward' label?
I recently joined a new company and am helping support their M365 tenant and admin duties. I'm running into a very weird issue where no recipients can actually read/view the message when we encrypt emails using only 1 specific method (our organization largely uses the Outlook Classic for Microsoft 365 desktop app). If a user follows this method, for some reason the 'Do Not Forward' label is applied to the encryption, despite specifically selecting 'Encrypt-Only' - it defaults to 'Do Not Forward' every single time: New Email > File > Encrypt > Encrypt-Only Sending emails with this method gives any/all recipients a "You don't have sufficient permissions to open the mail." regardless of where they try to open the email (OWA, Outlook Classic, New Outlook) Yet, if the user tries this other method below - the proper Encrypt-Only label is applied, and any Outlook client immediately and opens/views the email as you'd expect: New Email > Options ribbon > Encrypt properly applies the Encrypt-Only label I verified IRM (Identity Rights Management) is enabled for our tenant: And encryption tests pass with flying colors: Ultimately, I'm at a loss for what's going on here and specifically where to check to fix this issue for this 1 specific encryption method. Poking around in the Purview portal, I'm having a hard time figuring out where these encryption policies/settings lie and how to get this method to stop defaulting to 'Do Not Forward' even though 'Encrypt-Only' is checked.Rules for Outlook (new) makes no sense.
I have tried now to use the new version of Outlook for both private and work use. Whenever I set up rules in classic Outlook, I always had to add a sound notification or for it to show me a desktop alert. Because if I have a rule that says "If I receive e-mail from person X, move to folder Y" I do not get a notification, and I risk missing them (which has happened a lot previously). Imagine my shock when I see that the new version of Outlook has dumbed down the rules significantly and restricted me to how I can use them. Is there a reason why we cannot add "show desktop alert" or for it to play a sound in the "actions" tab? I do not understand why this feature was removed, as well as removing auto archiving. I just don't understand why! Will the option for adding desktop alerts and for it to play sounds be added in the future?
