Nov20Written by:SuperUser Account
11/20/2010 10:22 AM 
Microsoft Office 365 is coming….. as we have shouted almost daily lately. For those of you who are curious, but have tons of questions, our good friends at Microsoft have provided a ton of resources. One that is concise and to the point is the new Microsoft Office Transition Center. Here is some key info from the site, and a link to the site at the bottom.
Microsoft Office 365 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Office 365?
A: Microsoft Office 365 delivers the power of cloud productivity to businesses of all sizes, helping to save time, money and free up valued resources. Office 365 combines the familiar Office desktop suite with online versions of Microsoft’s next generation communications and collaboration services: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online. With Office 365 we provide services that are easy to administer and simple to use – always backed up by robust security, reliability and control to run your business.
Q: When will Office 365 be available to customers?
A: Office 365 will be available for purchase in 2011. Please note that existing customers must be transitioned to Office 365 before it is available to them. Transition to Office 365 will be available to existing BPOS customers soon after availability of Office 365. Microsoft will work with all existing BPOS customers to determine the best time for the customer’s business to make the transition.
Q: What services and tools are included in Office 365?
A: Office 365 includes: Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and the latest version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop suite.
Q: Is Office 365 still BPOS?
A: Office 365 is the introduction of new online services and capabilities, new user experiences, and new online platform capabilities related to the introduction of new underlying “2010” server software into Microsoft Online Services datacenters as well as other major new service and platform investments. The name may be new and includes new offerings, but you are subscribed to the same service – just significantly enhanced. It will just give you a lot more features and functionality once you make the transition.
Q: I am not on BPOS now. Should I wait for Office 365?
A: The benefits of Microsoft Online Services are realized as soon as services are deployed, whether on BPOS or Office 365. Customers who do decide to purchase BPOS now should deploy BPOS with the new system requirements to make the transition experience as smooth as possible.
Q: Can I choose when I go to Office 365?
A: Yes. One of the key values of online services is that customers have access to the latest and greatest service capabilities and features without having to maintain or upgrade server infrastructure. However, Microsoft understands that customers also need the flexibility to choose when they adopt significant changes to an online service. For any major service update customers will have up to twelve (12) months from the availability of the service update to make the transition. Starting early next year, Microsoft will reach out to all customers to schedule the customer transition to Office 365.
Q: When I make the transition to Office 365, what do I have to do and what will Microsoft do?
A: Microsoft is responsible for any changes that happen in its datacenters. Customers will not have to migrate any data. Customers will be responsible for making sure that their client software is compliant with the system requirements discussed above. Customers will also be responsible for end-user training and configuring any new features and capabilities that will be delivered by Office 365.
Resources
Transition checklist Tasks to help you prepare for the transition including a list of system requirements.(Note that some links within this checklist may not resolve for up to 24 hours.) Full FAQ A complete list of all frequently asked questions about the transition.