Office 365: Introduction to Office 365

Last Updated

This article describes what Office 365 is and outlines its features.

UW-Eau Claire Office 365

Office 365 is a subscription-based service offered by Microsoft that provides file storage and Office capabilities across multiple computers and devices. Data is stored encrypted in "the Cloud," safely and securely spread across a number of data centers in the USA. You can access Office 365 on most devices through a web browser, the Microsoft Office apps on your mobile device, or you can download a copy of the most recent version of Microsoft Office using one of five free licenses for desktop/laptop computers.
UW-Eau Claire is implementing Office 365 beginning in the summer of 2015, replacing the Microsoft Office applications from the On the Hub Download Center. It is a free resource for students, staff, and faculty, meant for personal use on computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Usage of Office 365 is entirely optional through the initial execution, and email, Blugold Insider, network drives, and desktop Office applications will continue to operate as they have in the past. Future implementations will be evaluated as services become available and needs are identified. Initial features provided include:
  1. OneDrive –Up to 1 TB of personal data storage. Think of it as your H: drive in "the Cloud."
    NOTE: Your current H: drive will remain unchanged at this time.
     
  2. Browser-based versions of Office software, providing the option to collaborate on OneDrive documents in real time and/or access your OneDrive documents on devices where Office software has not been installed.

  3. Access to five copies of the most recent version of Microsoft Office to install on personally-owned devices for all current students, staff, and faculty. At this time, the free licenses are not available for guest/retiree/emeritus accounts.