Redmond fights back in the Office battle against Google

Mar 26, 2015 10:31 GMT  ·  By

The fight between Google Apps and Office 365 is about to reach a new level, as the Redmond-based tech giant Microsoft has recently released a new tool that should make it easier for partners to start using its very own cloud-based productivity solution.

Google is one of the companies that expressed their intention to compete with Microsoft and make Apps a stronger rival for Office 365 by adding similar features and support for Office files, but Redmond has decided to fight back in a way that would keep partners on its side.

Starting today, Microsoft resellers who want to move their entire business to Office 365 can do so at absolutely no cost thanks to an agreement between the software giant and SkyKick, a company offering a powerful transfer tool that takes care of the whole process completely free.

In addition, it's already known that Microsoft's partners can use Redmond's products without paying for them, so resellers can not only switch to Office 365 without getting a subscription but they can also complete the whole process without paying any other fee.

Not an easy task

And although it could all sound like milk and honey for resellers, moving an entire business to Office 365 is no easy task, and SkyKick estimates that it takes around one week to set up 25 accounts and allow employees to switch from the traditional desktop-installed Office that can be used without an Internet connection to the cloud-powered Office 365.

“A typical 25-seat Office 365 SMB migration project requires an average of 40 hours of partner effort from sales through project completion, and can vary in time and quality depending on many email system factors,” the company said in an announcement.

And yet, this is a very important move for Microsoft, as the company has turned the Office division into its main cash cow these days, so it's critical to make the necessary decisions that would help it maintain its market share in the fight against Google and other rivals.

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