Email is a core channel for business communications, and it’s something most of us couldn’t function without. We’re accustomed to it – a 2019 Adobe study found that US adults spend at least three hours a day checking work email and two hours a day checking personal email. Email is convenient. And, with cloud-based solutions, it’s always accessible from any device. With Outlook Web Access (OWA), Microsoft’s web-based email client, users gain all the benefits of a full-featured email client plus the advantages of the cloud. Let’s take a deeper look at why using a web-based solution can benefit your business and the unique advantages of enterprise-grade email with OWA as a part of Microsoft Office 365.
What Is OWA?
Outlook Web Access is Microsoft Outlook on the web. It offers all the same functions that enable you to stay organized and productive, which you may be familiar with if you’re a user of Outlook for desktops.
- Send and receive email
- Manage your calendar
- List and track tasks
- Store your contacts
It includes Mail, People, Notes, Tasks, Calendar, and Folders – essentially, all the tools necessary to stay connected with co-workers and customers and manage your day-to-day workflow.
But, unlike the on-premises version of Outlook, which is software stored on your computer, OWA lives on servers hosted by your business’s IT provider in a secure data center.
Outlook vs. OWA – What’s the Difference?
OWA has a similar look and feel when compared to Outlook, although Microsoft has created a slightly less-cluttered interface with the web-based version. Outlook Web Access also comes with smart features designed to help users save time, such as meeting insights and suggested message responses.
As part of Microsoft Office 365, OWA connects with your other cloud-based Office tools such as OneNote, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Teams. This enables seamless collaboration.
Data is updated in real-time across the suite. You can easily share files from the other cloud applications, edit, and chat with colleagues, all from your OWA inbox.
The most significant difference is access. Users can log on to check email, organize tasks, make updates, and share files from any device – all it takes is an internet connection and a web browser. You don’t need to download software to use web-based Outlook.
While OWA offers all the advantages of the cloud, Outlook and OWA are technically the same program. They are both Microsoft’s email client. One is the on-premises version. The other lives in the cloud. So, the term “Outlook” is used to describe Outlook Web Access whenever you are talking about Office 365 – Microsoft’s cloud-based office suite solution for business.
What’s the Difference Between Exchange and Outlook?
Office 365 uses Exchange as the back-end server for email, while Outlook is the web-based email client. For on-premises software, Outlook on your computer syncs with the Exchange system, which is server-based.
Exchange Online also syncs with Outlook on Office 365. Exchange is the program that stores and archives email messages and files. With the cloud-based service, you benefit from intelligent features such as search enhancements and a personalized inbox.
Enterprise Email with OWA
To empower your employees with the best communication tools, you’ll want a secure, business-class email solution equipped to serve the needs of large teams. More than 650,000 companies in the US use Office 365, and over one million worldwide use it.
One of the advantages of Microsoft’s cloud productivity apps, including email, is that businesses can choose the amount of storage space they need. With Office 365 for enterprise teams, they can opt for unlimited users.
Let’s look at the advantages of using OWA as an enterprise email solution:
Enterprise-level security
Email security is a priority for companies of all sizes. Without secure email, your business runs the risk of a data breach, downtime, and compliance issues.
When choosing an IT provider to partner with for Office 365, check what type of email security they offer. For enterprise-grade email, encryption, tamper-proof archiving with unlimited storage, and multi-layered protection should come as standard.
Remote-work enabled
Your provider hosts the software in the cloud. This gives your teams the ability to work from wherever. As we learned during the pandemic, being remote-capable isn’t only convenient, it also supports business continuity.
Employees can send and receive emails, collaborate, and stay productive from a mobile phone, laptop, or any other device. To ensure the best experience for remote workers, choose a provider that offers a near-perfect uptime guarantee as part of their service level agreement (SLA).
Support
With an enterprise-grade email solution, your teams can also count on high-level technical support and regular updates, so your business always has the latest version. Some IT providers also offer cloud migration and onboarding support to minimize downtime. To get the most out of your software, make sure your provider is staffed by Microsoft-certified technicians and offers 24/7 support.
Intelligent features
Another advantage of cloud-based email with Microsoft is the calendar feature. The software will automatically schedule appointments on your calendar when events are included in email messages in Outlook. Exchange will also suggest meeting locations based on email information such as flight times and hotel reservations.
Dynamic, Powerful Enterprise Email Made Easy
Getting the best communications technology for your business shouldn’t be difficult. Intermedia offers a variety of cloud-based email services to enterprise organizations and all of our services come with our 99.999% uptime SLA, expert support, and industry-leading security. Visit our website to learn more.
Kirsten Barta
Kirsten Barta is Sr Marketing Communications Manager at Intermedia
March 29, 2021
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