Office 365 e3 vs e5: What Makes Sense For Your Business?

IT has a tough job these days. It’s caught between users that want easy access and the necessity of protecting data from encroachment in an ever-widening network where personal devices are seeking access just as frequently as an in-house desktop.

Fortunately, Microsoft has responded with a set of tools that makes collaboration easy without compromising security. The Enterprise Mobility and Security package provides front-end protection, mobile device management, multi-factor authentication, and more.

There are two security and management packages to choose from that rely heavily on the Azure Active Directory in the cloud: E3 and E5. They both fall under the Office 365 suite of products.

When choosing between Office 365 EMS E3 vs. E5, there are some things you need to know that differentiate one from the other. This blog will help you figure out which is best for your business.

Office 365 EMS E3 vs. E5

Both E3 and E5 packages have four key features giving you the ability to manage end-to-end from corporate on-premise to personal devices accessing the network. They include:

1. Multi-factor authentication
   One of the chief benefits of MFA is that you can simplify logins to external applications and devices with one secure sign on that authenticates the user. Multi-factor authentication is simply the best way to avoid password security glitches on mobile and remote devices.

2. Mobile device management
   Administrators can use these new tools to enroll personal and corporate devices, and then manage them from a secure environment. You can control updates or remove app-associated corporate data and configure these tools for appropriate use on your network.

3. Application management
   Microsoft offers application safeguards that control what happens to documents after they’re accessed. The tools include app encryption at rest, PIN access control, restrictions on save/copy, app-level selective wipe, managed web browsing, and more.

4. Access control
   Control what happens on a mobile device before the data is accessed. You will be able to see who is accessing data and how.

The E5 package includes the most advanced threat protection on the market including analytics tools and zero-day protection as well as advanced data encryption keys to control and protect data.

While the E5 package has about double the security protection, a small business could heavily benefit from E3. Under this package, end users will be able to register multiple devices and control access to emails and corporate documents.

It’s important to note, while these tools are robust, they also have a seamless interface with a single sign-on that will please users as much as the admin.

Choosing Office 365 EMS E3 vs. E5

Microsoft has really hit the ball out of the park with this one. There is simply nothing else on the market that is an all-inclusive solution for application and mobile device management with password protection. Mitigate your risk — contact Red River to discuss your options for improving network security.