The new version of Microsoft Office is here! Small businesses will get great value, power and simplicity by using Office 365. It allows you, and your business, to access email, document, contacts and calendars from virtually anywhere, on almost any device. It offers you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access.

If you are needing your employees to work from remote locations, or to be connected to clients across the globe, Office 365 enables employees and business to be more collaborative. Even when the snow hits, employees will not be cut off from working. It offers you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access.

You can easily experience Office in many formats. You and your business get the opportunity to have five licences to be installed on your PC, Mac, Windows tablet and other selected devices. Deploying, managing and safeguarding couldn't be simpler.

Here's what's new

Devices: The new Office works great across all your devices, in addition you and your business get the opportunity to get five licences to be used on any PC, Laptop or Mac. It works great with touch, mouse and keyboard, or pen.

Cloud: When away from your computer, you can stream a full-featured version of Office on any internet-connected PC with Office on Demand. Your documents are saved to the cloud by default so you can share and collaborate just by sending a link.

Social: Stay connected to all of your contacts. You can quickly schedule a meeting, send an email, start an IM or voice and video chat - or host a multiparty HD video conference in a few clicks.

Simplified IT: The new Office has solutions optimised for size and IT needs. The common set of IT management tools in the new Office will simplify management across your on-premises and cloud environments.

Contact your Phoenix Account Manager for more information on 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk

With the next annual price increase under the Microsoft Public Sector Agreement 2012 (PSA12) set to take effect on 1 April 2013, there has never been a better time to talk to us about your Microsoft software requirements – after all, we are Microsoft’s number-one Public Sector Large Account Reseller.  Microsoft has now confirmed that the percentage price increase will be 2.2% - so, if you have any immediate requirements, we would like to offer you the opportunity to buy now and save.

ACT NOW
We encourage you to discuss your circumstances with us, so that you can act in an informed manner and make the right purchasing decisions before the price increase.

Contact a member of the Phoenix Public Sector Team today on 0845 265 1265 or email info@phoenixs.co.uk

Can your employees work when out of the office? If not, would it help if they could? You could save costs on travel, encourage healthier working environments and boost productivity.

Whether you need cloud-based technologies like Office 365, or a multi-purpose operating system like Windows 8, or just web-conferencing facilities through Microsoft Lync, there is an affordable way to deal with your issues

Work wherever you are, whenever you need

Remote working is now a way of life for many employees. And it's increasingly key to the overall efficiency and productivity of the organisation. But there's more to remote working than just a good wireless or mobile phone connection. As well as accessing and responding to email, employees need to be able to view and modify documents on the move and remain connected with colleagues and customers.

The productivity tools that were originally once only available to large organisations are now affordable and accessible for startups and small businesses. Microsoft offers a full range of integrated software, services and devices that deliver seamless collaboration and flexible productivity when your people are working away from the office.

Whether you need cloud-based technologies like Office 365, or a multi-purpose operating system like Windows 8, or just web-conferencing facilities through Microsoft Lync, there is an affordable way to deal with your issues.

Find out more by contacting your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk

Released on 29th January, Microsoft Office 2013 comes with a clean, new look, but the features you know and use are still there along with some new ones that are huge time savers. The new Office also works with smartphones, tablets, and in the cloud, even on PCs that don't have Office installed. So now you can always get to your important files, no matter where you are or what you're using.

Here's what's new in the Office programmes
 
Access 2013 - In a word, apps. An Access web app is a new type of database that you build in Access, then use and share with others as a SharePoint app in a web browser. To build an app, you just select the type of data you want to track (contacts, tasks, projects, and so on). Access creates the database structure, complete with views that let you add and edit data. Navigation and basic commands are built-in, so you can start using your app right away.
 
Excel 2013 - The first thing you’ll see when you open Excel is a brand new look. It's cleaner, but it's also designed to help you get professional-looking results quickly. You'll find many new features that let you get away from walls of numbers and draw more persuasive pictures of your data, guiding you to better, more informed decisions.
 
OneNote 2013 is a digital notebook for capturing, storing, and sharing all kinds of information. The first thing you'll see when you open OneNote 2013 is a fresh, clean look that lets you focus on your thoughts and ideas instead of the interface. Full integration with the cloud means you can free your files from your computer's hard drive so your notes and information are saved and searchable wherever you go - on nearly any mobile device, tablet, or browser.
 
Outlook 2013 - When you open Outlook you'll see a brand new look. It's cleaner, but it's also designed to help you focus on what's important with a clear view of email, calendars, and contacts.

PowerPoint 2013 has a brand-new look: It's cleaner and primed for use on tablets and phones, so you can swipe and tap your way through presentations. Presenter View automatically adapts to your projection set-up, and you can even use it on a single monitor. Themes now come with variations, which make it simpler to hone in on the look you want, and when you're working with others, you can add comments to ask questions and get feedback.
 
Project 2013 - The first thing you'll see when you open Project 2013 is a sharp new look. But don't stop there. Look closer, and you'll see that Project 2013 can help you:

• Show off project data with a whole new set of customisable reports
• Talk to your team without leaving Project by using built-in Lync features
• Trace task paths to untangle a messy Gantt Chart

Publisher 2013 offers new ways to work with your pictures, so you can move them around, swap them, and add visual pop to your publications with new picture and text effects.
 
Visio 2013 has updated the diagram templates so they're better looking and easier to use. New styles, themes and other handy tools will help you cut the time you spend drawing. You'll also find more ways to work together on Visio diagrams, along with new commenting features, that enable real-time co-authoring on diagrams.
 
Word 2013 lets you do more with your docs: Pop in an online video, open a PDF and edit the content, align pictures and diagrams with minimal fuss. The new Read Mode is clean and distraction-free and it works great on tablets. Teaming-up is better too, with direct connections to your online spaces and streamlined review features like Simple Markup and comments.

For more information on Microsoft Office 2013 contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk

No matter your reasons for choosing a virtual desktop environment, Microsoft Software Assurance offers some distinct advantages.

The Windows Virtual Desktop Access and Office Roaming Use Rights benefits can help you extend the value of your virtual desktop environment and expand end-user productivity. Start taking advantage of these benefits today by understanding how they apply to common virtual desktop infrastructure scenarios, and see how these and other Software Assurance benefits support virtual desktops and workforce flexibility.

LICENSING TIPS
When assessing Windows and Office licensing requirements for a virtual desktop environment, keep these key rules in mind:

Every device accessing a virtual desktop environment needs to be licensed

Whether you plan to use a PC, thin client or similar device, every device accessing Windows OS via VDI needs to be licensed.

There are two licensing options:

1. Utilise the Software Assurance Windows Virtual Desktop Access Use Rights benefit at no additional cost
2. Purchase Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA)

License thin clients with Windows VDA and Office

Certain devices, such as thin clients, do not qualify for Software Assurance coverage for Windows. To license these devices for use with VDI you will need Windows VDA. Every device accessing Office via VDI needs an Office licence, whether it’s a thin client or a traditional PC.

Roaming Use Rights are device-based

Roaming Use Rights for Windows Virtual Desktop Access, Office, Project and Visio are device-based. Only the single primary user of the organisation-licensed device is eligible to roam. In most instances, the number of users granted roaming use rights equals the number of licensed devices controlled by the organisation. This can vary, however, as in the case of contractor-owned PCs.

Roaming is for non-organisation devices outside of the corporate IT network

Users of Windows Virtual Desktop Access and/or Office Roaming Use Rights must use a qualifying third-party device, such as a home PC or public kiosk, when remotely accessing their virtual desktops from outside the corporate IT network.

TALK TO PHOENIX
To maximise the workforce flexibility benefits availability to your organisation through Microsoft Software Assurance, talk to a member of the Phoenix Team today. We can also help ensure you are correctly licensed for your virtual desktops.

Tel: 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk

These changes are in addition to the User CALs 15% price increase which we informed you of recently. The User CALs changes apply to Corporate customers only and will also take effect from 1 December 2012. Public Sector and Academic customers are not affected by the User CALs changes.

The table below details the Wave 15 products which will be affected. Please note that server licence pricing will increase for all customers.

ACT NOW
If you would like to discuss this or indeed any aspect of how you procure your Microsoft licensing, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Phoenix Team today on:
t: 0845 265 1265
e: info@phoenixs.co.uk
w: www.phoenixs.co.uk

The new Office 2013 is the most ambitious release of Office Microsoft have ever done. It spans the full family of Office applications, servers and cloud services. The new Office has a fresh, touch friendly design that works beautifully on Windows 8 and unlocks modern scenarios in social, reading, note-taking, meetings and communications.

Word 2013 Preview

Word is cleaner, sleeker, easier on the eyes. New templates and design tools help you put the finishing touch on documents, and you'll find new and updated ways to share and work with others.

With the new Word you can enjoy greater focus and less distraction, with an improved screen-reading experience.

• New Read Mode - Text reflows automatically in columns to make it easier to read
• Object Zoom - When you view tables, charts, images, or online videos, a finger tap or mouse click lets you see the detail. When you're done, another tap or click returns them to their original size
• Resume Reading - Word automatically bookmarks your last-visited spot. Enjoy your reading, take a breather, and then pick up where you left off - even on a different PC or tablet

Sharing documents with reviewers and others is even simpler and more efficient.

• Reply Comment - Place comments next to the text you're discussing so it's easy to track the conversation
• Simplified Sharing - Your documents are saved online to SkyDrive or SharePoint by default. Send everyone a link to the same file, along with their viewing and editing permissions, and be assured that everyone sees the latest version*
• Present Online - Share your document with others even if they don't have Word. Send them a link, and as you read through the document on your screen, they can follow along in their browsers

 
Add the finishing touch of online videos and photos. Lay them out like a pro with new alignment guides. And enjoy how smoothly Word handles PDF content.

• Alignment Guides - Align charts, photos, and diagrams with your text for a polished, professional look. Handy guides pop into place when you need them and disappear when you're done
• Live Layout - Text reflows instantly as you drag a photo, video, or shape to its new position. Release the mouse button, and your object and surrounding text stay where you want them
• PDF Reflow - Open a PDF in Word, and its paragraphs, lists, tables, and other content act just like Word content

Excel 2013 Preview

Enjoy new ways to explore your data more intuitively. Visualise, analyse, and display results with a single click. And when you're ready, it's easy to share your freshly discovered insights.

Reveal the insights hidden in your data. Easily extract what you need from imported information with Flash Fill, and perform complex analyses quickly with Recommended Pivot Table.

• Recommended Pivot Table - Excel summarises your data with previews of various pivot-table options, letting you select the option that tells your story best
• Flash Fill - Here's the easy way to reformat and rearrange your data. Excel learns and recognises your pattern and auto-completes the remaining data, with no formulas or macros required

New analysis tools help make it easy to visualise data with a click of the mouse.

• Recommended Charts - Let Excel recommend the charts that best illustrate your data's patterns. Quickly preview your chart and graph options, and then pick the option that works best
• Quick Analysis Lens - Discover a variety of ways to represent your data visually. When you like what you see, apply formatting, sparklines, charts, and tables with a single click
• Chart Formatting Control - Fine-tune your charts quickly and easily. Change the title, layout, and other chart elements - all from a new and more interactive interface

It's easy to work together or share with others. Send a link to co-workers, post the link to a social network, or present online.

• Simplified Sharing - Your workbooks are saved online to SkyDrive or SharePoint by default.* Send everyone a link to the same file, along with their viewing and editing permissions, and be assured that everyone sees the latest version
• Post to Social Network - Share selected portions of your spreadsheets on the web by simply embedding them on your social network pages
• Present Online - Share your workbooks and collaborate with others via a Lync conversation or meeting. You can also allow others to take control of your workbook

PowerPoint 2013 Preview

Ready to create more striking presentations? Select a theme, add a design variant, align text and pictures, and more. Work on the same version with others at the same time, and present with more confidence and control.

Use new wide-screen themes and variants, add videos, pictures, and shapes, and create customised icons using powerful tools.

• Start Screen - The new Start experience helps you jump-start the creative process with a collection of new themes
• Theme Variants - Choose from alternative colour schemes and then apply the look you like with a single click
• Alignment Guides - Exhibit a designer's touch by aligning shapes, text boxes, and other graphics with text
• Merge Shapes - Use the Union, Combine, Fragment, Intersect, and Subtract tools to merge two or more shapes into the shape you want

An improved Presenter View helps you to stay organised, focused on your presentation, and keep your audience engaged.

• Slide Zoom - Direct your audience's attention to your main point. Zoom in on a diagram, chart, or graphic with a couple of clicks, and then zoom out just as smoothly
• Navigation Grid - Easily switch slides - in or out of sequence - from a grid that only you see, your audience sees only what you've selected
• Auto-extend - When you project to a second screen, the settings ensure that your presentation appears on the correct screen

 
Improved collaboration tools make it easier to work with others on the same presentation at the same time on different PCs. And if someone doesn't have PowerPoint? No problem. Just project your presentation right to their browser.

• Reply Comment - Place and track comments next to the text you're discussing so everyone can readily see who replied to whom, and when
• Simplified Sharing - Your presentations are saved online to SkyDrive or SharePoint by default.* Send everyone a single link to the same file, along with their viewing and editing permissions, and be assured that everyone sees the latest version
• PowerPoint Web App Coauthoring - You and your team can work together on the same presentation at the same time from the desktop or in the browser with the PowerPoint Web App*

OneNote 2013 Preview

OneNote is a digital notebook for creating and storing all your notes. Your notes are automatically saved and searchable so you have them when you need them. And when you're on the go, they travel with you on your favourite devices or nearly any browser.

Your notes move seamlessly with you to OneNote apps on your favourite devices - Windows Phone, Windows 7 or 8, iOS, and Android. Or you can open the notes in your browser via Office Web Apps.

• The New OneNote app - Draw, type, click, or swipe - OneNote has been reimagined for Windows 8. Your notes are saved, searchable, and synced to OneNote apps on your other devices. The OneNote app is available through the Windows Store to customers participating in the Windows 8 Release Preview
• On Your Devices - You can use OneNote Mobile apps on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android phones. And if you're using a browser, just open the OneNote Web App
• In Sync - OneNote syncs with SkyDrive and SharePoint,* so your notes are always up to date on all your devices. Simply sign in to find your notes - no need to use thumb drives or to email them to yourself

Make OneNote 2013 your spot for notes, links, webpages, sketches, and media - all the ideas and info you want to keep on hand.

• Embed Files - Insert pictures, documents, videos, and more into your notes, and all the information you need is a click away. If you insert an Excel spreadsheet, you get a preview of charts and diagrams next to your notes. When you update the Excel file, your preview updates automatically
• Inking - Smoothly draw, erase, and edit with your finger, stylus, or mouse. If you'd rather write than type, OneNote can convert your handwriting into text
• Tables - More powerful table tools allow you to make headers and quickly move around rows and columns. Want to create charts or do advanced calculations? With one click, you can convert tables in your notes into embedded Excel spreadsheets

Your OneNote 2013 content is automatically searchable. You can even find the words you're looking for in pictures. No need to remember where you put it all - OneNote keeps track for you.

• Search - It's easy to search your notes and files for anything you've captured - a particular term in a note, text in a picture, or a title of a file
• Auto-save - OneNote saves automatically as you go - so there's one less thing to remember. You can always export notebooks, sections, or pages if you want to have a separate copy
• Simplified Sharing - Because your notes are saved online to SkyDrive or SharePoint by default*, you can send your friends a link to the file and be assured that everyone is viewing the latest version

Outlook 2013 Preview

Outlook helps you manage your busy life more easily and efficiently. You get new and improved ways to find information quickly, handle email, coordinate schedules, keep current with contacts and social networks, and tame your unruly to-do lists.

Quickly connect and share files with the people and groups that matter most to you.

• Exchange ActiveSync Support - Connect Outlook with Exchange ActiveSync, and you'll receive push-based email, appointments, and contacts via the most popular email servers and services
• Navigation Bar - Continue to enjoy quick and convenient ways to open your email, calendar, contacts, and tasks
• Social Connectors - Get the very latest updates automatically from people in the social networks you rely on most - LinkedIn, Facebook, and others

Organise and control your email flow and meeting schedules with new Outlook tools that help you pull it all together effortlessly.

• Peeks - Grab a quick glance at your schedule, an appointment, or details about someone you're emailing - without having to rearrange windows or lose your train of thought
• People Card - Seamlessly integrate multiple contacts into a single view, while presenting social context and removing needless duplication
• Share Your Calendar - Make your calendar available for others to view, so that scheduling meetings and responding to meeting invitations is easier and more convenient for everyone

Outlook lets you locate important information quickly, helping you communicate key ideas and decisions to the right people, right now.

• Weather Bar - View the forecast right in Outlook, and let the coming weather inform how you plan your day's schedule or your next trip
• Search - Quickly find email, attachments, calendar appointments, and contacts through improved search

Fast Filters and Context Commands - With a single click, instantly see what's on your calendar today, next week, or next month. Filter, arrange, and work with your email in a number of intuitive ways.

For more information on the new Microsoft Office 2013, contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk

 *Internet connection required - must be signed in with a Microsoft account or a Microsoft Online Services ID

Microsoft have announced the launch date for Windows 8 and, along with the operating system release there will also be the various hardware releases for Windows 8, ranging from desktops, All in One’s, Laptops, Tablets and Hybrids.

One of the main reasons that organisations opt for the latest software is to stay on top of the game where security features are concerned and Windows 8 certainly has these in abundance.  According to the Windows 8 support team Windows Defender is being re-introduced. However, Microsoft have not only strengthened this application but have improved its functions in order to protect computers from harmful threats during system start up.


Read our article "Windows 8 - it's Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability" in the Phoenix Software online customer magazine - Focus.

As we mentioned earlier in the month we have had many clients worried by correspondence they have been receiving relating to the Microsoft price changes in July. As you may recall as a long term specialist supplier to Local Government and the NHS we advised that in the Public Sector this was not necessarily something to be concerned about and that the proposed increases were not going to be as dramatic as being portrayed elsewhere. The good news is that we are now in a position to formally announce the changes, and they are as follows:

• At the end of June Microsoft will launch PSA 12 which replaces PSA 09
• As of 1st of July Microsoft will be increasing the Public Sector pricing by just 1%
• Every April there will be a modest price alignment based on inflation
• PSA 12 will be broadly similar to PSA 09 in that clauses around Shared Service, the ability to transfer licences will remain in place
• The new PSA 12 agreement will cover ‘on-premise’ licences only, cloud services are available separately
• All new Public Sector Enterprise Agreements will be based on a 3 year contract, not a 3+1+1 model which was in place previously

Needless to say it is always a nervous time for clients when new agreements come into effect, especially when government budgets for the financial year are already set, however here at Phoenix we are ideally positioned to help you navigate the best route forward so if you have any concerns as to how PSA 12 will affect you, please do not hesitate to contact the Phoenix Public Sector Team on 0845 2651265.

Windows Server is the leading server operating system that powers many of the world's largest data centres, and provides business opportunities to organisations of all sizes from small businesses to large enterprises. Building on this legacy, Windows Server “8” Beta operating system delivers hundreds of new features and enhancements transforming virtualisation and cloud computing to help you reduce IT costs and deliver more business value.

Key Benefits:

• Live migration without a SAN using SMB failover
• Patch and utilise failover clusters without downtime
• Reduce storage costs with data deduplication
• Increase network availability with NIC teaming
• Achieve business continuity and disaster recovery with Hyper-V Replica

Download the Beta here

Find out more - contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email: info@phoenixs.co.uk