The ‘suite’ free app deal at students’ fingertips

Thanks to Microsoft’s Student Advantage program, Concordia undergrad and grad students have free access to Microsoft Office 365, a suite of staple apps that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.

While these programs aren’t exactly a rare sight on campus, Office 365 puts a number of advantages — for instance, the ability to collaborate more easily with classmates — at your fingertips. And did we mention that it won’t cost you a thing?

Getting started with Office 365 is easy.

First, you’ll need to register for an Office 365 email account. To get one, log into the MyConcordia portal. From there, click on Accounts and Settings, then Computer Accounts and Passwords, before selecting your netname located next to Email Office 365, you’ll then be prompted to accept the terms and conditions of the service provided by Concordia University.

The new email account will be ready in 48 hours (Concordia has to synchronize the creation with Microsoft internal operations).

When accessing the Office 365 email account from the web, an option will be made available allowing the download the Office 365 Suite.

To secure your computer and its data against viruses, you can also install Sophos Antivirus software on your system for free. To do so, log into the MyConcordia portal, then Software and Applications, then Sophos Antivirus. After that, all that’s left to do is identify the operating system — PC or Mac — you’re using.

We took a gander at Office 365 to see how Concordia students would benefit from it. Here’s what we found.
 

5 reasons you should download Microsoft Office 365

1. It gives you access to Microsoft Office

Word-processing software like Microsoft Word is a necessity at university; the same goes for spreadsheet programs like Excel. But a subscription to Office can cost close to $100 a year.

This Office 365 deal gives you access to this software for the best price of all: nothing.

In addition to Word and Excel, PC users will get PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Lync and InfoPath.

Mac users will be able to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

2. It lets you access your documents anywhere

You can store your documents in the Office 365 cloud on your account and access them from any location from any computer. Or you can store your documents on the local hard drive of the computing device for local usage.

3. It makes collaborating a cinch

Collaboration is an integral part of the university experience. But with conventional software, it usually means sharing several versions of a document at once.

Documents can be shared though Office 365. And with programs like Lync, Onedrive for Business and Newsfeed, you’ll be able to shoot ideas back and forth in real time — and keep on top of documents as they change.

4. It’s available for phones and tablets

If you own a smartphone or tablet, you’re in luck: you’ll be able to take Office 365 with you just about anywhere.

It’s right at home on Android, Blackberry, iOS (iPhone and iPad), Nokia (Symbian OS) and Windows Phone-powered devices. That means that, in a pinch, you’ll be able to check on your documents wherever you may be. Find out how to install Office 365 on your mobile device.

5. It works without an internet connection

While connectivity is a big advantage of Office 365, you need not be online to use it. At its core, the suite is a downloadable version of Microsoft Office — which means that, even without an internet connection, you’ll still be able to do things like write, create spreadsheets and more.
 

See how you can get Office 365 today.