CenturyLink: Microsoft Office 365 Now Included in Business Bundles

Telecommunications giant CenturyLink (CTL) is now including several small business and enterprise versions of Microsoft (MSFT) Office 365 in its voice and data bundles and managed services bundles.

CenturyLink yesterday announced Office 365 is available with these bundles at no extra charge for new small and mid-sized business customers.

“Offering the popular cloud-based version of Microsoft Office … is part of CenturyLink’s transformation to a full-service information technology provider,” a CenturyLink spokesperson told Talkin’ Cloud. “CenturyLink is extending its relationships with its customers beyond traditional communications networking solutions to offer end-to-end management of its customers’ technology needs — from the cloud and the data center all the way to the desktop and the mobile device.”

CenturyLink business customers can access basic to advanced desktop and online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Office applications.

Various Office collaboration services such as Outlook and Exchange Online also are included in CenturyLink’s bundles, along with security, support and control features.

“Businesses already trust us for ultra-fast, fiber-based Internet and advanced voice service, and now, CenturyLink is a one-stop shop for the mission-critical productivity applications in Office 365,” Thuy Ha, CenturyLink’s director of business marketing, said in a prepared statement.

How can CenturyLink business customers access Office 365?

CenturyLink said Office 365 is now included with most of its small and mid-sized business bundles, including:

The Monroe, Louisiana-based telecommunications company added its bundles automatically update to the most recent software releases in the Office 365 productivity suite.

Frank Grillo, CenturyLink’s vice president of business marketing, noted he believes Office 365 will provide customers with a consistent experience across browsers, mobile devices and PCs.

“With Office 365, employees don’t have to be in the office to access their data. With anytime, anywhere access, businesses can count on the availability of worker productivity from virtually anywhere,” he wrote in a blog post. “And with desktop versions, users can get even more work done offline.”

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