With nearly 80 million domain names under management and roughly 20 million global customers, GoDaddy is one of the world’s largest domain registrars and web hosts. In 2014, Microsoft partnered with the provider to begin offering Office 365 as one of its bundled services.

At first glance, these types of strategic partnerships seem to be a huge advantage for SMBs looking for substantial savings on the subscription rate. Bundled service providers tout benefits including easy, one-click setup and access to a full suite of Microsoft productivity solutions using custom admin panel. 

But dig a little bit and you find that, while the price is nice, the product and service you get from a Certified Microsoft Partner is far superior

Limited GoDaddy Bundle vs customized Microsoft Partner Certified Setup

While a bundled package may seem to be a sweet deal, there can be some issues. 

With a Microsoft Certified Partner, like VirtuWorks, you can avoid some of the common complaints heard about bundled service providers, like:

  • Multiple prompts to re-authenticate and log in to apps like Outlook and Bing
  • Lack of state-of-the-art protection against phishing and other cyber-attacks
  • A security password reset feature that takes users out of the Office 365 dashboard and back into a third-party portal
  • Proprietary control panel interfaces that lack important account and services manageability

Plus with a Microsoft Certified Partner, you can depend on:

  • Having full functionality of Office 365, no ‘light’ version commonly found with bundled service providers
  • State-of-the-art protections against phishing and cyber attacks
  • Quick and easy contact with customer support staff

When you work with a Microsoft Certified Partner, like VirtuWorks, to provide either simple cloud IT services or more expansive Managed IT services, you know that you are getting the quality, full feature Office 365 products you’re paying for, plus remarkable customer understanding and service.

What if you want to switch?

You can switch off the bundled service provider version of Office, but it can be a complicated process. By outsourcing your services to a Microsoft Certified Partner, they can handle the burdensome tasks involved, like adding and verifying your domain and importing all your backed-up mail, calendars, contacts, OneDrive, and other data. 

The Bottom Line

Using a bundled service provider is not the same as using Microsoft’s Office 365, and while the price tag may be attractive, it could end up costing you more in time and frustration in the end. Your best solution? Use whomever you choose for your domain and website hosting, but entrust your company’s critical productivity apps, like Office365, to a Microsoft Certified Partner. That way you can focus on what you do best, not spend valuable time learning to be an IT expert!