What Microsoft 365 Apps for Business Does
This licence provides access to the desktop applications of Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It also includes 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user. Crucially, it does *not* include Exchange Online for email, Microsoft Teams for collaboration, or Intune for device management. It's positioned as an alternative to Business Standard and Business Basic, primarily for users who require the desktop apps but don’t need the associated cloud services.
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business in Australian Tenants Today
In the AU mid-market, this licence is typically only suitable for organisations already using a separate email solution, such as Google Workspace, and needing local Office application access. It's rarely a sensible starting point for a broader Microsoft 365 adoption, as the exclusion of Teams creates significant gaps in collaboration and security capabilities. Organisations considering this licence should carefully evaluate their compliance obligations under APRA CPS 234 and CPS 230, and the ACSC Essential Eight, as the lack of Intune hinders device security management.