Using Excel on multiple tablets.

Question

So I have a retail business with multiple locations that I need to track inventory on.

Each location has a tablet I would like to use Excel on so I can keep track of inventory in real time, synced via internet.

My question is do I have to get an 365 account for each tablet (not ideal) as it will be my employees as users of the tablets and not myself exactly?

I know that you can get 365 and install on say 5 devices and family can use them, but does that extend to employees as well?

I wouldn't want to be in violation of terms, but I do need to track my inventory via Excel.

Answer 1

All 365 licenses allow you to use it on up to 5 devices at the same time.

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You cannot use 365 Personal or Family for "business" (see Clark's reply for the legalese).

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For use in your business you need one of the 365 Business licenses.

Even though 365 allows you to use it on multiple devices, the 365 license is granted to a specific user, through their email account. So as I understand it you are supposed to get a 365 license for each user.

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Here is a link with basic information about various business licenses. You should be able to get by with 365 Business Basic for each user. That gives them access to the "online" versions of the Office apps. That is adequate for inputing information.

. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products

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So, to be fully compliant you would need multiple licenses. You will probably need to go with "Shared computer activation" since you have multiple users on the same device. I don't think it will save you any money

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Your best bet is to talk to a MS "Partner" company. They can help you get the best solution. This link will help you find "partners" near you

MS Partner locator

This website locates legitimate MS Partners for you: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/solution-providers/home  You can change country at bottom left corner of the page.
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Overview of shared computer activation for Microsoft 365 Apps – multiple users on same device (Education and Business)

    10/19/2021

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/overview-shared-computer-activation

Shared computer activation lets you deploy Microsoft 365 Apps to a computer in your organization that is accessed by multiple users.

Shared computer activation is required for scenarios where multiple users share the same computer and the users are logging in with their own account.

• Three workers at a factory share the same physical computer, with each worker using Office on that computer during their eight-hour shift.
• Fifteen nurses at a hospital use Office on ten different computers throughout the day.
• Five employees connect remotely to the same computer to run Office.

To use shared computer activation, you need an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) plan that includes Microsoft 365 Apps and also supports shared computer activation. Shared computer activation is available for the following plans:

• Any plan that includes Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (previously named Office 365 Plus). For example, Office 365 E3 or Microsoft 365 E5.
• Any plan that includes the desktop version of Project or Visio. For example, Project Plan 3 or Visio Plan 2.
• The Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan, which includes Microsoft 365 Apps for business.
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Answer 2

I go through the post carefully, in Office license terms: Microsoft License Terms:

a.License; Number of Users and Devices Signed In; Other Requirements. The service/software is licensed, not sold. Provided that you comply with all the terms of the Agreement, we grant you the right to install and run copies of the service/software on devices you own and control, and for your personal use, as follows:

(i)Microsoft 365 Family Subscription. For use by you and five (5) additional members of your household (up to six users total).

(ii)Microsoft 365 Personal Subscription. For use by you only. The non-commercial use restriction set forth in the Microsoft Services Agreement does not apply to users who live in Japan or acquired their subscription to the service/software while they lived in Japan.

(iii)Devices Signed In. There may be technical limits on the number of devices that can be signed in by a user concurrently to use the service/software, as described in the help article found at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid='874481.'

(iv)Other Requirements. Except as permitted under Section 1.a(i) above, only one person at a time may use the service/software on each device. The service/software may not be used for commercial, non-profit, or revenue-generating activities. The components of the software are licensed as a single unit, and you may not separate or virtualize the components and install them on different devices. Except for the permitted use described under “Remote Access” below, this license is for direct use of the software only through the input mechanisms of a device, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen. Installation of the software on a server or for use by or through other devices connected to the server over an internal or external network and commercial hosting are expressly prohibited. For more information on multiple user scenarios and virtualization, see Section 1.d below.

So, if you have Microsoft 365 personal or Family subscription, it is not recommended to use it for Commercial purpose, or have it used by other employees.

You may try Microsoft 365 for business subscription, every account/user in the tenant with Office desktop license can install Office on up to five devices. For more information: Microsoft 365 for Business | Small Business | Microsoft 365

Best Regards,

Clark