Microsoft releases Office 365 software suite
Mariloli Baragaño, marketing and operations manager for Microsoft Puerto Rico.
Microsoft Corp. unveiled Tuesday its new Office 365 software suite, a reinvention of the company’s flagship Office product line for consumers. Office 365 is a subscription-based service that resides in the cloud accessible from anywhere and that works across up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs and Macs.
The new offering includes the latest and most complete set of Office applications and comes with extra SkyDrive storage and Skype calling — all for $99.99 for an annual subscription, the equivalent of $8.34 per month.
“The new Office redefines the meaning of productivity. We have created a product that will allow people to interact with the information available in a dynamic way,” said Mariloli Baragaño, marketing and operations manager for Microsoft Puerto Rico.
“This product represents an important step in fulfilling Microsoft’s vision and our role as a facilitator of extraordinary experiences in the workplace, at school and at home. Office 2013 is a knowledge center for the user who will usher in the next generation of productivity,” she said during a presentation of the new software suite Tuesday morning.
Microsoft also announced it will now deliver many new features and services to the cloud first, transforming the company’s traditional three-year release cycle. Now, new features and services stream to subscribers as soon as they are ready, keeping subscribers always up to date while eliminating the hassles of upgrading.
In a recent global survey, nearly 60 percent of people said they don’t have the time to do the things they want to do, and more than 80 percent said they could save one or more hours a day if they were better organized. Office 365 Home Premium is designed to help people be more productive from virtually anywhere and find the flexibility to do the things they want, the company said.
Simultaneously, Microsoft released Office 365 University for college or university students, faculty and staff, as well as updated versions of the traditional Office suite: Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013 and Office Professional 2013. Office 365 for businesses will be released globally with new capabilities Feb. 27.
Office 365 Home Premium is available in 162 markets in 21 languages and includes the following:
- The latest and most complete set of Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access
- One license for the entire household to use Office on up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs or Macs, and Office on Demand available from any Internet-connected PC**
- An additional 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage, nearly three times the amount available with a free SkyDrive account
- 60 free Skype world calling minutes per month to call mobile phones, landlines or PCs around the world
- Future upgrades, so you always use the latest time-saving technology
- People can learn more about Office 365 Home Premium or try it free for 30 days at http://www.office.com.
