Microsoft, the Redmond behemoth has rolled out Office 2013 in the cloud. This small change has however very large consequences for both the company and users.
Microsoft has made a large fortune making software that is used by both corporate users and users who use it at home. The point is that software is the golden goose that has laid many golden eggs and with the move to the cloud the goose is taking a leap that may end badly.
The biggest change that has seemingly gone below the radar is that Microsoft has changed the licensing terms with Office 2013. Users can only install the software on one computer. That may seem to only impact the user, but Microsoft is testing the relationship it has with consumers. Multiple installs were previously allowed as the Licence allowed it, yet with Office 2013, Microsoft is determined to force users to buy more licenses.
I think we are going to be seeing this behaviour from Microsoft more as they are slowly losing their software hold on the market. Imagine if they also add that the user would need to download the software from the Internet and not access the download via a DVD as in the past. Google Docs and open source software such as LibreOffice are also getting more attractive to users who do not wish to purchase a copy of Office 2013. The implications of this are huge and suddenly the golden goose is leaping into the air and having a crash landing.
Are you considering upgrading to Microsoft Office 2013? If not, why? Leave a comment to let us know your answers.
