In one of the worst kept secrets, the latest version of Microsoft Office has been unveiled by the Redmond behemoth (all be it as customer preview). Microsoft Office is arguably one of the biggest money makers that Microsoft has and with the speed of innovation done by Microsoft’s competitors it was time for an upgrade. Also, do not forget the latest version of the Microsoft Operating Software, Windows 8 is around the corner.
It is pretty obvious that cloud storage is the next big thing. Dropbox, Google Drive and the like, are all ever increasingly becoming part of the corporate workers day. The timing of this updated version of Office is also interesting as this is on the heels of Google announcing Google Drive functionality for Google Docs.
According to Microsoft, the following features are of importance:
Office Is in the Cloud
- SkyDrive. Office saves documents to SkyDrive by default, so your content is always available across your tablet, PC and phone. Your documents are also available offline and sync when you reconnect.
- Roaming. Once signed in to Office, your personalized settings, including your most recently used files, templates and even your custom dictionary, roam with you across virtually all of your devices. Office even remembers where you last left off and brings you right back to that spot in a single click.
- Office on Demand. With a subscription, you can access Office even when you are away from your PC by streaming full-featured applications to an Internet-connected Windows-based PC.
- New subscription services. The new Office is available as a cloud-based subscription service. As subscribers, consumers automatically get future upgrades in addition to exciting cloud services including Skype world minutes and extra SkyDrive storage. Subscribers receive multiple installs for everyone in the family and across their devices.
Office Is Social
- Yammer. Yammer delivers a secure, private social network for businesses. You can sign up for free and begin using social networking instantly. Yammer offers integration with SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics.
- Stay connected. Follow people, teams, documents and sites in SharePoint. View and embed pictures, videos and Office content in your activity feeds to stay current and update your colleagues.
- People Card. Have an integrated view of your contacts everywhere in Office. The People Card includes presence information complete with pictures, status updates, contact information and activity feeds from Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
- Skype. The new Office comes with Skype. When you subscribe, you get 60 minutes of Skype world minutes every month. Integrate Skype contacts into Lync and call or instant message anyone on Skype.
It seems Microsoft is in a revival phase. Their acquisitions such as Yammer and Skype are becoming part of their offering outside of normal operations. However, I believe there are 2 issues with the above feature set. The subscription service is clever but clearly aimed at the corporate user, what happens to all the home users?
Secondly, I think they missed a big feature which I think was conveniently not mentioned during the unveiling. The fact that iOS support is missing for Office365 is a big disappointment. If they did that, corporate accounts will be done so quickly that Microsoft will need help with infrastructure. I think it was done on purpose and will be seen when Microsoft Surface is publicly released.
I must admit the above looks very convenient for corporate travelers and people that are often on the move. Are you considering getting Office365?
