Microsoft Office to Evolve to Microsoft 365 Come Next Month
In an effort to promote the service’s use as more than just a business application, Microsoft changed the name of its Office 365 service to Microsoft 365 in April 2020.
According to the company’s FAQs page, Microsoft will now be eliminating the remaining Office branding from its Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other apps. Users can presently access Microsoft Office apps at Office.com. But as per Microsoft’s most recent release, this will be moved to Microsoft365.com. Microsoft is also replacing its present square logo with a six-sided one as part of the redesign.
The renamed Office app for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android will go live in January, the company’s FAQs page said. The modifications will take effect starting next month.
Additionally, Microsoft will make available a centralized Microsoft 365 software for desktop and mobile devices that will act as a single hub for data, meetings, files, and documents. Additionally, the centralized application will display a feed of pertinent coworkers who the user can connect with.
According to the company’s FAQs page, the extension names for programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Clipchamp, Stream, and Designer will not change.
Additionally, Microsoft stated that its “Office 365 subscription plans” will not alter. On one-time purchases made by users through Office 2021 and Office LTSC, which are being sold on bulk licensing models, the Office branding will still be present.
According to the Microsoft FAQ, “Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office software for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app in the coming months with a new symbol, new style, and even more functionality.”
The decision represents the first significant branding change for Microsoft’s productivity suite of programs in more than 30 years of operation.
According to a report by The Verge, which first noticed the renaming, the previous Microsoft Office will now reflect as a heritage brand for Microsoft, meaning that new features announced will be going to Microsoft 365 and not Microsoft Office.
