Microsoft is rebranding Microsoft Office after 32 years

Microsoft has recently announced that it will be changing the Microsoft Office software package and giving it a new name: Microsoft 365. According to the FAQs on the Official Microsoft website, several changes will be happening over the next few months. Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will be rebranded to Microsoft 365, with a new icon look and features to come.

These changes will begin rolling out for Office.com in November 2022 (next month), and the changes to the Office app on Windows and mobile with an update in January 2023. There will be no impact on any existing account, profile, subscriptions, or files you currently have with Microsoft Office. The apps will automatically update with the new icon and name from November.

As a part of Microsoft 365, customers will be able to continue to get access to apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Microsoft is also continuing to offer one-time purchases of those apps to consumers and businesses via Office 2021 and Office LTSC plans. There will also be no changes to Office 365 subscription plans.

This change has been a slow progression that started in 2020, with Microsoft rebranding some of its Office 365 plans to Microsoft 365. The new branding originally started as a subscription package for businesses with an enterprise Windows 10 and Office 365 bundle. Microsoft has since gradually moved all their office applications under the Microsoft 365 branding.

This rebranding is another example of Microsoft branching out and offering more services and applications that don’t fit strictly into the ‘Office’ branding, including providing cloud services, apps such as Clipchamp, and Microsoft Family Safety, with new changes to be expected in the future. Find out more about this change by visiting the new microsoft365.com website.