Microsoft 365 fully absorbing long-time Office branding

Posted:
in iOS edited October 2022
After decades of service, Microsoft is taking steps to fully absorb the Microsoft Office branding, under the Microsoft 365 umbrella across all platforms.




Word, Excel and PowerPoint ceased to be separate apps for iPhone users in 2020, when Microsoft brought a single, unified Office app to the iPhone. That was followed by the iPad version in 2021 -- but for now, the MacOS and Windows versions are still called Office.

Starting in November, the company is finishing its Microsoft 365 rebrand, to encompass all platforms that the software suite runs on.

"Over the last couple years, Microsoft 365 has evolved into our flagship productivity suite," said the company in a blog post, "so we are creating an experience to help you get the most out of Microsoft 365."

"In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app," continued the announcement, "with a new icon, a new look, and even more features."

The new features include Create, which is being described as a "place to quickly start on projects across several Microsoft 365 apps," and is ultimately an extended series of templates.

There's also a new Apps module, which is launching on Windows and online in November. It's about blurring the lines between the different legacy apps such as Word and Excel, and instead lets users "discover, launch, and pin the tools you use the most across Microsoft 365."

As well as this online functionality change in November, the name, logo and design changes will begin that month at office.com. Then the iOS, Android and Windows apps will be rebranded in January 2023.

At the same time, the company is making the Microsoft Office brand obsolete. New features will come to Microsoft 365, but not to the "legacy" Office applications. It's not clear what's going to happen to the standalone applications, nor on what timetable. Microsoft 365 plans start at $6.99 per month.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,983member
     It's not clear what's going to happen to the standalone applications, 
    Oh i think iI have a good idea. Eventually they want the suite, whatever they call it, to be rental software so you pay, and pay, and pay, for the same mediocrity. Software as Service. Fortunately my Mac is an MS free zone.  I use Pages, and if Apple tries the same thing I have OpenOffice/LibreOffice as a backup. I’d just have to come up with an option for the lPad. 
    edited October 2022 twokatmewthttyler82mac daddy zeewatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 2 of 15
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,711member
    There're actually 365 and a quarter days in a year, so this proves the adage that Microsoft is always a quarter short.
    edited October 2022 DAalsethtwokatmewdewmetyler82appleinsiderusermac daddy zeewatto_cobraFileMakerFellerjony0
  • Reply 3 of 15
    ilarynxilarynx Posts: 120member
    Has anyone had any experience with purchasing MS Office via AppleInsider/StackCommerce ( https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/08/19/flash-deal-get-microsoft-office-for-mac-home-business-2021-for-3999-88-off )? 

    It seems like a good deal, maybe too good. In the process of the purchase, I'm shown a "Claim My Code" button with a warning that no refunds are available after clicking the button. Do I use this claim code to then go to the MS site to download? It's not spelled out at all on the site. 

    Anyone been through this before? A good deal? Not? 
    appleinsideruserwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 15
    thttht Posts: 5,622member
    Why would MS do this to the number 365? What did it do to them? Now we will pour our hatred over 365 instead Office.
    edited October 2022 netroxmac daddy zeewatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 15
    ilarynx said:
    Has anyone had any experience with purchasing MS Office via AppleInsider/StackCommerce ( https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/08/19/flash-deal-get-microsoft-office-for-mac-home-business-2021-for-3999-88-off )? 

    It seems like a good deal, maybe too good. In the process of the purchase, I'm shown a "Claim My Code" button with a warning that no refunds are available after clicking the button. Do I use this claim code to then go to the MS site to download? It's not spelled out at all on the site. 

    Anyone been through this before? A good deal? Not? 
    I've bought it several times for different machines. So have family and friends. It works, but MS won't let you turn  off the snoopware
    "monitor for product improvement" I disable all I can. Don't install autoupdate and logoff 365 once activated.

    I tried the MS free machine, mostly I succeeded. But had to crack a bit to help someone else.

    Numbers is a poor substitute for excel, but I suffer through almost all of my usage to, mostly, avoid MS. 
    ilarynxwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 15
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,110member
    I guess "Garbage" and "Street Trash" were already trademarked?
    netroxwatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 7 of 15
    M68000M68000 Posts: 852member
    tht said:
    Why would MS do this to the number 365? What did it do to them? Now we will pour our hatred over 365 instead Office.
    We all know people will still call it office
    watto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 8 of 15
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,486member
    Seriously, I really hate those marketing ideas. It's horrible. It complicates too much. It's confusing. It's harder to navigate. 

    I hated when Apple chose the naming scheme for their MacOS. I don't want Tiger, Leopard, White Tiger, Lion, Big Sur, Monteray, etc. I want MacOS 2000, MacOS 2001, and so on. That helps provide structure and consistency. I hate having to figure out what version "name" I am using if I am always getting updates every year. That insanity has to stop. It's NOT user friendly at all. It's cognitively troubling. It lacks a sense of timeline. It implies a different product when it's not. 
     

    DAalsethappleinsideruserwilliamlondonmac daddy zeewatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 9 of 15
    thttht Posts: 5,622member
    M68000 said:
    tht said:
    Why would MS do this to the number 365? What did it do to them? Now we will pour our hatred over 365 instead Office.
    We all know people will still call it office
    Perhaps. If MS keeps at it though, they will change the identity of Office to 365 given enough time. 

    I’m seeing more and more acceptance of Meta over Facebook. It’s only been about a year. With another couple of years, the branding transition may be complete for Meta. 

    I can see an Office to 365 transition happening the same way over the course of 3 or 4 years. 
  • Reply 10 of 15
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,983member
    netrox said:
    Seriously, I really hate those marketing ideas. It's horrible. It complicates too much. It's confusing. It's harder to navigate. 

    I hated when Apple chose the naming scheme for their MacOS. I don't want Tiger, Leopard, White Tiger, Lion, Big Sur, Monteray, etc. I want MacOS 2000, MacOS 2001, and so on. That helps provide structure and consistency. I hate having to figure out what version "name" I am using if I am always getting updates every year. That insanity has to stop. It's NOT user friendly at all. It's cognitively troubling. It lacks a sense of timeline. It implies a different product when it's not. 
     

    While the cats, and the California landmarks have been mildly amusing I have to agree. I would have preferred if they had just used MacOS 10.1, 10.2, … 12.6 and so on. It’s a lot easier to keep track of what people are running. Indeed usually when I deal with Mac Techs, they refer it to by MacOS and the number. That way you get the decimal update too. 
    edited October 2022 mac daddy zeewatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 11 of 15
    M68000M68000 Posts: 852member
    netrox said:
    Seriously, I really hate those marketing ideas. It's horrible. It complicates too much. It's confusing. It's harder to navigate. 

    I hated when Apple chose the naming scheme for their MacOS. I don't want Tiger, Leopard, White Tiger, Lion, Big Sur, Monteray, etc. I want MacOS 2000, MacOS 2001, and so on. That helps provide structure and consistency. I hate having to figure out what version "name" I am using if I am always getting updates every year. That insanity has to stop. It's NOT user friendly at all. It's cognitively troubling. It lacks a sense of timeline. It implies a different product when it's not. 
     

    Totally disagree.  The names give character to the product.  Nothing exciting about associating an OS with a year number.  Having names probably helps most people remember certain things about using that version too.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 15
    Still rockin’ Office 2013. Gonna move the product key card and a copy of the iso to a safety deposit box tonight. Lol
    watto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 13 of 15
    ilarynx said:
    Has anyone had any experience with purchasing MS Office via AppleInsider/StackCommerce ( https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/08/19/flash-deal-get-microsoft-office-for-mac-home-business-2021-for-3999-88-off )? 
    Yes. I have done it three times now. One each for me and my kids. The ordering and installing process is clumsy at best, but it does work. Finding the purchase after the fact is tricky because they use some weird name. I was lucky they started spamming me right away, or I wouldn't have remembered the domain they used.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    "Microsoft 365. The only day you'll be safe is February 29."
  • Reply 15 of 15
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,145member
    "Microsoft 365. The only day you'll be safe is February 29."
    A common error. Safety only comes on December 31 of a leap year, day 366. February 29 is only day 60. 
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