Microsoft 365 is a subscription product, which you can pay for monthly or annually. If the user gets a new computer, or switches to a different OS, they’ll have to repurchase Office. Microsoft Office programs must be purchased for the user’s operating system (OS) – either a Mac or PC. Standard Office bundles come with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. In the event of a Microsoft upgrade or a new version of Microsoft Office, you would then have to purchase the new package if you want to receive support. This key gives you access to the program for as long as you like. You are either given a physical key card with your own specific download code, or you can download the program straight from the Microsoft website. Microsoft Office (desktop) can be purchased for a one-time payment for the program to be installed on a single device. While both offer the same programs that Office users are accustomed to, the upfront costs and platforms they’re used on vary. You can still pick between Microsoft Office (desktop) and Microsoft 365 (web version).

These changes haven’t hurt Microsoft one bit. Microsoft 365 comes with the same Office apps as its predecessor, with Microsoft promising new apps and services to come. This statement coincides with Microsoft’s “ Modern Lifecycle Policy,” which requires you to have the latest version of the product in order to receive full support.Īs of April 21, 2020, Office 365 has been rebranded to “Microsoft 365”. In 2017, Microsoft announced that Office users will no longer receive access to OneDrive and Skype after 2020 if they don’t subscribe to Office 365.

Since then, Microsoft has continued to allocate more and more resources to its cloud-based service, luring in subscribers by offering them exclusive perks. While the apps in Office 365 were nearly identical to its desktop suite, certain features were rolled out only to 365 at first, like Morph and Designer in PowerPoint. In 2011, Microsoft launched its cloud-based subscription service Office 365, to compete with Google Drive.

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