Get Your Hands on a Preview of the New MS Office
Microsoft Office has been a feature of office life for decades, and despite competition from open source and cloud based alternatives remains the dominant platform used in companies around the world.
So the announcement this week of a new version of the ubiquitous Office software suite is a big deal. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that customers can preview the new Office software at office.com/preview.
The new suite has a raft of new features that aim to make it easier to use across a range of devices, whilst also being more social and in tune with modern ways of working.
“We are taking bold steps at Microsoft,” Ballmer said at the press conference in San Francisco. “The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8.”
Some of the new functionality includes being able to use Office in the same way you do your smart phone, using your hands to zoom in or move between documents.
The new software will also utilize cloud technology. For instance all documents will be saved into SkyDrive by default so that your document is available across either your PC, your tablet or your phone.
It will also enable you to take your Office settings with you across multiple devices. All you need to do is sign in to Office and your most recently used files, templates and so on will become available.
And finally Microsoft have tried to make the latest version of Office more social. For instance it integrates with the newly acquired Yammer, which combined with SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics aim to provide a secure and collaborative environment.
You can also follow teams, documents and sites via SharePoint. Here you can view and embed pictures, videos and Office content in your activity feeds to stay current and update your colleagues.
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.
The customer preview is available at office.com/preview. Check it out and see what you think.
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