Microsoft's Office 2016 launches with a focus on helping people work together

Microsoft Corp, Monday, began the worldwide release of Office 2016, delivering new versions of the Office desktop apps for Windows, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and Access. The apps are the latest addition to Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based subscription service that help people do their best work, together.  Also launched were the new and enhanced Office 365 services built for team productivity.

“The way people work has changed dramatically, and that’s why Microsoft is focused on reinventing productivity and business processes for the mobile-first, cloud-first world,” Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, said, adding that, “These latest innovations take another big step forward in transforming Office from a familiar set of individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services designed for modern working, collaboration and teamwork.”

Nadella wrote about the new Office on the Official Microsoft Blog. Corporate vice president for the Office Client Applications and Services team, Kirk Koenigsbauer provided more insights into Office 2016 on the Office Blog.

By subscribing to Office 365, customers can get always-up-to-date, fully installed apps for use across their devices, combined with a continually evolving set of consumer and commercial services, such as OneDrive online storage, Skype for Business, Delve, Yammer and enterprise-grade security features.

Together, the new Office and Windows 10 are the most complete solution for doing work. The Office 2016 apps run beautifully on the best Windows ever, including the new Sway for Windows 10 to create shareable, interactive stories that look great on any screen.

Features of the app includes: Windows Hello which logs you into Windows and Office 365 in one simple step.1 Office Mobile apps on Windows 10 empower on-the-go productivity, and work with Continuum2 so you can use your phone like a PC. Cortana3 connects with Office 365 to help with tasks such as meeting preparation, with Outlook integration coming in November.

Built for teamwork

*The Office 2016 apps simplify collaboration and remove barriers to team success. Co-authoring4 is now provided in Word, PowerPoint and OneNote desktop software, including real-time typing in Word that lets you see other peoples’ edits as they make them.

*Skype in-app integration across the rich client apps allows you to IM, screen share, talk or video chat right in your docs.

*Office 365 Groups are now an integrated part of the Outlook 2016 client app and available on your favorite mobile device through the Outlook Groups app, delivering a consistent team experience across the suite. In addition, a new Office 365 solutions that combine the power of apps and services for better collaboration are coming soon.

Introduced yesterday, Office 365 Planner helps teams organize their work, with the ability to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, set due dates, and update status with visual dashboards and email notifications. Planner will be available in preview to Office 365 First Release customers starting next quarter.

Significant new updates to OneDrive for Business are coming later this month, including a new sync client for Windows and Mac, which will deliver selective sync and enhanced reliability. Updates also include increased file size and volume limits per user, a new user interface in the browser, mobile enhancements, and new IT and developer features.

Unveiled earlier this year, GigJam is available Tuesday in private preview and will become part of Office 365 in 2016. GigJam is an unprecedented new way for teams to accomplish tasks and transform business processes by breaking down the barriers between devices, apps and people.

Availability and requirements

The new Office 2016 apps, according Microsoft are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. Starting  yesterday, Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their subscription. Automatic updates will begin rolling out to consumer and small-business subscribers next month, and to commercial customers early next year. Office 2016 is also available today as a one-time purchase for both PCs and Macs.