Last week Microsoft announced Office 365 Personal, a version of the cloud-based subscription service that will become available this spring. Microsoft Office 365 launched in July 2013 and has over 3.5 million subscribers. Office 365 Personal may help Microsoft expand their reach even further.
Microsoft Office 365 Personal will be available for around $70/year. Users can subscribe monthly for $6.99 or annually for $69.99. It will include 60 minutes of Skype calls per month, 20 GB of additional OneDrive storage, and access to the most recent versions of Office. Office 365 Personal will allow users to run Office applications on one computer (PC or Mac) as well as one tablet. It isn’t clear yet, though, whether it can be used only on a Windows tablet or can be used on an Apple or Android tablet as well. Regardless, it seems Office will be available for both iPads and Android Tablets this Spring as well, though clear details haven’t been released.
Is Microsoft Office 365 Personal Right for You?
If you’re running a larger business, it’s clear Office 365 Personal won’t fit your needs. For small business owners utilizing a single computer and tablet, it is a great way to save a little money versus using Office 365 Home Premium. If you do have a larger business and would like to use Microsoft Office 365 on more than one computer and tablet, then Office 365 Home Premium is the best choice. Office 365 Home Premium is $9.99/month or $99.99 per year. It allows you to utilize up to five computer (again, either PC or Mac) as well as up to five mobile devices. Once Office 365 Personal launches, Office 365 Home Premium will be rebranded to simply Office 365 Home.
Of course, Microsoft does offers traditional Office Home and Student standalone licenses for $139.99 and its browser-based Office Online apps for free.
If you’re not sure which Microsoft Office 365 is right for you, contact our IT Support Houston today, and we will advise you to get you set up with the right solution to make the most of your business!