Microsoft rebrands most of "Office" to Microsoft 365

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When you think about Microsoft products, it is probably Windows, Office and Xbox that come to your mind first. While the company has plenty of other products, most are minor when compared to the three heavyweights.



Microsoft announced changes to the company's Office brand this week. According to Microsoft, most of Office is going to become Microsoft 365. The announcement leaves several questions unanswered, in typical Microsoft fashion. Despite the FAQ that Microsoft published on the Office.com website.

Here is what we know: The Office.com website, Office mobile app and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app. All will get a new icon, a new look, and "even more features" according to Microsoft. The changes will roll out on Office.com next month, and in January 2023 for the Office app on Windows and the Office mobile app. There won't be any changes to Office 365 subscription plans, according to Microsoft.

There will be a core Microsoft 365 application for mobile and desktop that acts as a hub for all things "Office" and Microsoft 365. It will show files, documents, meetings and other information when run.

The individual Office products, Word, Excel or PowerPoint, won't be rebranded, and Microsoft will refer to them as such going forward. Standalone versions of Office, such as Office 2021 or Office 2021 LTSC, won't have their names changed. They remain branded as Office and nothing is going to change in this regard.

Closing Words

Microsoft started the process towards unifying its products under Microsoft 365 two years ago, when it rebranded Office 365 subscriptions to Microsoft 365.

While Office is not going away entirely, it is a bet on Microsoft 365. It is almost certain that some Office users will be confused by the name change in the beginning. It may not make much of a difference when it comes to the individual Office applications like Word or Excel, but time will show how this will work out in the end.

Now You: what is your take on the decision to change most of the Office branding?
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