Microsoft
Nokia by Microsoft Branding REUTERS/Bogdan Cristelo

Microsoft has announced the worldwide roll-out of Office 2016 for Windows and the Mac. The newest update to its Office 365 revealed Tuesday, will bring new features and improvements to Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based subscription service.

The Office 2016 for Mac, however, will be a one-time purchase. It comes with enhanced Office 365 features.

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“This marks a milestone in delivering new value for Office 365 subscribers with a focus on collaboration, apps that work for you, a perfect pairing with Windows 10, and security features businesses will love,” wrote Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice president for the Office Client Applications and Services team in a blog post.

For Windows, the new Office 2016 will introduce the latest versions of desktop apps such as Microsoft Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, MS Outlook and MS Access. The update will allow users to easily collaborate and integrate various apps and work simultaneously.

The latest upgrade will enable business users to work on multiple Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations at the same time. This will augment teamwork and ensure a seamless working environment.

Outlook 2016 comes with a smart inbox “delivering lightning fast search removing low priority mail automatically and making sure everyone on the To: line has the right access to modern, cloud-based attachments from OneDrive”.

The upgrade has these new features:

  • Expansion of real time co-authoring in each of the native apps. People can work on Word and see simultaneous editing by others.
  • Skype for business will be available in the client apps allowing users to share screens and conduct video chats directly about the documents.
  • Office 365 Groups will now allow teams to be connected via iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Users can create public and private groups with a shared calendar, inbox and OneNote notebook.
  • Teams can organise assigned tasks, create new plans and even set status updates with the help of the Office 365 Planner.
  • GigJam will be a part of Office 365 in 2016.

The update will make Office 365 even more compatible with the recently released Windows 10. A revamped Windows Hello and an improved Cortana will ensure a better user experience, said Microsoft.

Microsoft said it will also release a major OneDrive for Business update featuring selective sync for both Windows and Mac later this month. Existing Office 365 subscribers running Windows 7 or later versions can upgrade to the new Office 2016 for both home and business. The Office 2016 apps will come in 40 different languages, reports Reuters.

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