Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is available for a limited time at a one-time price of $34.97, offering a lifetime license to essential apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, with no recurring fees or subscriptions.
Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 is on sale for $49.97, offering a lifetime license for essential Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote, with no recurring subscription fees.
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows is on sale for $29.97, down from $229, offering lifetime access to essential Office apps on a single PC, making it a cost-effective choice for home, school, or work use.
Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans will soon see a price increase in several regions due to the integration of Copilot AI features into applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These AI enhancements aim to improve content creation and data analysis, but they come at a higher cost for subscribers in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. However, a Microsoft 365 Classic option will be available for those who prefer not to use AI features, maintaining current pricing levels.
Amazon has unveiled a new AI chatbot called Q, aimed at challenging Microsoft and Google in the productivity software market. Q can be integrated into communication apps like Slack and text-editing applications, and it will also appear in AWS' online Management Console. The chatbot can help users understand AWS capabilities, troubleshoot issues, provide document citations, and make changes to source code. Q will be available in different tiers, with the business user tier costing $20 per person per month. The service can connect to over 40 enterprise systems, including Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.
Google is introducing native support for eSignatures in Google Docs and Drive, allowing users to request and leave eSignatures within the cloud-based productivity software. The feature, which has been in testing for over a year, aims to provide parity with competitors and streamline the signing process for users. The beta version will initially only support signature requests from Gmail users, with support for non-Gmail users expected later this year. Access to the feature will be available to Workspace individual subscribers in the coming weeks, while other Workspace Business or Enterprise subscribers can request access through a specific form.
A lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote, is available for $30 until July 14. The package also includes unlimited access to training courses for each app, allowing users to maximize their productivity. No coupon is required, and the offer provides lifetime access to the software on one device without any recurring subscription fees.
Microsoft is charging at least 100 of its largest customers a flat fee of $100,000 for up to 1,000 users for one year to test the AI features in its Microsoft Office 365 productivity apps. This means that companies with 1,000-seat subscriptions are paying at least 40% more versus the classic version for productivity software that automates tasks such as writing text in Word documents and creating PowerPoint slides.
Generative AI tools are being integrated into work software to increase productivity, including Microsoft's Copilot, Google's Duet AI, Zoom IQ, Slack GPT, and GrammarlyGO. These tools can summarize and explain text, draft copy, compose emails, transcribe meetings, create agendas and notes, and analyze spreadsheet data. However, it's important to know your company's policies on third-party app usage and relevant laws and regulations before using them.