Microsoft Office was first released in 1990, and aside from Windows, it’s probably the Microsoft product the general public has the most experience with. Individual apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook will all continue to exist, but starting now, the Office brand name these apps have all been grouped under will begin to go away, to be replaced by “Microsoft 365.”
The change will come first for the online Office apps at Office.com, which will make the switch in November. In January of 2023, the Office app built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 and the Office mobile apps for iOS and Android will follow suit. When updated, the apps will pick up the Microsoft 365 branding and a new logo, seen above, which still looks kind of like an O, but in a different way from how the Office logo looks a bit like an O.
Microsoft’s FAQ page on the transition says that Microsoft 365 will encompass the existing Office apps plus OneDrive and Microsoft Teams “and so much more.” The company also points out that the Office brand will continue to exist, at least for a while. Existing Office 365 accounts aren’t being renamed (yet), and Microsoft will still sell perpetually licensed versions of Word, Excel, and the other Office apps as Office 2021. The company has previously pledged to offer at least one more of these perpetually licensed Office suites, but at this point, we don’t know whether it will continue to be known as “Office” or if it, too, will pick up “Microsoft 365” branding in some way.
Office is just the latest Microsoft product to get a new name with “Microsoft” in it. Windows Defender, the platform’s built-in anti-malware scanner, came to be known as Microsoft Defender in mid-2019. This page is a branding cheat sheet for eight different Office, Azure, and Microsoft-branded products, seven of which also became some version of “Microsoft Defender.” Presumably, brands like Windows and Xbox are strong enough to resist being rebadged with “Microsoft OS” or “Microsoft Box,” but if the rebranding hammer came down on Office, there’s no telling what it will hit next.
"*" indicates required fields
Software Asset Management is a business practice that involves managing and optimising the life cycle of software within an organisation.
Software asset management is relevant to many facets of a business - take a look at some of the roles that it can form part of the focus of.
Software vendors come in all shape and sizes - all with their own set of licensing models and rules. We take a look at just a few of them.
As a constantly evolving subject, SAM is not without its challenges. We take a look at some of the most common ones.
Wondering what an investment in SAM could do for your business? Fill out a few details and find out what return you could get!
Answer a few questions about your SAM infrastructure & experience, and we'll put together a personalised recommendation for the future.
A simple health check of what's being used across your Office 365 estate in this FREE, Microsoft backed and easy to setup review.
Just like you would with your vehicle each year, get an annual check up of your software asset management programme.
Overwhelmed by the task of documenting the steps for a successful SAM programme? Get the experts in to help!
Concerned your SAM tools aren't covering your whole estate? Or on the look out for an entirely new tool? Get us in to assist.
Not content with covering all things SAM related, we've teamed up with Capital to provide a comprehensive hardware asset management review.
A simple, one-time reconciliation of the software you have deployed versus the licence entitlement you own.
A regularly scheduled analysis of your organisation's estate, specifically adapted to your needs and budget.
A full appraisal of your Microsoft 365 setup and how best to optimise it through automated recommendations.
An add-on to our SAMplicity One, MOT and Plus offerings, quickly diagnose your ability to migrate your resources to the cloud.
In collaboration with law firm Addleshaw Goddard, ensure the legality of your SAM programme and get assistance with any contract disputes.
Available as standard with SAMplicity Plus, ensure you're compliant if you're unexpectedly audited by a vendor.
We've teamed up with some of the forefront experts in licensing knowledge so you can teach yourself to be an expert too.
Stumped by the continually evolving complexities of SAM? Join us for one of our comprehensive courses, either in-person or online.
It’s chock full of useful advice, exclusive events and interesting articles. Don’t miss out!