What Is Microsoft 365?

The latest version of Microsoft Office is called Microsoft Office 2019, although the web-based Microsoft 365 is the version that Microsoft would prefer users to adopt. Various versions of the suite have been around since 1988, including but not limited to Microsoft Office Professional, Microsoft Office Home and Student, and various collections of Microsoft Office 2016. Most people still refer to any version of the suite as Microsoft Office, though, which makes distinguishing among editions difficult. What makes Microsoft 365 stand out from older editions of MS Office is that it integrates all aspects of the apps with the cloud. It’s a subscription service, too, which means users pay a monthly or yearly fee to use it, and upgrades to newer versions are included in this price. Previous versions of Microsoft Office, including Office 2016, didn’t offer all the cloud features that Microsoft 365 does and were not subscription-based. Office 2016 was a one-time purchase, just as other editions were, and as Office 2019 is.

Packages Available

Microsoft 365 Business comes in four different packages: Basic, Standard, Premium, and Apps. Basic includes web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Standard adds Publisher and Access (PC only). Premium adds all cloud services such as Intune and Azure Information Protection. Apps include all Standard applications and OneDrive.

Who Uses MS Office and Why?

Users who purchase a Microsoft Office suite typically do so when they discover that the apps included with their operating system aren’t robust enough to meet their needs. For example, it would be nearly impossible to write a book using only Microsoft WordPad, the word processing app that is included free with all editions of Windows. But it would certainly be feasible to write a book with Microsoft Word, which offers many more features. Businesses also use Microsoft Office. It’s the de facto standard among large corporations. The apps included in the business suites include those that can be used to manage large databases of users, perform advanced spreadsheet calculations, and create powerful and exciting presentations, complete with music and video. Microsoft claims that over a billion people use their Office products. The Office suite is used all over the world. 

What Devices Support MS Office?

You can access everything Microsoft Office has to offer on most devices including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. If you don’t have a computer or the one you have doesn’t support a full version of Office, you can use the Microsoft Office Online suite of applications. There are apps for Microsoft Office for the iPhone and iPad as well, all of which are available from the App Store. Apps for Android are available from Google Play.

Which Apps Are Included in Microsoft Office?

The apps included in a specific Microsoft Office suite depend on the Microsoft Office package you select (as does the price). Microsoft 365 Family and Personal include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and ​Outlook. Office Home & Student 2016 (for PC only) includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote. Business Suites have specific combinations as well and include Publisher and Access. Here’s a short description of the apps and their purpose:

Word – to create documents, flyers, publications.PowerPoint – to organize and manipulate data including formulas, graphing tools, and more.Excel – to store, organize, and manipulate data.OneDrive – to store data online.OneNote – to organize data you collect including handwritten notes, drawings, screen captures, audio clips, and more.Publisher – to create extensive publications, posters, flyers, menus.Outlook - to manage email and calendars, to-do lists, and contacts.Access – to compile and organize large amounts of data.

Microsoft has designed the applications in the suites to work together seamlessly. If you take a look at the list above you can imagine how many combinations of apps can be used together. For instance, you can write a document in Word and save it to the cloud using OneDrive. You can write an email in Outlook and attach a presentation you’ve created with PowerPoint. You can import contacts from Outlook to Excel to create a spreadsheet of the people you know, their names, addresses, and so on.

Mac Version

All Mac versions of Microsoft 365 include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

Android Version

Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint as a unified app; Outlook and OneNote are separate apps. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can also be downloaded separately.

iOS Version

Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint as separate apps or a unified Office app, Outlook, and OneNote are separate apps only.