Microsoft hint at a new Microsoft Office at Ignite 2020.

If you’re a Microsoft Office fan, keep an eye on Microsoft for the next few months. At Microsoft’s Ignite 2020 event, the company dropped a small statement hinting at a new Office product coming out in late 2021.

What’s in the new Microsoft Office?

Unfortunately, we don’t have much to do at the moment. All we know for sure are two phrases that appear in the Microsoft Tech Community:

Microsoft Office will also see a new perpetual release for both Windows and Mac in the second half of 2021. We will later share additional details about the official names, prices and availability of all these products.

Although this does not mean much to us, there are two points of attention in the first sentence alone.

First, Microsoft calls this new product a “perpetual release,” suggesting a new standalon rather than a subscription model. Given the product’s release in the second half of 2021, it’s likely that this will be Office 2021/22, following the previous Office 2019 and 2016 iterations.

Second, Microsoft’s confirmation of a Mac release. Office on Mac is nothing new, but it looks like Microsoft is supporting the Mac release at the same pace as the Windows version.

This is pretty important, since we’ve seen Microsoft try to branch out into other operating systems. Recently, the company confirmed that it will bring Microsoft Edge to Linux, the operating system that is sometimes considered the bastion outside of Windows.

A new Office for your office

While details are scarce, Microsoft has confirmed a future iteration of Office for Windows and Mac. All we know so far is that it will be a stand-alone product; an official name and further details will come later. Keep an eye on Microsoft as the news unfolds.

Microsoft has stiff competition in the world of office suite. Microsoft Office once had the lion’s share of the productivity market, but that dominance has since been eroded by free Microsoft Office alternatives. We’ll have to wait to see how Microsoft wants to retake this throne.

Source: makeusof