Microsoft Reveals Pricing for Office 2013

Microsoft just announced how it’s going to sell the next version of Office, called Office 2013. The new edition has changed dramatically to better match Windows 8, and not just in terms of user interface: This will be the first version of Office that Microsoft sells via subscription.
Microsoft revealed the subscription model when it first unveiled Office 2013, but now we know exactly how much it will cost: $8.33 a month or $99.95 a year. That’s for Office 365 Home Premium, which includes all the client software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and others), but as a subscriber you’re now entitled to all software updates and access to web services included with Office, such as continually updated templates.
Microsoft is also throwing in 20GB of SkyDrive storage with the subscription as well as 60 minutes of Skype minutes per month (they don’t aggregate). The subscription covers five different devices (either PC or Mac) and — importantly — an number of users. The idea is a family with multiple PCs and Macs in the house only needs to buy one subscription to Office; individuals will see only their files and preferences when they log in with their Microsoft IDs.

There’s also Office 365 Small Business Premium, priced slightly higher at $12.50 per month or $149.99 a year. The package is similar, including ongoing updates and the option to install on up to five devices, but the business edition will be for a single user or employee. The business edition also includes more integration with Microsoft’s SharePoint, Lync and Exchange services.
Neither edition carries an “initial” fee for the download. Microsoft says the subscription model is the new normal, and that even though Office will be available as a traditional one-time purchase ($219.99 for Home and Business edition, $399.99 for Professional edition), it expects a subscription will make the most sense for many Office customers.
“This release of office is designed in a very different way,” says P.J. Hough, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Office development. “We’ve invested heavily in this new streaming technology for delivering Office to PCs. It’ll stream incredibly fast, they’ll be able to use the apps while it’s streaming, and after it streams to your computer — in a matter of minutes — it behaves a lot like traditional Office. You can go offline or take it on a plane, so it’ll work offline.”
So how does the subscription work with Windows RT devices, which will have the Office apps pre-loaded? Using those apps doesn’t require a subscription, but you’ll only be able to access “subscription content” once you start paying. In any case, however, RT machines won’t count against your five-device limit. Updates will likely roll out at a “different rate” for RT devices, says Hough.
“A good analogy is that iOS 6 doesn’t install on the first iPad,” he says. “At some point, that device actually doesn’t get a subset of updates that happen — primarily because devices have changed, in terms of capabilities. So I expect RT devices will feel a little like that. But we’re talking years from now.”
And what if you need Office right away, and can’t wait for Microsoft to formally launch Office 2013? If you can wait until the week of Oct. 19, you should, since starting then Microsoft will offer an upgrade package to anyone buying Office 2010. If you buy the Home Premium edition, you’ll get the first year of your Office subscription free, and for the Small Business edition, you’ll get three months.

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Now Anyone Can Sync Google Docs & Microsoft Office

Google just made it easier for people to collaborate with each other using Microsoft Office by officially launchingGoogle Cloud Connect Thursday.

The service, which has been in beta since November, is now available to all and uses Google’s vast cloud to store and synchronize any Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel document.

If you have Microsoft Office, using Google Cloud Connect is as easy as downloading a plug-in, installing it and then seeing a toolbar at the top of your Office application.

After your authorization, Cloud Connect saves a copy of your document online and lets you share it with anyone you choose via an e-mail address. The recipients clicks on the shared link and the file opens in Google Docs. At that point, they can download the document and work on it in Microsoft Word. When they make changes, the edits show up on the original document, too.

Documents can be edited in either Google Docs or Microsoft Office, and whoever is collaborating with you does not need to own Microsoft Office to edit those documents and synchronize the files with each other. It would seem that Google is using this free and convenient plug-in as a lure for those who might be tempted to use Google Docs instead of Microsoft Office.

Although the service was synching slowly when we tested it this morning (probably because of everyone who wanted to try the new service), it worked well and kept a Word document up to date on both PCs. Its file synchronization isn’t as immediate as the live typing of the now-defunct Google Wave, but it's still able to sync documents efficiently.

Here’s a video showing how the system works, and be sure to see the additional demo videos Google released on its blog today:

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