The cost of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 business subscriptions will be a little higher soon, marking the first significant price change since the subscription services first launched. Microsoft Office includes programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Microsoft 365 is a more inclusive service that also bundles higher tiered versions of Teams, the service that allows users to host virtual meetings that can include up to 300 people, and switch from one device to another while already in a meeting.
Microsoft has been busy updating its various products and services recently. With the launch of Windows 11, Microsoft Office received a new design, along with a 64-bit version of Office designed for ARM devices. Teams also received an update just last month in honor of World Emoji Day on July 15, with emojis receiving a 3D makeover and Clippy returning as a 3D emoji. Earlier this year, the default Office font was changed from Calibiri, which had been the standard since 2007.
According to Microsoft, the pricing change will go into effect six months from now, on March 1, 2022. The Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan will go from $5 per user to $6, while the Business Premium plan will increase from $20 per user to $22. Office 365 E1, which offers web-based apps like Outlook, will go from $8 to $10 per user, with Office 365 E3 increasing from the current $20 price to $23. Office 365 E5 is now available for $35 and will go up to $38 per user when the changes come into effect. Finally, Microsoft 365 E3 will increase from $32 to $36 per user. The changes will apply globally, and will focus on business products, rather than products for educational or consumer use.
What Else Is New With Teams?
In addition to the price increase, Microsoft Teams will also start offering unlimited dial-in capabilities over the coming months, across the business, enterprise, government and frontline Microsoft Office suites. This means users can call a phone number in order to be included in a Teams meeting, which is useful if the individual can’t connect to their Wi-Fi. The ability to dial-in to a meeting is only available with the Microsoft 365 E5 and Office 365 E5 packages.
All in all, the price increase per user isn’t significant, and considering how crucial Microsoft Office and Teams have become to office life in 2021, it’s unlikely that many will have a real issue with the changes. With how many companies have resorted to virtual offices during the past year, being able to connect using the same software and video conferencing, Microsoft or otherwise, has never been more important.
Source: Microsoft