Microsoft launches Office 2016: 5 ways it can improve productivity

The Redmond-based Microsoft Corp. has begun rolling out Office 2016 in the UAE, as part of its worldwide release of the suite.

The firm says that the apps are the latest addition to Office 365, its cloud-based subscription service, and the company also announced the new Office 365 services built for productivity.

“The way people work has changed dramatically, and that’s why Microsoft is focused on reinventing productivity and business processes for the mobile-first, cloud-first world,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

Cloud and collaboration are the two primary themes of the new suite, with Office 2016 delivering new versions of the Office desktop apps for Windows, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and Access.

Even as the look-and-feel of the new suite isn’t a major departure from the Office 2013 suite that many of us may be used to, the new software does pack a punch under the hood thanks to the cloud functionality that allows users to store their work online and access it form anywhere, as well as the freedom to share documents with multiple team members.

“These latest innovations take another big step forward in transforming Office from a familiar set of individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services designed for modern working, collaboration and teamwork,” said Nadella.

Nadella wrote about the new Office on the Official Microsoft Blog.

Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice president for the Office Client Applications and Services team, provided more insights about Office 2016 on the Office Blog.

Office 365 subscribers can have access to updated set of consumer and commercial services, such as OneDrive online storage, Skype for Business, Delve, Yammer and enterprise-grade security features.

Microsoft says that, together, the new Office and Windows 10 are the most complete solution for doing business.

“The launch of Office 2016 takes the familiar software tools, which are embedded at the very heart of the way individuals and businesses in the Middle East operate, and simply makes them more collaborative, easier to access and share,” says Ihsan Anabtawi, Regional Director, Applications & Services, Microsoft Gulf.

Here are 5 ways Microsoft’s Office 2016 can improve your productivity:

1: Simplified file sharing
Office 2016 simplifies sharing of files by adding a Share button on the ribbon. Click on the button and you will have a one-click access to share your file with anyone in your contacts list – without even having to leave the document to.

2: Co-authoring on-the-go
Even as Microsoft already offered real-time co-authoring through the Web-based Office Online, this is the first time that users will be able to see what their colleagues are doing in a document – like Word or PowerPoint – and simultaneously edit it as well.

3: Smart attachments
Considering that, usually, you’d want to attach documents that you’ve worked on recently, this was something that should have been done ages ago but is now standard in the new suite. A list of recently edited documents show up when you want to attach one in Outlook.

4: Delve
Microsoft also announced Office Groups, a way for teams to collaborate inside Office applications. Delve is a new tool that comes with an Office 365 subscription. Delve is a ‘hub’ that offers users access to everything they might have created, shared, or collaborated on using Office 2016.

5: Sway
The Office 2016 apps run beautifully on the new Sway for Windows 10 to create shareable, interactive stories that look great on any screen. The Web-based Sway allows users to quickly create a website from just images and text without much effort – and it’s free.
 
“By making it possible to work on any device, from anywhere, Office 2016 reinvents productivity and unlocks the power of the group, empowering every person and organisation in this region to achieve more through enhanced collaboration. This is what will propel cities in the GCC towards what’s next, driving knowledge sharing, economic development and prosperity” Anabtawi added.

Other features and availability

• Co-authoring is provided in Word, PowerPoint and OneNote desktop software, including real-time typing in Word that lets you see others’ edits as they make them.

• Skype in-app integration across the rich client apps allows you to IM, screen share, talk or video chat right in your docs.

• Office 365 Groups are now an integrated part of the Outlook 2016 client app and available on your favorite mobile device through the Outlook Groups app, delivering a consistent team experience across the suite.

In addition, new Office 365 solutions that combine the power of apps and services for better collaboration are coming soon.

• Office 365 Planner helps teams organise their work, with the ability to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, set due dates, and update status with visual dashboards and email notifications. Planner will be available in preview to Office 365 First Release customers starting next quarter.

• New updates to OneDrive for Business, including a new sync client for Windows and Mac, which will deliver selective sync and enhanced reliability. Updates also include increased file size and volume limits per user, a new user interface in the browser, mobile enhancements, and new IT and developer features.

• Unveiled earlier this year, GigJam is now available in private preview and will become part of Office 365 in 2016. GigJam is a new way for teams to accomplish tasks and transform business processes by breaking down the barriers between devices, apps and people.

• Outlook 2016 offers faster search and automatic removal of low-priority mail. Everyone on the To: line has the right access to documents with modern, cloud-based attachments.

• Tell Me helps you quickly find the right Office feature or command, and Smart Lookup brings insights from the Web right into your documents.

• Excel 2016 now includes integrated publishing to Power BI and new modern chart types to help you make the most of your data.

• The most recently used documents list allows you to pick up right where you left off, traveling with you across your devices, whether you are working in Office Online, in the Office Mobile apps or in the Office 2016 desktop apps.

• Built-in Data Loss Prevention across Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook significantly reduces the risk of leaking sensitive data, giving IT administrators tools to manage content authoring and document sharing policies.

• Multifactor authentication ensures secured access to content anywhere when you’re away from the corporate network.

• Enterprise Data Protection will be available for the Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 later this year and for the desktop apps early next year, enabling secured content sharing within corporate boundaries.

The new Office 2016 apps are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their subscription.

Automatic updates have begun rolling out to consumer and small-business subscribers, and will roll out to commercial customers early next year. Office 2016 is also available today as a one-time purchase for both PCs and Macs.

 

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