Microsoft Introduces New Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Subscriptions

Microsoft recently announced the refresh of Office 365 to Microsoft 365, a subscription that will better help people make the most of their time, connect and protect the ones they love, as well as develop and grow. This refresh will be fully rolled out by 21 April 2020.

An evolution of Office 365, Microsoft 365 builds on the foundation of Office 365, infusing new artificial intelligence (AI), rich content and templates, and cloud-powered experiences to empower people to become better writers, presenters, designers and finance managers, as well as deepen people connections. These experiences start rolling out today and will reach over 38 million Office 365 subscribers over the next few months.

"Now more than ever, as many of us work and learn remotely, we are acutely aware of all the different ways life can interrupt work and work can interrupt life. It's never been more important to stay connected and on top of the things that matter. Today, we offer a powerful set of free applications and services that help users create, share, connect, and collaborate with their friends and family across the web and on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. Used by more than a half billion people, free Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive apps enables people to co-author, video chat, organize, and come together. We are committed to improving and innovating on these experiences every day," said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Windows and Devices Group.

In addition, Microsoft today unveiled two new Microsoft 365 experiences that will be available for preview in the coming months. Firstly, a new Microsoft Family Safety app designed to keep families safe across the digital and physical worlds. Next, to provide one application to help manage work and life and deepen connections with those who matter most, Microsoft also previewed new features coming to Microsoft Teams for users' personal life today. With these new features, users can connect, stay organized, and collaborate with family and friends. They will be able to connect in group chats, make video calls, collaborate over shared to-do lists, assign tasks to specific people and coordinate schedules, as well as share photos and videos all in one place.

The new Office features start rolling out to current Office 365 customers today. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions will be available worldwide on April 21st. These include premium desktop Office apps, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per person, 60 Skype minutes for calling mobile phones and landlines, advanced security features to protect users from malware and phishing attacks, ongoing technical support, plus all the new features and benefits announced today. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $6.99 USD a month. For the best value, a family of up to six people can use Microsoft 365 Family for $9.99 USD a month.