Microsoft Reverals Office 2013

As earlier reported, this at once release features an intuitive design that works with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard inputs across Windows-based devices, including tablets. The suite is even highly sociable, adding services like Yammer and Skype. Want cloud support? Microsoft Office 2013 has that too.

"We are taking bold steps at Microsoft," Ballmer said. "The new, modern Office will deliver unique productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business clients. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8."

First, the cloud. The new version of Office saves documents to SkyDrive by default so that content is accessible across multiple devices. That as well includes personalized settings just as the user's most recently used files, templates and even their custom dictionary. Nevertheless with a subscription, clients can stream full-featured Office applications to an internet-connected Windows-based PC.

The social front

On the social front, the new Office features built-in support for Yammer, a secure, private social network for businesses, and popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service Skype, the latter of which comes with 60 minutes of minutes with an Office subscription. Office users can as well follow people, teams, documents and sites in SharePoint. As an illustration, they can view and embed pictures, videos and Office content in their activity feeds to stay current and update their colleagues.

Now the big question: will the new Office work in Windows 7. Yes, nevertheless the suite is designed to work best in the company's upcoming Metro-themed Windows 8 OS. Included is Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. OneNote and Lync represent the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office, and are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet. A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with just a finger.

Office 365 ProPlusThis version is designed for enterprise clients who want advanced business capabilities and the flexibility to deploy and manage in the cloud.

The pricing

Currently the pricing and release date is unknown, nevertheless the company confirmed that Office Home and Student 2013 RT will be included in Windows RT. Meanwhile, clients wanting to get an early taste of Office 2013 can download the Customer Preview here which offers Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and Outlook.