14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that Office Web Apps has been renamed to Office Online, as it tries to make the entire “experience easier to find, share, and collaborate with others.”
Redmond has confirmed in a blog post that the previous name of the online productivity suite was indeed a bit confusing for consumers, so the rebranding pretty much makes sense.
“We heard from customers that the inclusion of Apps in our name was confusing. Are they something I install? Do I go to an app store to get them? No, to use them all you need is a web browser. Ah! You say. So it’s like Office, online. Yes, exactly. Office Online,” it said.
At the same time, Microsoft announced a new start screen for Office Online, allowing user to create new documents, presentations, spreadsheets or send emails from Outlook.com with just a few clicks.
“A lot of you don’t know that we have an online version of Office because you just couldn’t find it. If you’re already using Office Online on OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) or on SharePoint at work, great. We’re glad you found it there,” the company also noted.
“You can still use Office Online just like you always have. But we’re making it easier to find for the rest of you by introducing Office.com, a discoverable and shareable web page so that you can start using Office Online right away.”
Of course, the software giant has also worked to offer “a more connected Microsoft experience” that will help users access their favorite services faster and easier.
“Word Online, Excel Online, PowerPoint Online and OneNote Online are now included in an app switcher which lets you easily switch between email, storage and the files that you are working on without having to navigate in and out of our online services,” it said.
Office Online is available free of charge and supports all modern browsers out there, so you can give it a try at no cost at any time.