Microsoft’s CEO talked about the new Office version in a letter sent to shareholders

Oct 10, 2012 12:43 GMT  ·  By
Steve Ballmer says that Office 2013 was designed to take advantage of Windows 8's new features
   Steve Ballmer says that Office 2013 was designed to take advantage of Windows 8's new features

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer says that the new Office version was especially developed for Windows 8 workstations and it’s capable of taking full advantage of the new touch features in this operating system.

The company hasn’t yet announced the release date of the new OS, but it’s rumored that Office 2013 is very likely to see daylight either in the last months of 2012 or in the first quarter of 2013.

“Office, too, is taking a major leap forward. The new Office was designed from the ground up for Windows 8 and takes full advantage of new mobile form factors with touch and pen capabilities. It unlocks new experiences for reading, note taking, meetings and communications and brings social directly into productivity and collaboration scenarios,” Ballmer said in a letter sent to shareholders.

“The combination of a Windows 8 tablet with OneNote and SkyDrive has truly revolutionized how to take notes, annotate documents and share information. The ultimate experience with the new Office for both consumers and businesses will come when it is paired with a Windows 8 device and delivered as a cloud subscription service with Office 365.”

Besides the fact that it’ll offer a free copy of Office to all Windows RT buyers, Microsoft will also launch the new Office suite in two different flavors called Office 365 Home Premium and Office 365 Small Business Premium.

What’s more, the package will be shipped with a subscription service that will allow buyers to use the product on up to five different devices at the same time, including laptops and tablets.

Pricing will begin at $99.99 / €76.30 for a one-year license for Office 365 Home Premium and will comprise all Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher.