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Jul-06-2008Microsoft Hopes Office Subscription Plan Will Counter Free Software(topic overview)
CONTENTS:
- Dubbed Equipt, the new service combines Office Home and Student, Workspaces, OneCare, and a handful of other free Windows Live applications into a single package. (More...)
- Well now it'll be every year that people consider whether to 'invest' in Microsoft Office, rather than every few years and generally with a new computer purchase. (More...)
- The deal includes three licences and so works out at around £12 per machine (or user) a year. (More...)
- Office HSE sells for $150, although that's a one-time purchase price and not a subscription. (More...)
- Microsoft Subnet is the independent voice of Microsoft customers and is your gateway to daily Microsoft news, blogs, opinion, books, prize giveaways and more. (More...)
- If my rental allows me to use the software from multiple locations, then yes, it possibly may be worth using a subscription so I can use it at school, at home, or at a family member's home while visiting. (More...)
- When someone signs up for a subscription, it will allow a user to operate the software on up to 3 personal computers. (More...)
- First of all Windows Live One Care is a pathetic excuse of a program. (More...)
- Depending on how long consumers go without upgrades, the subscription-based Equipt may save consumers money in comparison with buying the software separately. (More...)
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Dubbed Equipt, the new service combines Office Home and Student, Workspaces, OneCare, and a handful of other free Windows Live applications into a single package. It will cost about $69 a year and can be installed on up to three PCs. By comparison, users wanting to buy those programs the traditional way would have to shell out about $200. Equipt customers would also be entitled to receive updates to any of the suite's components, during the year, for free as part of their paid subscription. The idea behind this relatively new business model is to lower the entry barrier for new PC buyers and turn them into Office buyers, instead of them going for an older or pirated copy of the software. Microsoft plans to begin selling Equipt exclusively through the Circuit City retail chain starting July 15, with other distribution channels to follow both in the U.S. and abroad. [1] Originally posted on VoIP & Gadgets Blog, here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/microsoft/microsoft-equipt-includes-office-onecare-for-6999year.asp. Microsoft ( News - Alert ) will start selling its Office programs to consumers on a subscription basis starting in mid-July. According to the news, it's a a bid to reach "thrifty PC buyers" who would otherwise pass on the software. The software bundle, formerly code-named "Albany", includes Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, giving them the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Additionally it comes with Microsoft's Live OneCare computer security software,Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery, and will be sold at Circuit City stores for $69.99 per year.[2] Microsoft envisions that more and more users will not own a copy of Microsoft Office in the future anymore, but rent it and provide the company with recurring revenue stream every year, instead the onetime fee you pay for the software today. The consumer subscription offering is called 'Equipt' and includes Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 - with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote for their personal and school projects, as well as Windows Live OneCare.[3] Initially code-named 'Albany,' Microsoft Equipt offers Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It comes with Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery and Office Live Workspace, Microsoft's answer to Google Doc's. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions.[4] The new suite, initially codenamed "Albany," combines a number of Microsoft applications into a single installation, including Office programs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote; Windows Live apps Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery; and the new online document sharing program, Workspace. "With Microsoft Equipt we're improving our customers' computing experience by giving them essential software in a package that offers an easy install and setup experience, as well as a convenient and affordable way to stay updated with the latest versions of Office and Windows Live OneCare," said Office's group product manager, Bryson Gordon.[5] The change takes out the company's old one-time license fee and presents customers with a new subscription model. The service will be called Microsoft Equipt but is also known under the code-name Albany and will provide users with all the needed updates for their security software, Office applications and Windows Live online services. "With Microsoft Equipt, we're improving our customers' computing experience by giving them essential software in a package that offers an easy install and setup experience, as well as a convenient and affordable way to stay updated with the latest versions of Office and Windows Live OneCare," said Bryson Gordon, group product manager for Office, as quoted by InternetNews.[6]
Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 are the only applications in the suite that are not currently offered for free. Microsoft says it created Equipt in response to customer feedback: these are the applications that users wanted the most, and they were frustrated with having to download, install, and keep them all up-to-date, one by one. The Equipt suite will install all these applications in one shot (it might take quite a while judging by the sheer number of applications and the disk space needed), and will keep every single one updated. Most importantly, once the subscription expires, users will not lose their documents and files. While Microsoft promises this launch does not signify a complete move to selling its software via subscription models, the move is a very significant one for the company.[7] Microsoft is betting that people would rather fork over $US20 a year for the legal right to use its Office application suite than install an old or pirated copy or use one of a growing number of free alternatives. Having been faced with that exact decision myself this week, I think that's a pretty safe bet. This week the company unveiled Equipt, a subscription service for its Office apps that will initially be available later this month through about 700 CircuitCity electronics retailers; the deal is not exclusive. Formerly code-named Albany, the service provides Office Home and Student 2007 for just $20 over the $49.99 annual cost of its Windows Live OneCare security package, when the two are purchased together.[8] For years, customers have asked for an affordable subscription-based service for what has typically been perceived as Microsoft's steeply-priced software. If seventy bucks a year seems affordable enough, it's finally coming. It could be one of Microsoft's most significant moves in the home applications market in years -- long overdue, many will say, but finally arriving. Beginning later this month, the company will offer an annual subscription package that bundles together its Office Home and Student 2007 suite with Windows Live Services, Office Live Workspace, and Windows Live OneCare, for $69.99 annually.[9] Equipt is the product/service that was formerly codenamed "Albany" (and inside Microsoft, known as "ValueBox"). Equipt, which Microsoft describes as its "essential set of software and services for consumers," includes a version of Office Home and Student 2007; Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft's PC management/security bundle; a few Windows Live communication/collaboration services; and Office Live Workspace, Microsoft's online-collaboration add-on to Office. If and when Microsoft introduces any updates to any of the Equipt components during the year, subscribers will be entitled to receive them automatically for free as part of their paid subscription.[10] Included in this package is not only Microsoft Office, but also Windows Live OneCare among other services. Let's see how the math breaks down over the next few years: Traditional Purchase Model -Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student - $150 -Windows Live OneCare (with one year subscription) - $50 -Next year's OneCare subscription - $50 -Following year's OneCare subscription - $50 -Microsoft Office 2009 Home and Student - $150 Total for three years: $450 Under the new Equipt Model -Microsoft Equipt (first year) - $70 -Microsoft Equipt (second year) - $70 -Microsoft Equipt (third year, includes upgrade to Office 2009) - $70 Total for three years: $210 Now, this is assuming that the user continues to subscribe to OneCare and eventually would upgrade to Office 2009 - however, assuming they do, the savings are pretty clear. Since this is being offered side-by-side with the traditional purchase model, I think this is a good move by Microsoft.[11] Equipt is very different though. Not only is Microsoft putting its implementation of a unified installer on the line (many have criticized the Windows Live installer ) but the company is asking for a single price for multiple, completely unrelated, applications. As we've noted before, the success of this product launch all comes down to the price tag, and $70 is not the end of the world for three licenses for twelve months of usage. Microsoft is targeting Microsoft Equipt for "families or anyone running a household," and judging by how surprisingly positively households have reacted to the $50, three-license Windows Live OneCare offering, and that Office Home and Student 2007 retails at $150, Microsoft made a very sound choice with this pricing decision. Using Equipt for two years ($140) is still cheaper than purchasing Office Home and Student 2007, and you've got OneCare and a slew of other Windows Live services all included, and all of them are keeping themselves updated on their own.[7] The bundle has been officially dubbed Microsoft Equipt and will be made available in mid-July 2008 at nearly 700 Circuit City stores in the U.S. Equipt licenses will cost $70 per year and will include Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Office Live Workspace, and Windows Live tools.[7] It's not a bad thing Microsoft have done, and it really shows that they're committed to this "student malarkey" we have going. Today, they announced that project "Albany", now called Microsoft Equipt, has been released into the wild, for the masses who want an all-round suite of products to buy. From Wednesday, Circuit City will be offering the suite of products, listed below, in their shops online and otherwise. The idea behind the project was to provide an all-round package of software for those who have just bought new machines. Considering a new academic year is just around the corner, new students ("freshers") will be bundling their things together with their new laptops, ready to start, and not have anything installed on them to get anything done. For a cent under $70 (roughly ''35), this is an excellent deal considering Office 2007 alone can cost into the hundreds of dollars, and OneCare is only $20 cheaper than Equipt is anyway. All-in-one security and performance includes antivirus, antispyware, firewall, file and photo backup, performance tune-ups, and home network management to help keep your PC running at its peak.[12] Facing competition from Google's plan to provide office software online, Microsoft announced it will begin selling its Office suite to customers on a subscription basis. Starting in mid-July, Microsoft will sell its new Equipt bundle at nearly 700 Circuit City stores for the price of $70 per year.[13]
The Vole hopes consumers will buy Equipt for the same reasons. For about ten years, give or take a few, Microsoft could pretty much count on most business and home users to upgrade to its new releases of both Windows and Office every two to three years. As its software products have matured such that successive versions aren't as attractive to provide bug fixes and new, useful features, now Microsoft is trying to convert as many of its customers as possible to an annual software rental model. To the extent the Vole's customers fall for this, it can start collecting a continuing stream of revenue without having to develop new application capabilities and features or fix any but the most crippling and annoying software bugs. It's passive income at high monopoly rents. Many casual Office application users don't use more than the most basic features, manage their PCs by a default policy of benign neglect, and don't engage in PC instant messaging or collect photo albums on their PCs. Since the Home version of MS Office sells for only $112, such users might not see compelling value in renting Equipt for a $69.99 annual fee.[14] Gordon said Microsoft is looking to add other retail partners, PC makers interested in pre-installing the Equipt bundle and other "direct-from-Microsoft" channels over the next 12 months. "We view this as a new way for consumers to experience Office," Gordon said, that will take them beyond Office's productiity focus and current licensing/distribution models. Microsoft is not planning to discontinue its standalone versions of Office Home and Student, Windows Live OneCare or other elements of the Equipt bundle, Gordon emphasized. Microsoft also will continue to offer its low-end Microsoft Works suite, as well.[10] Bryson Gordon, a group product manager for the Office group, said in an interview that the agreement with Circuit City Stores Inc. is not exclusive, and that the bundle will be available at other retailers in the future. "With Microsoft Equipt we're improving our customers' computing experience by giving them essential software in a package that offers an easy install and setup experience, as well as a convenient and affordable way to stay updated with the latest versions of Office and Windows Live OneCare," he said.[13] Microsoft Office product manager Bryson Gordon called Equipt "a convenient and affordable way to stay updated with the latest versions of Office and Windows Live OneCare." Circuit City technology merchandise general manager Elliot Becker said the chain, which saw its stock price drop by more than 17% Wednesday after Blockbuster abandoned a $1.35 billion buyout offer, said he expects Equipt to be "a runaway hit."[15]
In April, Microsoft confirmed the products that would be available in the package. Gordon played down the effort to compete with Google Docs and other free office suites, such as IBM Symphony. He said Equipt is aimed at people who are interested in purchasing a PC security suite -- such as Windows Live OneCare -- and might forgo buying Office as well in favor of using an older copy they might already have, or that they might pirate. "We're lowering the barrier to entry" for those customers, he said. Because Equipt is such a "complicated value proposition" to understand, Microsoft is selling it first through Circuit City because the store's staff has been trained to explain it to customers, and because it has successfully handled other Microsoft product campaigns, Gordon said.[16] You eventually pay $280 for a $150 program which you could own without hassles, but there's also Windows Live OneCare which slightly compensates for the disadvantage, as it costs $49.95 per year. As with all Microsoft products, they are apparently trying to charge the maximum that they think people are willing to pay. What they don't appear to understand is that free software is on hot on Microsoft's heels, with many offerings including Google's Docs online suite which is ad-supported and free, Open Office, and IBM's Lotus Symphony.[17]
The Microsoft Equipt bundle — formerly code-named "Albany" — includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, plus OneCare and a handful of existing free Windows Live applications. Buying those programs the traditional way would cost about $200, and then consumers who wanted to replace the software with the next version, "Office 14," rumored to be set for a 2009 release, would have to pay full price.[18] Under the subscription model, upgrading to a new version is included in the annual cost. Mr. Gordon said Equipt is aimed at people who wouldn't ordinarily buy Office at the same time they purchase a new computer. They'd repurpose their old Office disks or pirate a friend's copy, he said. Those same folks are willing to spend extra on security software, Mr. Gordon said, and that's why Equipt's $70 price tag falls between the high and low end of popular security programs from vendors such as McAfee Inc. and Symantec Corp. Office is a widely-used Microsoft series, but the relatively new OneCare software has been slow to catch on, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft.[13] OneCare only cost you $23.33/yr too. It also makes the price a bit more palatable to those that find that ~$300 for a productivity suite and a 3 year subscription to a security suite too high. It would seem that Microsoft is learning to leverage their good skills from the business world down to home users by essentially offering them for the first time: Software Assurance. Upgrades to whatever version of Office might be coming next, should be handled as easily as OneCare - they should be automatic and not get in your way. If they have new features, online video training should be made available. I would think that the new Silverlight-based Microsoft Videos site would be a good choice for those (or just embed them on the Office website).[19]
In April, Bryson Gordon, group product manager for Microsoft Office, gave a Press Pass interview about 'Albany' and explained why the service was created. 'We asked consumers what they needed and wanted most on their PC, and the overwhelming response was that they primarily want productivity and security software. Consumers also expressed frustration at having to spend time and effort installing different types of software, keeping current on new versions and getting their computers set up. We're just making it really convenient and painless for consumers to get up and running in a few mouse-clicks with the best-in-class Microsoft Office suite that they love and software and services they've told us are indispensable to getting the most out of their PC, while staying up-to-date with the latest versions of their software without having to purchase subsequent versions,' he said. He also added that 'Albany' was an example of Microsoft's'software plus services' plan, which exists in part to deal with SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) vendors like Google.[4] Product Manager Bryson Gordon told the IDG News Service that Equipt isn't really meant to be a competitor to Google Docs and other free or low-cost office products. He said, it's a way to convince people who are buying or upgrading their security software to get the latest version of Microsoft Office, too. It's true that regardless of what Google is doing, this seems like a good move.[20]
Microsoft has recently declared that Circuit City will soon be the first to offer an all new Microsoft Office subscription service. Microsoft has joined hands with retailer Circuit City to provide a consumer software subscription service which features its Photo Gallery, Messenger, Windows Live One Care, MS Office and other services and applications.[21] Redmond (WA) ' 'Careful' is probably the most appropriate term to use when describing Microsoft's introduction of a software subscription model to consumers. Transitioning users from a purchase-to-own to a rental model of its software has been discussed for many years and now such a product is officially available. To sweeten the deal, Microsoft throws in a subscription to its Windows Live One Care service. It is one of these products and service you may not look forward to, but knew it was coming: A subscription model to Microsoft Office.[3] Microsoft's move appears to make sense in a time where our everyday life is increasingly based on subscription models. To us, this one seems a tough one to swallow. PC users are used to owning their software and paying for software only once ' usually at the time you purchase a new PC. It isn't particularly difficult to see Microsoft's motivation to get you hooked on a software subscription model: On average, you may be paying much more for your software than you do today and you get used to a subscription model and may be much more likely to subscribe to other services as well. To make the transition more convincing, the price tag for Equipt in fact is low, if you consider that Windows Live OneCare is included- in fact it almost appears as if Microsoft is sacrificing OneCare to make the case for its new subscription model.[3]
Besides offering the complete Office and OneCare features, Microsoft will also include in the subscription free updates for the Office suite, covering Word 2007, PowerPoint 2007, OneNote 2007 and Excel 2007. In order to benefit from this service, users will have to consistently pay their annual fees. Other add-ons which will be found in Equipt are the Microsoft Windows Live services Live Photo Gallery, Live Mail and Live Messenger, which even though are already available for free, having them all in one place will surely not hurt.[6] The Home and Student suite comes with the basic four Office components: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Outlook is not among these, but Microsoft addresses the e-mail component of the package instead with Windows Live Mail (note, not Windows Live Hotmail). This and the other Windows Live services were, of course, free anyway (Messenger, Photo Gallery, Live Writer, and Live Toolbar), though this service should drive membership for Windows Live. Compellingly, Microsoft also adds Office Live Workspace to this package, which is the "cloud" storage feature that enables remote storage and sharing of Office documents, that's officially still in beta. The mid-month availability of Equipt suggests that this feature may come out of beta within the next few weeks. Granted, this service has also been free up to now, but just its inclusion as part of the installation routine for Equipt means it will probably see significantly greater use among high school and college students.[9] Equipt consists of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 ( basically Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Windows Live OneCare, a security service.[22] The subscription offering is called "Equipt" and includes Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 - with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Windows Live OneCare, according to the article.[23] The offering is based on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, and provides access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, the OneCare security and support offering, as well as connections into the online Windows Live services.[24]
Microsoft has launched the long-rumored subscription service to an all-in-one software suite, which combines Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Office Live Workspace, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Live Photo Gallery.[17] The Equipt package, which is aimed at the consumer rather than business market, includes Office Live and OneCare Microsoft's bundle of security and anti-virus products. The deal is not exclusive, so other retailers can be expected to clamber on board if the idea takes off - and if they can put up with the fact that Microsoft will also be flogging the package from its own website. Microsoft has been beta testing the subscription service, which includes Office Home and Student 2007, Messenger, Live Mail and Photo Gallery, as well as security bundle OneCare, since April this year.[25] Microsoft announced Equipt, one of its first consumer subscription offerings. Equipt combines Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition (HSE), and several other already-free services such as Office Live Workspace.[26] The guttural sounding Equipt wraps a version of Office in with Microsoft's security update service and online storage - Windows Live OneCare and Office Live Workspaces, respectively. For big businesses, Microsoft also announced that Select Plus Volume Licensing is due later this year. Microsoft will likely promote both as services that partners can sell, as they mean subscriptions that provide predictable and guaranteed revenue.[27] Starting in mid-July, the company will offer U.S. consumers Microsoft Equipt, which comes packaged with the latest version of Office, Windows Live online services and security software.[28]
Equipt will initially be available only in the U.S. starting July 15, in nearly 700 Circuit City stores. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions, Microsoft said in its statement.[17] "Circuit City is a leading Microsoft retail partner and is able to support the Microsoft Equipt launch with a highly trained retail sales force and tech bench services as well as prominent in-store marketing and merchandising," a Microsoft spokesperson told us. "Microsoft will continue to investigate additional retail partnerships to make it easy for our customers to obtain this product, and you may see us offer via OEM, direct from Microsoft, etc. So while Circuit City is the first partner retailer to offer Microsoft Equipt, they are not the exclusive provider, no." Next, we asked if Microsoft intends to use the Windows Live Mail address of the subscriber as a way of communicating with her directly -- perhaps to notify her of upgrades or new services, for instance. "There is no concrete policy in place yet for the upgrade notification process," Microsoft's spokesperson responded, "but we're aiming to be more thoughtful regarding notifications -- we will communicate the upgrades that are coming that are available, we won't force them upon customers on a particular day in time, and we will provide instructions for them on how to obtain the upgrades."[9]
The plan will be available from July 15 from retailer Circuit City and customers will be able to use the included software on up to three PCs. While it's the first time that Microsoft has offered Office on a subscription basis to retail customers the company offers its commercial customers subscription access to software and services under programs such as Open License and Select Plus.[29]
Equipt will be sold only through Circuit City, and it will have an annual subscription fee of about $70 bucks. It will give users the ability to put software on up to three different PC computers, as well as providing free anti virus and program updates throughout the year. It was a coincidence that on the day that Microsoft announced Equipt the shares of Circuit city had just dropped 10 percent, perhaps the new offering by Microsoft would assist Circuit City in reclaiming some of their lost market share.[30] Microsoft is selling Equipt exclusively through partner Circuit City for an annual subscription of $69.99 per year, which gives users the ability to install the software on up to three PCs and includes free version upgrades and virus definition updates. In an ironic coincidence, Circuit City shares fell nearly 10 percent Wednesday after Blockbuster announced it had dropped its $1 billion-plus bid to acquire the struggling retailer.[31]
And, as part of the subscription price, users will automatically get version upgrades. The WOW: That Microsoft would be wiling to experiment with new revenue models should be applauded. It's tough to call this cloud computing but it's definitely a step in that direction. Equipt was code-named Albany during its development. The wow: That Microsoft is offering this only through Circuit City stores, shows that the company is still behaving like a traditional software company.[22] Circuit City have got the exclusive rights to Equipt beginning mid-July and it'''s hoped by Microsoft that the convenience of Equipt will stop some Office users moving towards the open source or free software route. There is a lot of competition for Microsoft and that'''s why this new service was needed to keep them in the game, as IBM is offering Lotus Symphony free and also other brands have similar free Office software packages.[32]
The computer users of the world have been getting more interested in open source and free software for some time now and Microsoft'''s new Equipt subscription service is aimed at defending the Office franchise.[32] The plan is to attract as many customers as possible, offering a low price and also a useful and complete package. OneCare's anti-malware and antivirus subscription service is very likely to appeal to many, as besides its useful applications, by acquiring it with Microsoft Equipt, it will be available for far less than what other companies charge. The company is aware that not many computer owners truly care about the authenticity of their Office copy but are very interested in owning an original and dependable security software.[6] Microsoft is unveiling a new subscription based service called Equipt, which will draw together the best parts of Windows Applications, MS Office Applications, Windows Live OneCare security applications, and even Office Live Workplace.[30] Consumer subscribers to Microsoft Equipt will also get the latest upgrades anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released.[33] Three years in, though, you're at $210 for Equipt and still $150 for Office Home and Student 2007, so the choice then comes down to whether you pay for a security suite and whether you care about Windows Live, or whether you have three PCs in the house that all need copies of Office 2007 installed. Equipt will be particularly attractive for the latter group, and it wouldn't be surprising if Equipt ends up becoming popular among consumers who want access to Office and the security of OneCare.[7] Microsoft determined the $69.99 subscription rate by taking into account the pricing for Windows Live OneCare, which costs $49.99 a year, and the pricing for Office Home and Student 2007, which has a one-time license fee of $149.99, Gordon said. It also took input on pricing from the beta testers, he said.[16] For instance, Circuit City currently offers Windows Live OneCare 2.0 for $30 and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 for $130.[34] The Equipt offering includes Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint and Word as part of the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 product. Other applications are Web based and accessed through Microsoft Windows Live, such as e-mail, instant messaging and online photo storage.[34] Formerly code-named Albany, Equipt is aimed at home users and students, but the Office Live Workspace component could make it attractive to small business users as well. Unlike competing online document suites such as Google Docs, Office Live Workspace users need Microsoft Office applications in order create the documents they store and share online.[31]
The subscription will allow a user to operate the software on up to 3 personal computers. On top of this, Microsoft is also going to allow customers to create and save documents online thorugh the Office Live workspace. This comes as Google, as well as Adobe have both launched their own Internet-based office tools. Microsoft believes that by offering this subscription-based service, they will not see much of a reduction in sales of Office to consumers. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.[35] Buying the software separately costs a total of $160. If Microsoft continues its current pricing for Equipt, then two years of service would cost $140. Consumers can get similar applications for free by using productivity suites such as IBM's Lotus Symphony or OpenOffice.org sponsored by Sun Microsystems. Google provides hosted applications for free with its Google Apps online solutions. Kurt Mackie is online news editor, Enterprise Group, at 1105 Media Inc. You can contact Kurt about Microsoft Eyes Consumer Subscription Market With Equipt at kmackie@1105media.com.[34]
Microsoft said yesterday that it has rolled out a new combined offering that combines its Office software and its OneCare support program, under the name Microsoft Equipt. According to Microsoft, the new software offers both its suite of productivity software, along with anti-malware and support tools via a yearly subscription.[24] Office by subscription? What? A guest post from the Unreasonablemen.net. News out today that Microsoft is going to offer to sell some versions of its desktop software on a subscription basis. This will be done in typical MS fashion under a cool product name '''Equipt'''. Office by subscription? What?? News out today that Microsoft is going to offer to sell some versions of its desktop software on a subscription basis. This will be done in typical MS fashion under a cool product name '''Equipt'''. Confusingly some are calling this part of.[10] Reports suggest that Equipt features subscription versions of Office Home and Student 2007 that makes it a cheaper choice. In addition to this, Equipt also offers unlimited e-mail support and easy subscription removal with the main idea that has triggered the move is to convert more PC buyers into Office buyers. Microsoft has yet to announce a similar product on this side on the Atlantic.[21] Evidently not. "The updates for the individual components (OneCare, Office Home and Student) would be available to the subscriber when they are available on the market, so a subscriber would not have to wait until they pass their annual subscription renewal date to receive those upgrades," we were told. This suggests that the Home and Student edition will continue to exist as a package for sale separately, although we don't yet know whether it will be discounted to remain competitive with the subscription option. Microsoft's spokesperson declined comment on whether the company has considered a future bundle of products such as Equipt with Windows Home Server, though it was not ruled out.[9] For much of Microsoft's history, the company has been known primarily for two very successful products - Windows and Office. Sometimes this connection has been less than positive. Back in 2000, I had a conversation with back then new Microsoft president Steve Ballmer and was fascinated that he believed that the market would eventually move to a subscription model. With Equipt, Microsoft takes its biggest step in this direction and it makes me wonder whether Windows will, or should, someday follow.[19] Equipt will be sold starting mid-July through Circuit City retail stores. The offering, originally known by its code name, "Project Albany," puts Microsoft on a new footing by bringing the subscription model to consumers, according to Bryson Gordon, Microsoft's group product manager.[34] The software giant said that it has handed Circuit City the new product line, with plans for the retail chain to start punting Equipt from mid-July. It will carry a $69.99 price tag for a one year renewable subscription.[25]
Equipt can be used on up to three systems, which brings the cost per system to less than $24 a year. Folks, they're giving this thing away. Make no mistake, though, this is a marketing play. There's no groundbreaking technology here; all the parts are already products or services in their own right. It is not, as many news reports have said, software as a service. Sure, a few parts like Office Live Workspace are served by the Internet, but they're not very useful without having some version of Office already installed on the system.[26]
Basically, Microsoft aims to lure companies to go enter the Equipt program, which offers a containing Office and its Windows Live OneCare in exchange for an annual fee of $69.99. This yearly license grants access to all future upgrades and will cover up to three computers.[36] The consumer rental bundle, called Equipt, will include a copy of the Home Office suite - consisting of Word, Excel and Powerpoint - plus Windows Live Onecare, Messenger, and Photo Gallery software and services.[14] Microsoft announced a new service today that allows consumers to subscribe to Microsoft Office and Windows Live OneCare in one package.[37] Previously, Microsoft has only used a subscription model for consumers with Windows Live OneCare (also for three PCs) and has tested Office subscriptions in third-world countries (the enterprise is a different ballgame).[7]
Bryson Gordon, who manages the Office group, told the AP the subscription is designed to attract computer users that don't upgrade the application suite or use pirate the software bundle. Others see the Office subscription as Microsoft's first steps toward initiating consumers into a business model already familiar with corporate users.[38] Breaking with its traditional business model, software giant Microsoft Wednesday introduces a subscription service for the Office productivity suite, a set of programs that is the company's biggest earner after its Windows operating system.[29] SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft Corp. will begin selling its Office programs to consumers on a subscription basis starting mid-July, in a bid to reach thrifty PC buyers who would otherwise pass on productivity software. The move may also set the stage for Microsoft to offer its consumer-oriented programs as "services" over the Web, by acclimating people now to the new pricing model such a shift could require.[18] The service offers the option of saving documents "in the cloud," using Microsoft's Office Live Workspace service, also included. Microsoft is positioning Equipt at consumers, students and anyone buying a new PC. But for such budget-conscious buyers, minimum system requirements for Equipt seem a bit excessive, even for Microsoft.[8]
Microsoft has no plans to extend to Britain a deal allowing you to use three copies of the Student and Home edition of Office, Live web services, and OneCare security for $70 (£35) a year.[39] Circuit City will be the initial retailer, but deals are in the works with other stores and OEMs. While the pricing seems to be a reaction to the pressure that Office has been getting from beneath, between online alternatives like Google Docs and Zoho and free software like OpenOffice.org, I don't think that it's low enough to be a game-changer. You can buy a full copy of Office Home and Student already for $110 (yes, there is some value to the additional pieces of the bundle, but those services aren't the marquee attraction here); the gap between that and $70 is insignificant compared to the gap between either price and "free."[40] From the article, 'The software bundle, which also includes Microsoft's Live OneCare computer security software, will be sold at nearly 700 Circuit City stores for $70 per year.' Well I for one will be happy to stick with OpenOffice for now.[11]
As per the reports, the cost of the newly launched Equipt licence has been fixed at $70 or £35 per year. Microsoft makes it clear that the launch does not exactly indicate a complete move to sell its software through subscription models, but the initiative is a significant move for the company.[21] SEATTLE, July 2 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz ) plans to introduce a new way to sell its Office software suite on Wednesday, offering customers a subscription model instead of the traditional one-time license fee.[28] "We're breaking new ground by delivering Microsoft Office in combination with security and communication tools, plus ensuring our customers are on the cutting edge with the very latest versions," Gordon stated in an April Microsoft press release describing Project Albany. "We found from our research that when you bring these categories together and keep them automatically updated, a subscription model makes a lot of sense."[34]
Microsoft would be wise to market the heck out of the subscription model for Office, taking full advantage of the inflationary environment we are currently in. If potential users can be convinced of the value proposition, then they could eventually become hooked on the promise of upgrades over time for the relatively economical price indicated. Checking around on the net, I notice that a lot of the negative comments about this idea center on the fact that there are already free alternatives out there to Office, such as applications offered by Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ]] GOOG ).[41] Quite honestly, I'd rather use something used by the majority of people I know and work with as opposed to a free suite on Google or elsewhere. Sure, savvy software users will make fun of me for holding such an opinion and will point out a perceived lack of sophistication on my part, but my point is that, from a business standpoint, Microsoft does have a ton of equity to leverage in the form of the Office name, and it's a worthwhile goal to invest a little capital toward converting some of the mindshare out there who don't currently engage Office upgrades into subscribing users.[41]
Consumers' response to subscription pricing will also help the company figure out how to negotiate the industry's shift from desktop-only programs to ones that are accessed via the Internet. While rivals such as Google Inc. have built Web-based word processors and other programs that compete with Microsoft Office, Microsoft has kept its software sequestered on hard drives, with the exception of its bare-bones document-sharing Web site, Office Live Workspace.[18] The antivirus software may also be an added incentive for consumers to purchase the subscription, rather than rely on older/pirated/friend's versions. Although the Microsoft Office Suite is nothing less than extraordinary, competition is once again rearing its head. Not since the days of Word Perfect or Lotus 1,2,3 have viable alternatives challenged its domination.[42]
IT managers could probably safely ignore Equipt were it not for the fact that home computing software is likely to be used for after-hours work tasks as well. Their choice of productivity tools could have a direct bearing on their acceptance and adoption of the tools that are given to them by their IT department, affecting the level of training required and even the kind of processes that are set up. Google Apps and OpenOffice work a lot like Microsoft Office, but there are some things they do better or worse, and several things they do a little bit differently. That can affect things when you'''re working with distributed teams, some of whom are working off-site at home or in the field on their personal laptop. For companies that have basically standardized on Microsoft, it might make sense to recommend Equipt, giving employees the chance to stay as up-to-date on the home versions of their software as the ones on their office desktops.[43] Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 is around $150, and new versions of Office get released about once every four years.[17] The suite gives users both a copy of Office Home and Student 2007 as well as the company's OneCare anti-malware and backup service; in exchange for an immediate discount on both services, customers will pay $70 per year to keep the full service active.[44] The package will include Office Home and Student 2007, which retails for $149.95, and it will also feature a free subscription to the company's OneCare malware protection service, which retails, when sold separately, for $49.95 a year.[6]
For most people that I work with we don't need the hassle of leaning a new version of Office when the 2003 version works fine. That's why we're still using XP and have no plan to buy Vista and then 2 years later buy Windows 7. For a company that employs 7,000 people and most have computers it's just too much money wasted. It's not up to me but I suspect we will never use the subscription service.[3]
Microsoft has tied up with ailing U.S. retailer Circuit City to launch its Office and security subscription service which hits the market bearing the moniker "Equipt".[25] A story from IDG News Service reports that Microsoft plans to begin selling it in the U.S. on July 15 through Circuit City, with other outlets to follow. It will be offered in other countries at about the same time, though pricing elsewhere was not announced. We'll see if Equipt can save Office in this market.[45] I'm a bit puzzled by Microsoft's opening gambit, though; Equipt is only offered through Circuit City at the moment. Perhaps it needs to monitor the situation to make sure a deal this good doesn't excessively cannibalize existing sales of Office. Circuit City has been hurting lately, so perhaps the retailer welcomed a deal like this as a way to bring new traffic into its stores -- even if its cut of the sale was minimal, and I suspect that it is.[26]
THIS MONTH MICROSOFT will launch an annual subscription offer aimed at consumers covering Microsoft Office and other applications, in partnership with U.S. computer and electronics retailer Circuit City.[14] Microsoft plans to begin selling it in the U.S. on July 15 through Circuit City, with other outlets to follow. It will be offered in other countries at about the same time, though pricing elsewhere was not announced. The name comes from the idea that the package will help customers "equip their PC with a core set of services," said Bryson Gordon, a group product manager for Microsoft Office. "It resonated well with customers in testing."[16] Starting on or around July 15, Equipt will be sold exclusively through the Circuit City retail chain, but Microsoft is looking to add other distribution channels for Equipt in the U.S. and abroad, said Bryson Gordon, Group Product Manager for Office.[10]
One Equipt license will be good for three PCs, which really makes it cost-effective only to people who own more than one PC or families. Microsoft made it clear that the company is not straying from their traditional software sales model, and permanent licenses will always be available to Office products.[17] The $70 price covers up to three machines making it one of the first family offerings from Microsoft following the trail blazed by the standalone version of One Care. I've been running Office Student Edition and One Care on my PC for several months now to get a sense for whether I could actually live with this product.[19] A student using it for four years will be shelling out about $240. Meanwhile students have been fleeing to open source office suites because the price is even better (free) and these suites offer enough compatibility with Microsoft Office for their needs. In the meantime, most of the other components in the suite also compete with freebie offerings: document sharing, instant messaging, e-mail, photo editing.[45] For twenty bucks more per year, Microsoft is throwing in a software suite whose average retail street price today is about $125, and licensing it for installation on up to three PCs. Perhaps most astonishingly of all, Microsoft has come up with a short, sweet, self-explaining brand name for this service: Equipt.[9] The Office suite formerly known as Albany now has an official name, "Equipt" and a new low price, an annual subscription fee of $69.99 per year.[45] The new suite, which will be available in some 700 Circuit City stores by the middle of July, will run $69.99 for a one year renewable subscription. That price will let users install the suite on three home PCs.[5]
The service is called Microsoft Equipt and will cost $69.99 for one year of service and will be sold through circuit City stores starting in mid-July.[37] The new software, dubbed Microsoft Equipt, is expected to be available at around 700 U.S. based Circuit City stores till mid-July.[21]
Hope you enjoy the show and any and all comments are more than welcome. Microsoft '''Equipt''': New Office subscription bundle due in mid-July Microsoft has given its new Office-based software-plus-service bundle a new name ''' '''Equipt''' ''' and a due date (mid-July), company officials said on July 2.[10] The subscription of Microsoft Equipt includes the usual Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote office applications along with the slower-selling OneCare security offering.[38] For that price users will get all the components of Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, and Outlook, as well as the utility and security program OneCare, and other Microsoft services.[29]
Under the Equipt program, Microsoft will charge users for programs like Word, PowerPoint and Excel in much the same way that corporate customers are acquiring new software, and in some cases it could be a lot cheaper. It will not, however, be free, which is why Equipt is unlikely to stem the tide of free software from Google and other companies.[43] Washington (ChattahBox) - Microsoft announced on Wednesday the launch of a new subscription-based version of its Office software, consisting of Word and Excel. Microsoft announced that on July 15, they will launch Equipt, which will combine Word, as well as Excel.[46] The Office licensing agreement often times compels business owners to purchase multiple copies to avoid trouble - and that price can add up real fast. Under the new leadership of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft is teaming up with CircuitCity in a nonexclusive agreement where a new version of their productivity suite, Equipt, will be sold.[42]
Microsoft this morning announced the release of Equipt, a subscription-based combination of the company's popular Office suite and Live OneCare security solution.[5] Called Microsoft Equipt, the suite will join the software giant's online offerings of Windows Live Mail, Messenger, OneCare and Photo Gallery.[33] I say affordable because the price of Windows Live OneCare security software alone is $50 a year, which is already below the annual subscription fees of security suites from Symantec and McAfee.[26] There are also outside-the-PC service portions (Office Live Workspace and Windows Live services) and of course there is One Care, which is similar to most of the current generation Anti Virus and security offerings. All of this is supplied as part of $69.99 (let's call it $70) subscription and that subscription includes any updates to all of the offerings.[19] One Care seemed to catch the one Trojan that popped up onto my systems and didn't drive me nuts with alerts or annoying updates (though I'd still like fewer). For $70 a year for three machines, this seemed like a good value before factoring in Office Live Workspace or Windows Live services, which I really haven't started using yet.[19]
By bundling with Office, it also helps Windows Live OneCare stand out against competitors like Norton 360 or McAfee. It could tempt people away from Google Docs.[20] Need Outlook? Sorry, you're screwed. It also includes Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft's all-in-one security and PC management service; and Windows Live tools, encompassing Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery.[47] The bundle will also include Microsoft's OneCare security suite, along with a range of Windows Live web services, including webmail, IM and photo hosting.[48]
OneCare is always called a "service" or "subscription" by Microsoft, never a "product" or "application. It seems to resonate with customers too, since many now understand the concept of security as being an ongoing concern, and that your antimalware software needs to be renewed year after year.[19] In offering software subscriptions to consumers, Microsoft is taking a page from its business playbook. The company offers its commercial customers subscription access to software and services under programs such as Open License and Select Plus.[15] Microsoft has offered enterprise customers software subscription plans for several years. For business users such programmes offer the advantages of automatic software updates and predictable costs.[14]
What's different here is the pricing: $69.99 per year on an annual subscription basis, covering three computers. Equipt users get whatever upgrades ship to their products during the duration of the subscription - and no right to use the software at all if they stop paying.[40] Equipt may appeal to consumers who want to stay on technology's cutting edge. Most desktop users only use their applications' most basic functions and as a result do not require frequent upgrades. Given that the Home version of Office 2007 now sells for just $112 for lifetime rights, the latter group would likely see Equipt, with its $69.99 annual fee, as a bad bargain.[15]
Microsoft believes that $70 on an annual basis will be perceived as cheap and will expose consumers who might normally either seek upgrades on a pirated basis or who would simply continue using older versions to regular approved updates. It is a large investment, after all, to upgrade to a new iteration of Office.[41] Seattle, WA (AHN) - Consumers reluctant to pay $200 for Microsoft Office will have a new option starting later this month.[38]
MS Office by subscription New Microsoft Office subscription bundle to hit in mid-July. Basically they're bundling several basic services together. WinExtra '' aka Steve Hodson - a cranky old fart wandering the internet causing mayhem as he goes as we move towards cloud computing and living an online life.[10] RE: New Microsoft Office subscription bundle another money cow for MS gibsonchuck@.[10] RE: New Microsoft Office subscription bundle to hit in mid-July njneiljones100@. They need to add Outlook menu bar Watzman@.[10]
OpenOffice is just as good as Microsoft's crap and completely free. It's also faster to install and less buggy in my experience. It's ridiculous to compare it to antivirus subscriptions. Those are subscriptions because we count on new updates and continuous work by the developers to make them effective. Office programs are just as effective the day you buy them as they are 6 years later.[3] Microsoft has unveiled a new subscription service for Office aimed at consumers.[48] Microsoft unveiled a new subscription-based consumer offering that combines an office productivity suite with security and hosted services.[34]
On Wed., July 2, 2008, your pals at Microsoft finally did it. Equipt, an all-in-one security and productivity software subscription service for consumers, made its appearance, though I'''m not sure I'''d call it '''long-awaited.'''[47] Equipt is a consumer-focused example of Microsoft's Software Plus Services strategy, Microsoft's version of SaaS that employs a blend of on-premise software and cloud services to offer what Microsoft claims is a richer computing experience. Next week at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, Microsoft is expected to offer channel partners financial details on its business-focused Online services suite.[31] Microsoft is clearly trying to offer some kind of desktop and cloud-based service here, akin to Apple's combo of the Mac/iPhone and MobileMe. Take a look at Office Live and the Home and Student versions of Office and you'll quickly see that these are weak imitations from a finished look and features perspective.[27]
Open Office doesn'''t have nearly the same level of functionality and features as Office, however, it'''s free and there are no licensing restrictions. It has the three core productivity applications that any student, businessman or slacker needs: Write (similar to Word), Calc (similar to Excel) and Impress (similar to PowerPoint). Google, Microsoft'''s online nemesis, has upped the ante with its free web based office productivity software.[42] A lot of the powerful features that office provided were never or used very little, hence why they got removed from the ribbon when it was introduced. The core features that the ribbon provides now are in most 3rd party authoring applications. and they run cross platform too. The only reason Microsoft can get away with charging so much for their software at the moment is because many businesses insist that the work be done on Microsoft's Office to ensure its compatible. Things are chancing though; with governments, schools and many business starting to see that document standards is something that can be used cross platform with alternate applications and that the features are all in the free software they need.[9]
Considering all the garbage software that accompanies a new PC these days, Microsoft Office tops the list.[42] Office is a well-established cash cow for Microsoft, but the relatively new OneCare software has been slow to catch on, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft. If this model succeeds — and Rosoff gives it good odds because of the low price — that might change.[18] Microsoft in unhappy with the slow sales of its Office suite and comes p with a new marketing plan: a subscription pricing model.[36] The premise of this model is that Microsoft is predicting that less and less people will actually own a copy of the Microsoft Office suite, and will instead rent it out from the company on a month-by-month basis.[23]
Rumors began circulating in March that Microsoft was devising a new way of packing Office to help it better compete with Google Docs and other free or low-cost productivity suites. The company sent out invitations to a select few, asking them to test a mysterious new project code-named Albany.[16] Of course, for free you can install and use Open Office for your Office productivity suite. Then you can install ClamAV, a free open source anti-virus tool, or even AVG Free Edition. So if Microsoft is targeting the "thrifty" they may not get many takers. Then again, people will pay for stuff if it's good quality and cheap.[2]
Microsoft Corp. is introducing a subscription-based version of its Office software for U.S. consumers as competitors crowd its core desktop product suites.[49] You can get a subscription to Microsoft's technet which lets you have non-expiring/untimed evaluation editions of all of their software (including OS and office products). It's a little pricey but if you were to buy copies of all of there products (server os, desktop os, and office) it's probably a good deal.[19] "We are improving our customers' computing experience with essential software in a package that offers easy install and setup, and a convenient and affordable way to stay updated," said Bryson Gordon, group product manager for Office at Microsoft.[48] Microsoft is currently preparing the final touches on its upcoming offer for selling its Office software suite.[6]
Microsoft will allow users of the software to create and save files on the Office Live workspace. They will attempt go compete with Google Docs and other available tools.[50] Two types of customer. The home user is used to renting software such as Virus Checkers and the like. It isn't really renting as such, but whatever. Microsoft really just needs to convince them that it's a good deal, and they are done. Considering that many people don't have access to broadband (yes, not everyone lives in a city, and some people are still too poor to pay even if they can access it), I wonder how they will distribute the updates.[11] The software giant's latest move basically adapts the model of Microsoft Software Assurance for enterprises to the home market, Silver said. "Larger small businesses already have offerings like this through Microsoft's open-licensing program, but the pricing and licensing is more commensurate with prices businesses pay," Silver said. "Small businesses can probably expect something like this suited to them in the future, but may have difficulty buying this version in particular because it does not contain Outlook."[33]
Contrast that with the subscription model, where upgrading to a new version is included in the annual cost. Obviously, with security & anti-virus features built into OneCare, this also puts Equipts squarely in the sights of popular subsciption-based security programs such as McAfee ( News - Alert ) and Symantec. It's worth mentioning that Equipt can be installed on up to three computers.[2] Microsoft and Circuit City officials are hoping that the subscription model -- which offers predictable costs and convenient, all-in-one packaging -- will catch on in the home market.[15] Blaise Zerega waits with bated breath: Microsoft today announced that it will offer software on a subscription model. Is it WOW - all caps and exclamation mark? Or is it wow-- a lowercase whimper? Likely it's a little of both.[22] Equipt's online subscription model offers Microsoft a much steadier revenue stream.[20]
If they bundle an online version of office, this would look more attracting. Since its a subscription model, this is something they could surely do.[3] MS Office is still the best produt out there hands down so if you aren't a starving student why wouldn't you use it? I would like to see more details on the subscription model though.[3]
"Equipt is targeted at consumers and the annual fee allows up to three PCs in a home to use it, just like the regular Office home and student licenses," Silver said.[33]
Office is believed to remain active regardless of when the subscription ends. The feature also gives licenses for both Office and OneCare to three PCs and is ideal for multi-computer homes that want to stay current with both programs on more than one machine, according to Microsoft.[44] Gordon wouldn't say, other than to indicate it would be wrong to think that the Office unit only gets the $20 difference between Equipt and OneCare. Who cares? Anti-virus and office suite: OneCare and Office 2007 for $70? That's a bargain, an absolute bargain. Update: Ahhhhh, you see! They even got me, the sneaky buggers. It's $70 subscription every year.[12] The solution, called Microsoft Equipt, will cost $70 for a year's subscription, with a single license covering three PCs.[34] In a press statement, Microsoft said that it will be begin offering a software bundle called Equipt, for an annual subscription of $70.[22] The software giant plans in mid-July to offer subscriptions for the popular application bundle at $70 per year.[38]
The package reflects one of Microsoft's first attempts to offer software in a subscription format to home users.[44] When Microsoft eventually does offer a similar model to small-business users, it could cannibalize the software giant's existing subscriber base.[33]
The model has already been used to deliver software as a service and works in some areas. The reason I think this is a rotten idea is that Microsoft is very dominant in office software.[11]
Wait, there's more! Office Live Workspace is included, too. It's a new service from Microsoft for saving documents to a dedicated online Workspace and then share them with, as Microsoft is saying "friends and classmates."[47] Customers also get Office Live Workspace, an online storage and collaboration space. Users of that service can only create or edit online documents if they have Office software already installed on their machines.[25] Microsoft will also allow users to save documents online thanks to the Office Live workspace.[46] "However, online tools sort of 'force' the upgrade because users have no control over them, and Microsoft Office is way more functional."[33] Microsoft is ready to put its popular Microsoft Office suite online, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.[33] Microsoft Office 2007, the most recent version of the suite, includes the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications.[15]
Well now it'll be every year that people consider whether to 'invest' in Microsoft Office, rather than every few years and generally with a new computer purchase. [11] Although we still refer to '''professional edition''' and '''home edition''' for a lot of people, Microsoft Office is just '''Office.'''[43] Part of the offering is traditional and that is the part you are likely most familiar with: Microsoft Office Home & Student.[19] The regular price for a one-time license of Office 2007, home and student edition, is $149.99, according to Microsoft.[28] Not "Microsoft Home Office and/or Student Productivity and Safety Bundle 2008," but an actual brand that customers can remember and ask for.[9] Thanks a lot, Microsoft, for only announcing your subscription-based plan for users of your productivity suite after I just put money down on a brand-new notebook. Office was part of the bundle they offered us at Future Shop, but it still tacked down an extra couple of hundred dollars to the purchase price.[43]
The thing is, though, many mainstream users of software applications probably are susceptible to the brand equity of Microsoft and Office.[41] Digitalhome reports that Microsoft will start selling Office and its security software to the U.S. on a subscription basis starting on July 15th.[51] Yeah, I totally see it as a scheme for Microsoft to sell more software. After all most consumers never upgrade their offrice software nor have any incentive to do so. In the CAD industry, they sell yearly subscriptions to softwear so that you have the latest version each year.[3] Microsoft's foothold on the software market to charge whatever for whatever. $70 a year is not cheap considering all of the other nickle and dimeing that goes on in association with personal computers. Not that Sun was above this or not the reason the original Microsoft came to exist in the first place. Fortunately, the founders of Linux saw this coming.[9] Equipt, which was introduced under the code-name "Albany," will be available for $69.99 a year and it can be used on up to three home computers, according to Microsoft.[28] As we reported the other day, the pricing model for Equipt will be $69.99 per year and you get a lot of software for the money that can be accessed by up to three computers.[32]
The new online version of Office will cost $69.99 per year and will be available on the U.S. only.[46] In one installation, Equipt delivers anti-malware protection, features to simplify PC management, productivity tools, and online services -- all for the bargain price of $69.99 a year -- and that's for three PCs.[47] The move isn'''t a folly however - people gobble up antivirus subscriptions like hotcakes. For $69.99 a year, the price isn'''t outside the realm of reason for those already needing antivirus software and productivity software.[42] Subscriptions cost $69.99 for one year and cover use of the included software on up to three PCs.[15] A subscription will cost $69.99 per year and will licence the products to be used on up to three PCs.[14] The product will be available in the U.S. only to start, and will be offered as a subscription costing $69.99 per year.[35]
For $69.99 a year, there's the question of what possible benefit the subscription service may have. In 366 days, the customer would have paid $140.00 for a service that he or she could have bought outright on NewEgg.com. The only possible benefits, providing the end user is honest or otherwise compelled to be if they'''re a business, is the licensing agreement that permits installation on 3 machines instead of 1.[42] Currently, Windows Live OneCare -- the company's pro-active, anti-malware subscription service -- is sold at an annual subscription rate of $49.99.[9] Windows Live OneCare alone is priced at $49.95 per year ' and you are used to paying for your anti-virus software on an annual basis already.[3] Security and update hassles get addressed in Equipt via Windows Live OneCare, which provides traffic-light-type security alerts and automatic software updates.[34]
Microsoft Equipt: student productivity rise likely? - ZDNet Microsoft Equipt: student productivity rise likely? ZDNet - 35 minutes ago Windows Live Messenger.[12] Microsoft Equipt: student productivity rise likely? YouTube:. EF International School of English - Manchester. http://www.ef.com City of music and sports Manchester'''s glittering music history has seen the likes of groups such as The Smiths, The Hollies and New Order, to name but a few.[12]
Microsoft is calling the service Equipt, and will offer it exclusively through Circuit City beginning in mid-July.[15] There is, however, one rather baffling part of the announcement starting on July 15, Equipt will be offered exclusively through Circuit City. Hopefully, Microsoft will follow through on its promise to make the product available through other channels ASAP, but this just sends the wrong message.[20] Bryson Gordon, a group product manager for the Office group, said in an interview that the agreement with Circuit City Stores Inc. is not exclusive, and that the bundle will be available at other retailers and on PCs sold by the likes of Dell Inc. in the future.[2]
The name is more succinct than Microsoft has used for some other Office products, including unwieldy names like Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 and Microsoft Office Outlook with Business Contact Manager.[16] As a paralegal who caters to pro se litigants, I use office products every day. Microsoft's anal anti-piracy impediments have diluted the utility of its tools to the point that linux and open office (available for Windows systems too) have become very attractive due to the low cost (free) and compatibility (format and multiple operating systems).[32] From the user perspective if you can use Windows you can use Linux. It does take a bit of time to learn Linux from the sysadmin level (Once you do you will hate Windows). People use Microsoft products because they are too lazy to learn a better platform. That is the only thing keeping Microsoft in business.[3] No one is really able to fully own the experience package. The OEMs are increasingly moving to fix that problem with Dell, HP, and Lenovo being the most aggressive at this time. One Care allows Microsoft to get into the ownership business and One Care has both call-in support and remote diagnostics, which should help solve problems much more quickly. It does a decent job both optimizing your system (getting rid of the things that slow down the PC performance) and eliminating malware, which is one of the more common causes of system reliability problems it should dramatically improve the user experience for those that either use Equipt or One Care by itself.[19]
The Microsoft Equipt license bars business use and the Equipt suite does not include Outlook, which is popular among small businesses.[33] The terms of the current consumer license will prevent a small business from using Equipt, Silver noted. "Microsoft says that business use of Equipt is prohibited," he said.[33]
"Certainly the initial move is to capture more consumer eyeballs," noted AMR Research analyst Jim Murphy. "Though it's unclear at this point what the next version of Office will look like, it's likely that it will include a mechanism for Microsoft or its partners to monetize its widespread use -- whether that's through advertising or selling other value-added services."[33] The boxed version of Office was never really in short-term jeopardy anyway. Those downloading OpenOffice and the like are probably more savvy than the average Future Shop customer, and probably not Microsoft fans anyway.[43]
Microsoft announced today that they are set to launch their long-rumored subscription-based version of its Office software.[1] Washington (dbTechno) - Microsoft made the announcement on Wednesday that they are launching a subscription-based version of its Office software.[35]
Washington (ECN) - Microsoft announced on Wednesday that they will launch a subscription-based Office software.[50]
Too bad my company already has the licence of office suite and we can get a official MS copy to use at home for under $20. and it last forever. As for those people using office 97 or eariler.it's not for you since you are probably still stuck on win 3.1 LOL. IMO, if you use open office, you are probably one of the MS hater that is going to be a linux using, firefox using odd jobs anyway that want to be different from the mass. so MS is not targeting you anyway to make their money. Most people don't want to learn yet another extra software just because they want to use firefox, openoffice, linux at home for the sake of being different.[3] A subscription service just doesn't make any kind of sense for me, and I think a significant percentage of home users are probably the same. I mean, how many people out there only have productivity software b/c it came packaged on their systems, but they never use it? I bet the percentage is pretty high.[3]
People who go for this will view MSO as a bill, not as an investment or as part of the 'computer' (that includes all hardware and software purchased at the same time, believe it or not many people don't understand the difference). When MSO is a bill, switching to Open Office will be a financial incentive: stop paying those bills! Switching someone who's already paid for MSO to OOo and claiming that OOo is free sure is a funny argument. It also makes MSO look like it has more value, as the user already paid for it.[11] Aside from the highlights presented above, the Equipt pack also comes with software bonuses like Messenger, and Photo Gallery, among others. "Consumers expressed frustration at having to spend time and effort installing different types of software, keeping current on new versions, and getting their computers set up.[36] Silver noted that new-version rights have always been included for enterprise Software Assurance subscribers. "Of course an issue here is that users of new online tools -- like Google Docs, ZOHO and others -- also get new versions as they come out, and they don't need to install anything," Silver noted.[33]
Unlike Google Docs, Equipt comes with a PC-based version of an Office suite, as well as a security service.[10] The move is widely seen as an effort to fight back against competing productivity suites like Google Docs and OpenOffice which offer compatibility with Office but are available for free.[29]
"Bragging rights" What? Yes. Just like Vista's supposed sales popularity (because MS forced OEMs to install only Vista after a certain date) has been used to tout Vista as being wildly successful (even though every person I know who has ever used Vista _hates_ it), I strongly suspect that this will also be used to brag about how the new version of "Office" is so "popular" and so much "better", in an attempt to FUD about Open Office and other free applications that can do the essentials. Because so many companies are convinced that "Office" is the only way to go, I am afraid that this will work.[11] When new versions of Office or OneCare are introduced subscribers get the new version for free.[37]
Small updates to the subscription version will be made automatically, much as regular Office updates are currently, but consumers will have some control over the timing of major upgrades to new versions.[18] The new version of Office will also include antivirus/security software - a hot selling software item.[42] I mean, does anyone shell out for each new version of Office? Heck, just the idea of buying software out of a box seems incredibly weird to me now.[20]
The one program most often sold with a new PC is security software. Bundling their own security software and a copy of office makes sense to get users hooked early on. However why would you buy security software from someone who makes such a security hole ridden OS in the first place.[11] The new project was formerly known as Albany, but has been renamed as Equipt, and it is aimed at students and home users, as well as users in office type settings.[30] The new plan, named Equipt is aimed at home and student users and will cost about 70 dollars a year.[29]
Equipt can be installed on up to three computers, as can the traditional packaged version of Office Home and Student 2007.[18] Office Home and Student version upgrades plus automatic security updates and OneCare upgrades.[12]
OneCare took a very long time before being offered outside of the U.S. (as did the Zune). Some services still aren't offered in many countries - Office Live Small Business STILL isn't available in Canada, making the proposed cloud-computing tie-in with Small Business Server 2008 completely useless when SBS ships later this year.[19] Included is Windows Live OneCare all-in-one security and PC management service.[37] Windows Live OneCare is an integrated set of PC security and optimization tools that can be accessed over the Web.[15]
The package includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, plus OneCare and a handful of existing free Windows Live applications.[13] For $69.99, the customer receives a lot of "bells and whistles" software (Live Mail, Messenger and PhotoGallery), the antivirus/security software, and the big ticket items: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. That's not $69.99 and you're done. That's $69.99 a year.[42]
After banging my head against the wall trying to make headers work in Google Docs, $69.99 seems like a small price to pay for decent word processing software.[20] The software will combine Word, as well as Excel, and will cost $69.99 for a yearly subscription.[50]
Each $69.99 one-year subscription will cover up to three home PCs, Microsoft said.[33] The Equipt subscription is good for three PCs and will provide automatic updates to subscribers. The benefit for consumers is they will no longer have to go through the hassle of upgrading, while Microsoft obviously gets a regular revenue stream not dependent on hardware sales.[25] Microsoft said on Tuesday that they would launch a subscription based productivity and security suite known as Equipt.[4]
Microsoft has released more details about its new software subscription bundle that went into testing in mid-April.[7] Gartner Client Services Vice President Michael Silver thinks we'll "see more subscription offerings from Microsoft as time goes on" because it would give the software giant a "more reliable" revenue stream.[33] Murphy said that is largely expected under a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. "It would indeed represent a disruption in the way Microsoft has typically in the past collected revenue from businesses," Murphy said.[33]
Sounds like another excellent reason to switch over to open-source software or other free services which provide equivalent or superior functionality to Microsoft's poorly engineered, bloated software.[9] Reports said the software giant will also include a number of free Windows Live services.[38] The Student Edition includes Word, Excell, Powerpoint and OneNote but not Outloook; Windows Live web services includie webmail, instant messaging, and photo hosting.[39]
Use of Windows Live ID, Microsoft's single sign-on (formerly.NET Passport) technology, is required.[8]
"Most people don't want to learn yet another extra software just because they want to use firefox, openoffice, linux at home for the sake of being different." You don't need to LEARN openoffice or Firefox. they both work almost exactly the same as their Microsoft counterparts.[3] Your 'Netflix' or whatever is one regular payment for one service. You may have 20 or 30 significant pieces of software installed on your PC. Maybe if this kind of payment covered all that software, people would find it more reasonable. They're talking about this JUST for MS Office.[11] M.$. wants us to sign up for a subscription -- for products we can obtain free, if a facsimile is ok -- such as anti virus, firewall, Office software, etc.[3] Even a digital office runs on essentially "paper" principles. In this regard, office software has evolved very little since its beginnings, and MS's current subscription offering is mostly useless because it merely guarantees us the most recent digital version of old paper-based office management.[3] By getting a subscription service, customers can get the latest updates and newest versions of the software.[28] The subscription model will enable customers to immediately receive the freshest updates and also the latest versions of the software.[6] Updates to the subscription version will be automatically downloaded, similar to the current model of Office.[13]
The version of Office that is more than enough for most people (Excel/Word/Powerpoint and OneNote. is there an open source equivalent of OneNote that is roughly as good, btw?) is far from a "lot". Its 140-150$for 3 licenses. (it does have limitations though, so often you'll want open office, but its still not "a lot"). Keep in mind this subscription thing is also that: 70$/year for 3 licenses + support.[11] They might as well shoot themselves in the foot now. With all the people who OWN Office 2000, XP, 2003, and 2007, there's no way to sell a subscription to this crap. Even if they somehow sent out an update to fry every copy of Office (I wouldn't put it past them) I still wouldn't buy it.[3]
Once I find a version that actually works on OS X (instead of crashes all of the time) I'll encourage the use of Open Office with my students, too.[11] What I'd like to see is an online version of Office thrown into Mesh to tie it all together.[9]
If I had 150 dollars or more to spend on an OS even before I could consider spending another 150 bucks on an office suite, I would send that money to an open source developer rather than a greedy corporation like Microsoft.[11] LWATCDR writes "Yes, it looks like Microsoft is going to a rental program for Office.[11]
Microsoft does not believe that the subscription-based Office offering will have any impact on sales of the regular Office. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.[46] Microsoft's move to make Office a consumer-friendly online service has some long-term implications for the small-business market.[33] This new service from Office makes it easy for you to save documents to a dedicated online Workspace and share these with friends and classmates.[12]
As GjP said above, CONTENT must be offered, and in order to drive a subscription service, MS would have to innovate in office applications, perhaps offering the ability to create dynamic documents that self-update from external references, or blog-like collaborative editing services, allowing true simultaneous revisions with history to allowing backtracking (making a document a process and not just a fact).[3] The cost is reported to be $70 for twelve months of Office access. This is an interesting scheme. As the article points out, businesses might not bat an eye at subscribing to software applications, but for consumers, this is a different ballgame.[41] I'm not sold on this whole idea of subscription based software in general no matter who's selling it. I can understand from a corporate perspective why they might like it, but from a consumer perspective not so much. What happens when someone compromises your account and they disable it. You have to convince them your account was hacked to get a new one. Performance wise a lot of this stuff is still not as fast in a web application as it's stand alone counterpart.[3] Subscription pricing for software has become commonplace in businesses but is a relatively new concept for consumers.[18]
The new package will initially be available through electronics retailer Circuit City, and will be priced at $69.99 for a one-year subscription for up to three computers.[24] For instance, this morning's announcement only mentioned Circuit City as a retailer that would be making Equipt available in box form in mid-July for $69.99, to cover the first year's fee.[9]
Equipt will be sold exclusively through Microsoft's partner Circuit City, in more than 600 of the dealer's stores.[6] Microsoft has picked Circuit City to pimp the service. The U.S. retailer is struggling to find a buyer for its business, after Blockbuster backed out of a proposed deal and remains in the wake of rival CompUSA's closure.[27] Microsoft hopes to roll out the service by the middle of July in the U.S. The package will initially be available through U.S. electronics retailer Circuit City, which runs some 700 stores nationwide.[48] The fact that Circuit City is the first to sign up is a bad omen in a branch of the IT ecosystem that Microsoft has had nailed for years: the high street channel. Microsoft's services are also not just confusing, they are in a state of confusion and always changing. Or so we're told.[27]
The deal includes three licences and so works out at around £12 per machine (or user) a year. It could be seen as a further indication of pressure on Microsoft pricing, but also a bid to coax people into using the company's web services. [39] Microsoft has given its new Office-based software-plus-service bundle a new name "Equipt" and a due date (mid-July), company officials said on July 2.[10] While Equipt may pick up some marginal business from multi-computer household who assume that Windows is everything, it won't help with the continued nibbling away of the Office franchise by Google and company.[40] Business users interested in Office will opt for the full suite. Being naturally fiscally shrewd types, they will pay for the lifetime license, not for subscriptions that end up costing more in the long run.[27] To conquer the full appreciation of the Office Suite, say Office Professional 2007, the end user can typically expect to pay anywhere from about $150 to over $500 depending on the source and the needs of the consumer. That's just for one license on one machine.[42]
I mean, from Microsoft's perspective, they've found a way to make an 'easy' stream money flow into their pockets. Only problem is, I'd hope that most members of the general Office-using public aren't stupid enough to buy into this, but apparently Microsoft doesn't think so. Oh, and, Open Office users need to get their heads out of the clouds; it will never be as good or popular as MS Office. I love Ubuntu- it's a far more advanced OS than anything out there as of yet- but Open Office is just bad.[3] I was curious just how Microsoft accounts for the revenue it expects to get from Equipti.e., how much gets counted toward Office and how much toward OneCare.[12] Modern 32-bit pre |
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