Microsoft is raising prices for millions of its users. Microsoft 365 is a subscription service that unlocks access to some of the Windows 10 company’s best-known apps, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and Teams. It was first released under the Office 365 brand over a decade ago, and now – for the first time since launch – Microsoft is set to increase the price of the service.
Microsoft 365 offers downloadable apps for the desktop operating system, as well as mobile and online versions. To continue accessing these apps, subscribers will have to pay a little more starting next year.
The change, the first “major” price change since Microsoft 365 launched, will affect commercial users – more than 300 million people.
The Microsoft 365 price increase goes into effect March 1, 2022 and will increase by $ 1 to $ 4 depending on a user’s plan. Microsoft said the price changes will affect users around the world, with “local market adjustments for specific regions”.
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The makers of Windows 10 and Windows 11 also added that prices for educational or consumer products would not change “at this point”.
Announcing the news in a blog post, Jared Spataro – Corporate VP for Microsoft 365 – said, “We’re announcing changes to our commercial pricing for Microsoft 365 – the first major pricing update since Office 365 was launched a decade ago. These updated prices reflect the added value we have delivered to our customers over the past 10 years. “
Microsoft gives its customers six months to prepare for the incoming price changes. Here are all the details on the price increases that will go into effect next March …
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic is increased from USD 5 to USD 6 per user • Microsoft 365 Business Premium is increased from USD 20 to USD 22 • The price of Office 365 E1 is increased from USD 8 to USD 10 USD increased to USD 23 • The price of Office 365 E5 will increase from USD 35 to USD 38 • Microsoft 365 E3 will increase from USD 32 to USD 36
Spataro added, “As executives around the world strive to empower their employees for a more flexible, hybrid world of work, it is clear that every company needs a new operating model for all people, places and processes to build on the value we are in have achieved over the past decade to continually provide innovations that will help our customers thrive and thrive today and in the future. “
Initially, the 365 offering comprised Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Lync, Exchange and InfoPath. Since then, it has been expanded to include 24 more apps, including Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Lens and Access.
