Microsoft Office 365: Microsoft’s Answer to Google G Suite (formerly Apps for Work).What was more& Google realised that Microsoft Office had a basketful of features that were of little use to the average person& and consequently& Google Apps for Work were low on features but high on what mattered more - ease of use& simplicity& and something that was not heard of before for an office productivity suite - document collaboration in the cloud. With regards to pricing& Google’s solution was and continues to remain free of charge for everyone. This was in stark contrast to what people were accustomed to with Microsoft and its heavy pricing for Office. It embraced the cloud& developed apps that did not need heavy installation files and could be used from anywhere& by anyone with access to the internet and a web browser. Google took the worst of Microsoft Office and flipped it over. What was special about this offering& apart from the fact that it came from one of the largest tech companies in the world apart from Microsoft? Collaboration& and cloud. Until about 2 decades ago when Google disrupted the office productivity market with its groundbreaking Google Apps for Work& comprising Google Docs& equivalent to Microsoft Word& Google Sheets& equivalent to Microsoft Excel& and Google Slides& Google’s equivalent to Microsoft PowerPoint. Traditionally& we install software on our computer disk and launch it and work on and with it. Several of the top players in the industry have brought their own versions& several have remained over time with an ardent fan following who love the alternative for various reasons& and several of the seemingly timeless ones have bit the dust. Even today& three decades later& the suite is as relevant as it was when it was launched. Several more apps have been added to the suite& with Microsoft leaving no stone unturned to continue its market dominance in an unmatched way. The suite was launched as a collection of three apps& World& Excel and PowerPoint& and over the years has gone through several iterations.
The venerable Microsoft Office - who hasn’t heard of it? For three decades& this suite has ruled the roost when it comes to office productivity.