Following its 29 July rollout of Windows 10 earlier this year, Microsoft has begun the release of Office 2016 worldwide. The apps are the latest addition to Office 365, as Microsoft aims to further enhance its cloud-based subscription service. The company says this slate of apps are designed to "help people do their best work, together." The company also announced new and enhanced Office 365 services, specifically built for team interaction and productivity.

Changing the workplace

Office 2016 is set to deliver new versions of the Office desktop apps for Windows, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and Access. By subscribing to Office 365, customers can get apps for use across their devices. Added to this is OneDrive online storage and Skype for Business, along with Microsoft's own enterprise-grade security features.

There are also a few new features which Microsoft has designed to work with Windows 10, including the newly developed Sway. Furthermore, Windows 10's Hello log-in will work for Office 365 as well. Office Mobile apps on Windows 10, and work with Continuum so you can use your phone like a PC. Microsoft also notes that Cortana will connect with Office 365 to help with tasks such as meeting preparation, with Outlook integration coming in November, although clarity on whether SA will receive the Cortana-powered features is unknown at this stage.

Availability and requirements

The new Office 2016 apps are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. From today, Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their current subscription. Microsoft says automatic updates will begin rolling out to their consumer and small-business subscribers next month, and to commercial customers early next year. For those that are not subscribers at the moment, Office 2016 is also available today as a one-time purchase for both PCs and Macs.

“The way people work has changed dramatically, and that’s why Microsoft is focused on reinventing productivity and business processes for the mobile-first, cloud-first world,” says Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella. “These latest innovations take another big step forward in transforming Office from a familiar set of individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services designed for modern working, collaboration and teamwork,” he concluded.