- Reports have surfaced about a Microsoft Office rebranding, but it’s not all it seems
- Microsoft’s core app is for files, scanning, editing and interacting with AI
- Customers are not happy that AI is being forced on them
There is a lot of confusion surrounding Microsoft’s alleged rebranding of Microsoft Office, and some users have noticed a new message on the Office.com website.
This message says; “The Microsoft 365 Copilot (formerly Office) app lets you create, share and collaborate, all in one place with your favorite apps, which now includes Copilot.”
This is a change from the previous name, ‘Microsoft Office’, but this change occurred in 2022. The change was implemented to encourage consumers to use the Microsoft 365 Copilot application which, for the last year, has been used as an access point for Office applications alongside Copilot.
Microsoft wants you to think “Copilot”, not “Office”
These changes have likely caused confusion due to Microsoft’s extended efforts to bring Copilot to its customers, whether they like it or not.
The change (whenever it occurred) has raised concerns among users and critics, who worry that this could not only cause some confusion but also put an end to the Office name, which has become an independent icon of the industry (as evidenced by its quarterly revenues of more than $30 billion).
This means that applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint will be accessed through the M365 Copilot application. But it also marks an even bigger push for generative AI tools.
For example, Office.com now redirects to a new M365 page, which offers subscriptions for Redmond’s popular Office apps with Copilot subscriptions included by default.
Confusion over the rebranding also coincided with recent price increases, adding to customer frustration.
Microsoft’s core M365 Copilot app is marketed as an all-in-one productivity suite, which can be used to access files, scan documents, edit jobs, and interact with Copilot.
Markets that do not currently have access to Copilot will do without the Copilot tab in the app, but the Microsoft 365 Copilot name and icon will remain for brand consistency. Non-paying customers will also have restricted access to Copilot’s AI features.
The app is different from the Copilot app, which is the native way to interact with Redmond’s AI chatbot.
The Office rebrand also served as the perfect opportunity for Microsoft to start using its new domains: pages that were previously under the office.com and microoft365.com domains are now redirected to m365.cloud.microsoft.
Following CEO Satya Nadella’s recent plea for people to stop worrying about AI and focus on the significant impacts of the technology, the term ‘Microslop’ was coined. One that has also been used in response to the rebranded app being introduced to users regardless of their AI needs.
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