Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office (Microsoft Office) is a package of business applications developed by Microsoft and designed for operating systems Windows, Apple Mac OS and mobile platforms. It is the most popular set of office programs in Russia - only free Open Office can be cited as an analogue. Microsoft Office includes software for working with various types of documents: texts, spreadsheets, databases.

As of the end of September 2015, the number of Office users reached 1.2 billion. The Office package has been downloaded more than 100 million times by the owners of iOS and Android gadgets.

2022

Exploitation of the vulnerability by Chinese hackers

A recent 0-day vulnerability Microsoft in Office is already being exploited. the Chinese hackers This became known on June 1, 2022.

The APT group TA413 exploits the vulnerability to attack its favorite targets - Tibetans.

The alleged PRC Government cybercriminal group is actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Office, known as Follina, to remotely execute code on attacked Windows systems.

The vulnerability is CVE-2022-30190 present in the Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) utility and affects all supported Microsoft client and server versions of Windows.

Posing as the women's rights department of the Central Tibetan Administration, attackers distribute Zip archives with malicious Word documents. When the victim opens the document or its preview, malicious code is executed on the victim's system through the MSDT protocol.

The MalwareHunterTeam security researcher also found DOCX documents with file names in Chinese used to install Trojans to steal data via coolrat.xyz.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability allows attackers to run arbitrary code with the privileges of a calling application, explained in the troubleshooting guide from Microsoft. This allows them to install programs, view, modify and delete data, as well as create new accounts in the context of user privileges.

Administrators can block attempts to exploit the vulnerability by disabling the MSDT protocol used by hackers to run a diagnostic tool and execute code on the vulnerable system. It is also recommended to turn off preview in Windows Explorer, as this is another vector of attack^[1].

Ability to remotely execute arbitrary code using a 0-day vulnerability

On May 30, 2022, it became known that a 0-day vulnerability in Office allows an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code. The problem affects Microsoft Office, Office 2016 and Office 2021. Read more here.

Block macros in five Office applications

On February 8, 2022, it became known that Microsoft will block the execution of VBA macro scripts in five Microsoft Office applications by default. Since the beginning of April 2022, Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Word users will not be able to include macro scripts in unreliable documents downloaded from the Internet.

The change is designed to protect users from a number of dangerous malware, whose operators rely on deceptive methods and social engineering. During such attacks, users usually receive a document by e-mail or download it from a website on the Internet. After opening the file, the victim is prompted to allow the macro to run.

Solving this problem was not easy for Microsoft, as VBA macros are often used within companies to automate certain operations and tasks when opening specific files, such as importing data and updating content within a document from dynamic sources.

From April 2022, users will see a red warning bar notifying them of macros in the document that cannot be enabled for security reasons. Documents containing VBA macros created and retrieved from the organization's trusted network will still run.

The innovation will appear in Microsoft Office 2203, starting with Current Channel (Preview) in early April 2022, and will later be available on other update channels such as Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. The company also intends to implement the change in other versions of Office, such as Office LTSC, Office 2021, Office 2019, Office 2016 and Office 2013.^[2]

2021

Microsoft Office announcement with dramatically updated interface

At the end of June 2021, Microsoft introduced a new version of the Office package, in which the interface was significantly redesigned - it became closer to the design of Windows 11. The Quick Access toolbar is hidden by default to minimize interface elements.

As part of the Office design update, the function of automatic adaptation to Windows system-wide settings is implemented, so that office applications change the interface to match which mode is activated on the user's computer. For example, if a dark theme is used in the operating system, then in Microsoft Office it is it that is activated to avoid situations when a user opens a document on a computer in the dark, and the screen shines brightly in his eyes, explains The Verge.

The new version of Microsoft Office has support for 64-bit processors based on the ARM architecture. This is done to improve performance when working with large or image-filled documents.

By June 29, 2021, the new version of Office is in beta testing and is available only to members of the Office Insiders pre-evaluation program. In addition, to work with the 64-bit version of the product on a Windows device with an ARM processor, you need to install the Windows 11 Insider Preview operating system. You will also need to uninstall the 32-bit version of Office if it is installed on your PC.

If you are using Office beta on Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can activate the updated interface in the Coming Soon panel in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote. In general, the design of updated Office programs is a little similar to their interface in Office 2003.

Microsoft warns that the beta version of Office for 64-bit ARM processors has not yet implemented Teams integration with Outlook, and some search functions are not yet working properly.^[3]

TAdviser Rapid Study

The TAdviser analytical center conducted an express study comparing the licensing and pricing policies of the MS Office office software package from Microsoft and the MyOffice product of New Cloud Technologies. Read more here.

2020

In the top 50 largest Internet sites in the world

Transcribe in Word Announcement - Audio Recording and Decryption in Word

On August 25, 2020, Microsoft released the Transcribe in Word function for transcribing and recording audio, which is built into the Word text editor. Read more here.

Demonstration of the new interface

On July 21, 2020, Microsoft unveiled the future Office interface. The company is preparing for the largest update in the design of office applications. Moreover, innovations are expected in both mobile and desktop versions of programs. The focus will be on content, not numerous menus.

The new interface concept was called Fluent Design, which also redesigned the Windows visual interface. According to Microsoft, the applications have a translucent substrate, all graphic elements are made in calm colors that do not distract the user from work.

One of the changes is an icon at the top of the applications to indicate which program a person is using. Prior to that, Office used a color symbol - the tab was painted in the corporate color of the running program.

After the redesign, Microsoft Office should reduce the cognitive burden on the user, which will serve as an opportunity to focus on the task.

The idea of ​ ​ the developers is to simplify the current tape interface, which is sharpened for desktop devices such as a stationary computer or laptop.  It is inconvenient to use it on tablets or smartphones.

The next wave of changes in the experience with Microsoft Office will go even further, muffle brand colors from app headlines and open adaptive management capabilities, comments John Friedman, corporate vice president of design and research at Microsoft. - Thanks to this, the simplified toolbar can be moved throughout the screen - where it is most convenient, and the desired commands will be displayed sequentially, depending on the context. Others, such as many mobile scenarios, are optimal for micro-tasks.

Single Android App Release

On February 18, 2020, Microsoft released a single application for Android devices, in which the company included Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs. The program, which has been tested since November 2019, is available for download to everyone on the Google Play store. To install the software, the device must have at least 1 GB of RAM and the current version of Android.

The new Office mobile application combines the capabilities of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as new features specifically for mobile devices, making it the main office application on your phone, says Microsoft.

Developers pay attention to several important functions in applications:

• Quick recording of notes (which can be synchronized with the Windows 10 Sticky Notes application);
• Scanning text from images, including spreadsheets;
• Read PDF files and add a caption to them;
• Scanning images using a phone camera;
• Transfer files to your computer and devices nearby.

In addition, there is the ability to work with documents in the cloud and integration with other Microsoft services is provided. To save and access documents in the cloud, the app must maintain Microsoft account information (for OneDrive or SharePoint) or connect to third-party cloud storage.^[4] 

By February 19, 2020, a single Microsoft Office mobile application is also being tested for devices under control. It is iOS not reported when this version will appear in the App Store.

Technically, the Office application, which combines office programs, will also come in handy for Microsoft in partnership with various device manufacturers. For example, Samsung pre-installs Microsoft Office applications on your own. smartphones Galaxy S^[5]

2019

The danger of the "disable all macros without notification" option in Microsoft Office for Mac

On November 5, 2019, specialists from the CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) reported an issue related to the "disable all macros without notification" option in Microsoft Office for Mac.

The option is a security measure that blocks the execution of embedded code in documents without first asking the user for confirmation. However, if you enable this setting, XLM macros in SYLK files will remain enabled and will work without any notification when the document is opened. According to experts, this problem is observed in Office 2016 and Office 2019 for Mac.

Running XLM macros without any hints puts users at risk. Macro language features allow you to run files and execute commands. Thus, an attacker can remotely execute code on the target system.

The problem with SYLK macros is that Microsoft Office does not open in Protected View to keep users safe. This means that users can be in one click from executing arbitrary code through a document created on the Internet.

An attacker can exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious XLM code into a SYLK file, and then using phishing attacks or other social engineering methods to convince the user to open the infected file in Office for Mac.

According to information on November 5, 2019, Microsoft has not released a fix for this problem, as a temporary protective measure, users can select the option "disable all macros with notification," although this option is less secure than "disable all macros without notification." ^[6]

Ban in Dutch government agencies

At the end of July 2019, it became known about the ban on Microsoft Office mobile applications in Dutch government agencies. The reason is that the software does not meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Read more here.

Support for Microsoft Word formats in Google Docs

On April 11, 2019, it became known that the Google Docs cloud service for editing documents and tables acquired full support for Microsoft Office documents. Read more here.

2018

Office for Windows 10 Announcement

On December 20, 2018, it became known that the corporation Microsoft announced the Office for web application, Windows 10 which makes it easier to work with all documents created in programs from the MS Office package and online Office services. It is a kind of universal hub that allows you to quickly find documents in the local workplace or in and, clouds OneDrive Sharepoint work with them and share them with employees without having to run several services at the same time and switch between them.

The presented development of Microsoft is not a full-fledged package of office programs, it does not contain the utilities themselves. This is a hub that interacts with the Office 365 Internet service, the Office Online website and offline versions of MS Office, including Office 2016 and the most up-to-date Office 2019 for December 2018, released at the end of September 2018. The product will allow you to quickly switch between the used "office" applications and quickly track the location of the necessary documents. In addition, the recently announced Microsoft Search algorithm will be built into the utility. All this was created to simplify the user's interaction with various services and to organize algorithms for working with documents located in different places - on a working PC, on a local network or in the cloud. In fact, the Office for Windows 10 solution was developed primarily for the business segment and companies with a large number of remote employees using different versions of Office. The application will eliminate the need to send documents by e-mail and instant messengers and eliminate confusion in the names and different versions of the same documents.

In addition, a separate menu will appear in Office, in which all user subscriptions to Microsoft "office services" will be displayed. From the program window you can manage them, as well as find and install additional services. In fact, Office will become a universal tool for working with everything that is somehow connected with existing and supported Microsoft online services and Office software packages.

The release date for the Office for Windows 10 web application for end users has not yet been set. Only testers participating in the Windows Insider program have access to the beta version of the software product.

The application will be included in the desktop version of OS Windows 10 (the list of supported modifications is not specified), but will not be mandatory. However, starting in summer 2019, Office for Windows 10 will be installed on all released PCs and, laptops distributed with Windows 10 preinstalled^[7]

Updated design, new icons for the first time in 5 years

At the end of November 2018, a dramatic design update of Microsoft Office took place. For the first time in five years, applications included in this package have new icons.

As noted by The Verge, the new icons have become simpler and more modern to cover many devices and platforms. By November 30, 2018, Microsoft Office is available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. The company is building a single core code base to improve applications more quickly from month to month.

Microsoft says the new icons reflect recent changes to the office suite: added AI features, more collaboration options and independence from a particular platform of key applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Our design solution was to separate the letter and the symbol on the icon, which essentially led to two panels (one for the letter, the other for the symbol) that we can combine or separate. This allowed us to maintain a familiar design, while emphasizing the ease of working in the application, "explained Microsoft Design Partner Director Jon Friedman.

For example, on the Microsoft Word icon, the page with text on it has now replaced the square with blue stripes, which symbolize lines of text. The developers note that they adhered to the principles of simplicity and harmony, and also tried to choose bold and friendly colors.

It's not just icons that have changed in Microsoft Office. The ribbon interface was also simplified in applications and Fluent Design elements were added. Moreover, this applies to desktop, mobile and web versions of applications.

In addition, Outlook Mobile has received improved modern design and features, such as support for shared mailboxes and new gestures for accounts and folders.^[8]

Surreptitiously collecting user data

According to a report dated November 16, 2018, the analytical company Privacy Company found out that Microsoft is conducting a large-scale collection of personal data of users of its software products. This became known during a special study by Privacy Company specialists, the customer of which was the Ministry of Security and Justice of the Netherlands.

According to a report by Privacy Company, telemetry collection in Windows 10 includes 1,200 types of events, and 10 teams of engineers have access to this information. In the case of Office, about 25 thousand different events are already being collected, the processing of which is occupied by 30 teams of specialists.

The accumulation of user data, according to a study by Privacy Company, is carried out through the Office built-in software package. The collected information contains details about the individual use of all programs from Microsoft Office, including the most popular Word and Excel.

The client email Outlook also did not stand aside - algorithm it is built into it, and since Outlook is in demand in the business segment, sensitive information from many companies around the world may be at risk.

The Privacy Company report separately indicates that it is impossible to independently disable the Microsoft algorithm or at least take control of it. The user will not be able to reduce the amount of data transferred, nor find out what exactly information about them is sent for further analysis to Microsoft. You can only completely restrict access to Microsoft Office tools Internet using third-party ON and. firewall

Privacy Company specialists have already submitted the results of their research to Microsoft. The press service's response was given almost immediately: the option to adjust and even completely disable data collection will appear in one of the next Office updates. Microsoft also promised to disclose all data collection documentation in Office as soon as possible.

All information collected by Microsoft Office is sent to the corporation's servers located in the United States. This is a direct violation of the "General Data Protection Regulation" (GPDR) recently adopted in the EU and implies, in particular, the storage of user data from the European Union on servers in Europe.

The Dutch authorities have already expressed their concern that confidential information related to the governments of various states, including European ones, could have entered Microsoft's servers.

The most popular Windows 10 operating system around the world, authored by Microsoft, also collects user data, the so-called telemetry. An American corporation may know where a user's computer is located, which sites he visits, in which programs he works, what he searches on the Internet and what texts he enters from the keyboard.

It is impossible to disable telemetry collection in Windows 10 by standard means, which caused a considerable public outcry and even entailed several appeals to the court, including collective ones.

As a result, Microsoft still disabled the collection of user data, but exclusively in the corporate version. Data collection is also carried out by many individual components of Windows 10, for example, the voice assistant Cortana. In Russia, Cortana does not officially work, unlike the telemetry collection process itself.

In the spring of 2017, Microsoft revealed the full list of data collected by Windows 10. The system copies information about the name, version, build and language of the OS, Windows and Xbox user ID, computer parameters, characteristics and settings. In addition, the system accumulates data on peripherals, networks and applications that are already on or have previously been on a computer. All this is complemented by information about computer performance, crashes and updates, license and purchase date^[9] search and web surfing history^[10].

Stop developing Office for touch displays

At the end of September 2018, Microsoft announced that it would stop developing office software adapted for touch screens. The company made this decision after it refused to develop the Windows 10 Mobile operating system for mobile devices.

According to ArsTechnica, Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile debuted with the Windows 8.1 operating system. They are designed with a focus on touch functionality using the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which involves the presence of one foundation for desktop Windows and mobile Windows 10 Mobile. However, the latter OS is no longer developing, so the problem of compatibility of programs with gadgets disappears.

We are currently prioritizing the development of versions of our applications for Android, iOS and Win32, as well as web versions for Windows, "Microsoft told The Verge.

On the one hand, Microsoft's decision to end support for "touch" office applications is not surprising. Traditional Microsoft Office is the most functional and has proven to be a convenient solution in the corporate segment. In this context, the development of a copy of Office for desktop computers is unnecessary and would make sense if Windows is promoted on tablets and smartphones.

On the other hand, developers have little incentive to create universal Windows applications, and Microsoft's emphasis on its own Office suite makes it clear that traditional desktop programs will remain the main ones for desktops.

While Microsoft is using touch-optimized apps in devices such as HoloLens and Surface Hub 2 by early October 2018, it is clear that the company sees great opportunities to promote the development of web versions of Office as a replacement. At the same time, such applications can become even more productive thanks to new standards for browsers.^[11]

Appearance of the built-in antivirus mechanism

In September 2018, Microsoft announced the introduction of a built-in virus protection mechanism in Microsoft Office and Office 365 applications. We are talking about Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) technology, which, using the capabilities of various antivirus engines, blocks malicious scripts - the so-called macros. Read more here.

Large-scale design update

On June 13, 2018, Microsoft announced a major update to Microsoft Office. Users using Office at home and at work will feel the changes to balance functionality and simplicity.

According to the developer, these changes will affect exclusively Office.com and Office 365 and will include:

• Simplified tape. The updated ribbon design is designed to help users focus on their work and interaction with colleagues. People wanting to allocate more space to teams will still have the option of extending the feed to a classic three-line look.
• Updated icons and colors. Users of all applications will see icons and colors implemented in scalable graphics format - they play clearly and brightly on screens of any size. The goal of these changes is not only to modernize the design of Office, but also to make it more inclusive and accessible.
• Search. Search will take on much greater importance in user interaction mechanisms, providing access to commands, content, and people. With the "zero query" option when you hover over the search field, the system will offer the user recommended search options, the selection algorithm of which is based on AI and Microsoft Graph.

As noted in Microsoft, such software design updates are focused on:

• Users. Office application design uses a customer-centric approach to creating innovation. This process consists of three stages: initial analysis of user preferences; concept development and co-creation; validation and refinement.
• Context. The approach involves displaying the most current commands, based on the nature of the user's work, and simplifying interaction with other users.
• Management. The individual way applications are used often depends on the specific components of the user interface. Therefore, the updated version gives end users full control, allowing them to activate and deactivate significant changes to the interface.

The announced changes will be made gradually over several months, starting on June 13, 2018.

2017

Release of the version for Chromebooks

In November 2017, the Microsoft Office software package became available for laptops running the Chrome OS operating system. Microsoft tested this version of the product for about a year.

Applications included in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, appeared in the Google Play Store for Chromebooks at the end of November. In particular, the software can be installed on Samsung Chromebook Pro, Acer Chromebook 15 and Acer Chromebook C771. 

 Microsoft Office testing on Chrome laptops started in November 2016, but the tests were limited mainly to hybrid Google Pixelbook devices.

Microsoft Office for Chromebooks is a modified version of the package for. Android Users of some models, for example, ASUS Chromebook Flip, have free access to Office for Chrome OS, but owners of computer devices equipped with screens ranging from 10.1 inches (this is most Chromebooks) operating system need a paid subscription to this. Office 365 This restriction also applies to other operating systems, including Windows iOS Android. Without an Office 365 subscription, users cannot create, edit, or print documents.

Microsoft believes that working on devices with large screens is different, and users often need more features that can only be obtained with a paid Office 365 subscription.

As noted by The Verge, the requirement for Microsoft Office for tablets and laptops may increase the number of Office 365 subscribers, but in the case of Chromebooks, a significant increase should not be expected, given that most of such equipment is concentrated in educational institutions. Schools and universities either already have an Office 365 subscription or use Google G Suite cloud programs, the publication explains.^[12]

Microsoft ends support for Office 2007

On October 10, 2017, Microsoft discontinued support for Office 2007 and Outlook 2007. Thus, the corporation forces users to migrate to cloud Office 365 or switch to more modern versions, for example, to Office 2016.

Ending extended support for Office 2007 and Outlook 2007 means they will no longer receive security updates and fixes. Also, there will be no technical support that has been provided for 10 years. The third and final build of Office 2007 was released in October 2011. Support for Office 2003 was discontinued in April 2014.

It will be important for users who have already switched to Office 365, but are still using Outlook 2007, to switch until the end of October 2017, since later than this date access through the Office 365 portal to Exchange Online mailboxes will become impossible: after October 31, 2017, Microsoft will stop supporting the RPC over HTTP protocol, also called Outlook Anywhere. It will be replaced with MAPI/HTTP, which is not supported by Outlook 2007.

In addition, unlike in previous years, Microsoft does not provide enterprise users with advanced support for Office 2007 under existing technical support contracts. The same applies to other products included in the Office family: Exchange Server, Office Suites, SharePoint Server, Office Communications Server, Lync Server, Skype for Business Server, Project Server and Visio.

Microsoft said that with the transition of users to Office 365, the need for user support has decreased significantly. In October 2016, according to official Microsoft data, the number of Office 365 users exceeded 85 million people. In 2017, the audience is expected to increase to more than 100 million.

2015

Microsoft released a free version of Office for Android

On June 25, 2015, the release of the Microsoft Word office applications package became known Excel , and PowerPoint for operating system Android^[13]

In this release, Microsoft has made it easier to sync with third-party data stores like Google Drive and Box, making it easier to navigate inside apps.

Some Office properties changes for Android phones

• revision and editing of documents on the go - users can quickly make changes to files at a convenient time, being on the way, at home or in the office, read comments, write their own notes;
• presentations on a mobile phone. You can demonstrate your ideas at a meeting on the smartphone screen. The PowerPoint mobile application for Android has all the features of the desktop version of Office, including animation, design and labeling;
• quick access to documents. Any document that has been worked on in the office, the user can open on the smartphone, continuing editing from the place where he paused. Files can be downloaded to any convenient online storage, be it OneDrive, Google Drive or Box;
• availability. Microsoft collaborates with more than 30 global and local manufacturers of computer equipment, including Samsung, Sony, LG, etc. You can install Office applications on any device from these vendors.

Downloading Office apps is available through the Google Play Store.

Microsoft bought LiveLoop, an Office software developer

March 27, 2015 it became known about the purchase of Microsoft by LiveLoop. This developer of collaboration software tools has added to the list of acquisitions made by the American corporation to improve Office's capabilities. The value of the deal has not been named.

2014

Microsoft Office is available for iPad

On March 28, 2014, the corporation Microsoft announced an update to Microsoft Office - its applications are available for, and iPadMicrosoft Office Mobile has become free for users iPhone and phones running OS. Android

On March 27, 2014, Office 365 subscribers can add iPads to their subscription list and work with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. These apps are available for free download in the App Store and allow you to view and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Office for iPad provides complete consistency with files on PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones.

Using Office with Services data storage in the Cloud OneDrive or OneDrive for Business lets you work with the latest saved versions of files on any device. Office applications for iPad have the familiar Microsoft Office interface, which is fully adapted for use on iPad , taking into account the unique functionality of this device and user preferences when working on a tablet.

In addition to the package, Office for iPad Microsoft offers application-optimized iPad ones, including,,, OneNote,, Dynamics CRM Dynamics AX Web Bing Lync Outlook Access,, OneDrive OneDrive for Business, and. Yammer Skype

Microsoft Office for iPad is available in 29 languages. To use it, you need operating system iOS 7.0 or later.

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 received the certificate of FSTEC of Russia

FSUE "Enterprise for the Supply of Products of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation" and LLC "Certified Information Systems" received in the summer of 2014 a certificate from the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC of Russia) for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 software.

As stated in the certificate of conformity No. 3161 of the FSTEC of Russia, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 software developed by Microsoft Corporation, is application software with built-in protection against unauthorized access to information, not containing information constituting a state secret implementing the functions of controlling access of access subjects to access objects and recording security events, complies with the requirements of the technical specifications, subject to the installation of all relevant mandatory certified safety updates and the implementation of operating instructions given in the relevant forms.

The obtained certificate shows that this software product, when installed on certified operating systems, can be used, among other things, when creating automated systems up to and including the 1G security class, as well as in personal data processing information systems to ensure the levels of personal data security arising from internal regulations adopted by the customer on the basis of legislative requirements and governing documents.

The object of certification was not only the products themselves, but also the system for accounting and distribution of certified updates, organized for these products by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Enterprise for the Supply of Products of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation" and LLC "Certified Information Systems." This means that customers will be able to receive any number of certified products they require for the duration of the certificate. In addition, customers of certified versions of products will receive certified updates, which will allow them to constantly comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.

Microsoft Office merges with Dropbox

On November 4, 2014, Microsoft announced a partnership with Dropbox, in which the functionality of the Microsoft Office and Dropbox mobile applications will be combined.

Users of tablets and smartphones running iOS and Android will have the opportunity to download new versions of Office applications, where there will be functions for accessing Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, folders in Dropbox storage and file sharing through the Dropbox service.

Software interface on the tablet display

The updated Dropbox app for iOS and Android will feature features to edit and sync Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on any device. New versions of the Dropbox app, like Microsoft Office, will be released within a few weeks.

According to the company, in the first half of 2015, similar functionality will be integrated into the Office Online and Dropbox websites. As part of this partnership, the company Dropbox promised to release the first version of the official Dropbox app for Windows Phone and tablets Windows on the touchscreen platform in the coming months.

Software interface

On November 5, 2014, the Dropbox client is ready for Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Kindle Fire.

The new features will be available to all Office users with a Dropbox account. Dropbox for Business users will have access to new features by subscribing to Office 365.

"In the

age of cloud and mobile technology, people need easier ways to create, share and interact regardless of the platform used," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. "Together with Dropbox, we will be able to offer our mutual customers more flexible tools."

The media called this decision of the companies "unexpected," since Microsoft and Dropbox are competitors. Companies are providers and own cloud storage, popular in the market. Dropbox offers 2GB of free space and 1TB for $9.99 a month. Microsoft offers its OneDrive cloud storage as endless - you need to subscribe to Office 365 to get unlimited space for user files.

Вышел Microsoft Office for Android Tablet

November 27, 2014 it became known about the readiness of the beta version of Microsoft Office for Android Tablet (Office AT)^[14].

Office AT includes three applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each requires a separate download. Plans for a possible expansion of Office AT are not known. The Office AT Preveiw version is aimed at tablets with a screen diagonal of 7 to 10.1 inches, not all devices are supported. The 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and Tab 4 are not promised to work. Office applications can only work with Android 4.4.x, and it is separately indicated that Android Lollipop (5.0) cannot be used as of December 16, 2014.

Users who installed the product discovered a week after the first download - at the end of November, that the applications stopped working, when trying to launch, some message appeared for a moment, which they managed to see after a number of attempts - "an unexpected error occurred." Subsequently, Microsoft gave advice: already downloaded versions of Office AT should be removed and reinstalled for the updated version.

The Office AT interface is implemented in the usual "page" style of the interface for mobile devices.

Comparing the functionality of Office AT with many alternative office applications is now quite difficult. Free competitors do very well with viewing tasks, and they support a wider range of formats, including, for example, PDF. However, PowerPoint AT cannot always open its native.PPTX yet, and for some reason Word AT perceives DOCX files created in desktop Word 2010 only in read mode, and for editing it asks you to save the file in some new format (although it also has a DOCX extension and reads in regular Word).

2013

Waiting for Office for iOS and Android?

With the launch of Microsoft Office for iOS and Android, Microsoft could significantly increase revenue, IDC analysts said in January 2013. However, this market opportunity will not last long, as 10-inch tablets will gradually be replaced by smaller devices for which Office is not required.

IDC expert Bob O'Donnell said literally this: "The day the company releases Office for iOS and Android, it will start literally" printing money. " The possibility of releasing Office for third-party operating systems (not Windows) has been discussed for years. Discussions of such a prospect resumed with renewed vigor after The Verge reported in November 2012 that Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iOS would be launched in February-March 2013, and in May, respectively, for Android.

Earlier on February 21, 2012, The Daily published a photo allegedly showing an Office screensaver running iOS. The same publication in November 2011, citing information from a reliable source, reported that Microsoft is developing a version of its office suite for the iPad.

Source: thedaily.com

The publication claims that applications are already ready - Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which will be added to the already available version of OneNote for iPad. It is also noted that "the program interface is similar to the current OneNote, but there are hints of Metro."

According to The Verge, the mobile package will be called Office Mobile, it will be possible to download it through the iOS App Store and Google Play. Moreover, the free version will only allow you to view documents, and to edit or print them, you will need to purchase an application subscription similar to an Office 365 subscription. Updated Office 365 plans are due to be unveiled with the release of Microsoft Office 2013, which is expected to launch in February 2013.

IDC analysts also believe that if Microsoft does not release mobile Office now, then the opportunity will be missed. Sales of 10-inch tablets peaked in 2012, and for devices with 7-inch screens, work with office applications is not so relevant. According to NPD DisplaySearch forecasts, tablets with a screen diagonal of 7 and 8 inches will account for 45% of all tablet computer sales in 2013, which will surpass the 9.7 inch category in volume (which includes, for example, the iPad) - this segment will account for 17% of sales in 2013.

Word fakes in the App Store

Fake software for mobile devices was discovered in the App Store, which fraudsters passed off as a portable version of Microsoft Word 2012. True, Apple has already taken care of its removal.

Apple prides itself on the security of its app store, but sometimes it also crashes. Although the developer of the fake was Super Racing Real Games, not Microsoft, the name of the program and the use of branded symbols managed to mislead users. The cost of the application was $9.99, and a number of users have already purchased it at this price.

Fakes have been discovered in the App Store before, but, as a rule, they were very skillful and not so clumsy fakes. For example, exact copies of popular mobile antiviruses with phishing functions and so on. Apple has not yet commented on the incident.

2012

Microsoft Office 2013

On July 16, 2012, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer officially unveiled a new version of Microsoft Office 2013. He called it "Office as a service" and described it as "the most ambitious Office release the company has ever done."

Microsoft In Russia, from December 1, 2012, it will offer corporate customers a localized version of Microsoft Office 2013 for the Russian market. Pavel Kuzmenko, head of the Russian branch for the promotion of Microsoft information office systems, told reporters about this on November 27, 2012 at the Microsoft TechEd 2012 technology exhibition.

Microsoft Office Store

Microsoft has officially opened its Office Store, a store of programs and software add-ons that can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Office and SharePoint.

Office Store is tightly integrated with Office 2013. As of August 6, 2012, it is available to anyone with there is a Microsoft account and a preview version of new Office, SharePoint, or Exchange products .

Office Store Interface

According to Vivek Narasimhan, the launch of the app store creates a huge opportunity for developers. In the meantime, the store contains applications including an electronic version of Webster's dictionary, a Twitter client for Outlook, a Bing Maps plugin for Excel, which need to bind table data to map data.

2010: Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft in mid-April officially announced that a new version of Microsoft Office 2010 will be released in the first half of 2010. Beta versions of the Office online application, SharePoint Server 2010, Visio 2010 and Project 2010 will appear in the third quarter of this year. The beta version of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is already available today.

Office 97 to Office 2007

1. Versions released before Microsoft Office 97 (including Outlook 97) are no longer supported.

2. Office 98 (including Outlook 98) extended support ended on January 16, 2004. hotfix was discontinued on August 31, 2001.

3. Office 2000 - Basic product support was discontinued on July 30, 2004. Extended support ended on July 14, 2009.

4. Office XP - Basic product support was discontinued on July 11, 2006. Extended support is available until July 12, 2011.

5. Office 2003 - Basic product support was discontinued on January 13, 2009. Extended support will be available until January 14, 2014.

6. For the current (2007) and future versions of MS Office - The duration of basic support is 5 years after the release of the product or 2 years after the release of the next version of the product (which will come later), extended support is available within 5 years after the end of the basic support period.

Microsoft Office 2007 membership:

Microsoft Office comes in several editions. Differences in revisions in the package and price. The most complete of these contains:

• Microsoft Office Word is a word processor. Available for Windows and Apple Mac OS X. Allows you to prepare documents of various complexity. Supports OLE, third-party plug-ins, templates, and more. The main format in the latest version is positioned as open Microsoft Office Open XML, which is a ZIP archive containing text in the form of XML, as well as all the necessary graphics. The most common is the Microsoft Word 97-2000 binary file format with the.doc extension. The product occupies a leading position in the market of word processors, and its formats are used as a de facto standard in the document flow of most enterprises. Word is also available in some editions of Microsoft Works. The main competitors are OpenOffice.org Writer, StarOffice Writer, Corel WordPerfect and Apple Pages (only on the Mac OS platform), as well as, with some reservations, AbiWord (in cases where its capabilities are enough, and the small volume and speed of work with low resource requirements are more important).

• Microsoft Office Excel is a table processor. Supports all necessary functions for creating spreadsheets of any complexity. It occupies a leading position in the market. The latest version uses the OOXML format with the extension. "xlsx," earlier versions used the binary format with the extension. "xls." Available for Windows and Apple Mac OS X. The main competitors are OpenOffice.org Calc, StarOffice, Gnumeric, Corel Quattro Pro and Apple Numbers (only on the Mac OS platform).

• Microsoft Office Outlook (not to be confused with Outlook Express) is a personal communicator. Outlook includes: calendar, task scheduler, memos, email manager, address book. Network collaboration is supported. The main competitors of the mail client are Mozilla Thunderbird/SeaMonkey, Eudora Mail, The Bat!. The main competitors of the personal data manager are Mozilla, Lotus Organizer and Novell Evolution. Available under Windows. The equivalent for Apple Mac OS X is Microsoft Entourage.

• Microsoft Office PowerPoint is an application for preparing presentations for Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X. The main competitors are OpenOffice.org Impress, Corel WordPerfect and Apple Keynote.

• Microsoft Office Access is a database management application.

• Microsoft Office InfoPath, a data collection and management application, simplifies the information collection process.

• Microsoft Office Communicator - designed to organize comprehensive communication between people. Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 provides the ability to communicate through simple instant messaging, voice, and video conversations. This application is part of the Microsoft Office software package and is closely integrated with it, which allows it to work in conjunction with any program in the Microsoft Office family.

• Microsoft Office Publisher is an application for preparing publications.

• Microsoft Office Visio - an application for working with business diagrams and technical diagrams - allows you to convert concepts and ordinary business data into diagrams.

• Microsoft Office Project - Project Management.

• Microsoft Query - view and select information from databases.

• Microsoft Office OneNote is an application for writing and managing notes.

• Microsoft Office Groove 2007 is a collaboration support application.

• Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer is a tool for building applications on the Microsoft SharePoint platform and adapting SharePoint sites.

• Microsoft Office Picture Manager - working with pictures.

• Microsoft Office Document Image Writer is a virtual printer that prints to Microsoft Document Imaging Format

• Microsoft Office Diagnostics - Diagnose and repair corrupted Microsoft Office applications.

Previously, Microsoft Office included the Microsoft FrontPage application, but Microsoft decided to exclude this application from Office and stop developing it. Microsoft Office 2007 replaced FrontPage with Microsoft SharePoint Designer.

Sales of Office 2003 and Office 2007 ceased on January 11, 2010 as a result of patent proceedings with i4i.

Notes