Microsoft Office is getting renamed after more than 30 years

More than three decades after its launch, Microsoft Office is having a rebrand and will be changing its name from next month. 

The suite of software was first announced by Bill Gates all the way back in 1988 and has seen numerous changes over the years - most notably the removal of the helpful/annoying assistant Clippy (which was an outrage, in my opinion). 

And now it seems that the time has come for a rebrand with a new name, new icon and ‘new look’, according to Microsoft. 

The website explains: "Over the last couple years, Microsoft 365 has evolved into our flagship productivity suite, so we are creating an experience to help you get the most out of Microsoft 365. In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look, and even more features.”

The new changes will be rolled out from next month, with Office.com undergoing the rebrand first followed by Office app on Windows and mobile in January next year. 

The names of the individual programmes, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, won’t be changing. 

Microsoft has also reassured customers that the change will have no impact on their accounts, and that an app update will automatically change the icon and name. 

The tech company has also said that the Microsoft Office brand won’t instantly disappear as - for the time being - it will still offer one-time purchases of its Office bundle through Office 2021 and Office LTSC plans.

The rebrand announcement comes just months after Microsoft shut down its Internet Explorer for good after almost 30 years of service. 

The once-loved web browser began its life in the mid-90s as part of an add-on package for Windows 95 that year.

And for several years it was the most popular browser on the market – with a whopping 95 percent of people online using it to access the internet in 2003.

But time and tech move fast and just a few short years later it had fallen far behind newer, smarter and speedier browsers. 

It was given a last update in 2013, before Microsoft ended up replacing it with Edge in 2015. 

However, it wasn’t until June this year that it went the way of Clippy and Power Pup and was discontinued completely.

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Topics: Technology, Microsoft

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.