Microsoft Office2013 version details exposure

Microsoft announced details of the pricing and version of Office 2013 to some of its partners this week. The document shows that Microsoft encourages users to pay for the new version of Office on an annual basis, and supports the installation of multiple devices.

Microsoft expects to release a new version of Office in the coming weeks, possibly by the end of January. The new version of Office (also known as Office 2013) will also be officially commercialized at the time of launch. During the preparatory phase, Microsoft training agents and integration partners talk about product expectations, pricing, and packaging.

Office Standard Edition (Office Standard 2013) is priced at US$369, and Office Professional Plus 2013 is priced at US$499. Previous reports have revealed that the Office 2013 Home Student Edition is priced at US$139 and the Office 2013 Home Business Edition is priced at US$219.

The specific version of the installed Office includes:

-Office 2013 Home and Business Edition - Office 2013 Home and Student Edition - Office 2013 Home and Student RT Edition - Office 2013 Personal Edition, for the Japanese market only - Office 2013 Professional Edition - Office 2013 Professional Academic Edition - Office 2013 Professional Plus, Volume Licensing Only - Office 2013 Standard Edition, Volume Licensing Only Microsoft has provided OEMs with the latest Office client and server products on October 11, 2012. Since then, the new Office has been delivered through MSDN, TechNet, and Volume Licensing Centers, but it has not been commercially released. After the commercial release, the new version of Office will be pre-installed in a variety of new PCs and will be open to ordinary users.

Microsoft will also provide new Office services, including Office Web Apps, Office 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Lync Online.

Microsoft is trying to persuade business users and consumers to accept the model of paying service fees on a yearly basis instead of buying copies and using them permanently. In the consumer market, the Office team hopes that consumers will pay “lease fees” for the new version of Office, which can then be installed locally on five PCs or Macs and used for one year. This is what Office 365 Home Premium offers. For enterprise users, Microsoft stated at the end of last year that the company will provide new versions of Office 365 and pricing plans.