Today marks the initial release of Microsoft Office 2016. The newest version of Office is designed from the ground up for mobile and cloud, with lots of emphasis on easing collaboration between two or more users. Here are eight tasks Office 16 hopes to make easier for users’ day-to-day workflow.
Learning the software. Sometimes finding your way around new software presents a bigger challenge than the actual work you use the software to do. The Tell Me feature in Office 16 hopes to streamline the learning curve. Type into the Tell Me box the action you’re trying to perform and Office 16 will kick back a related list of commands.
Co-authoring documents and presentations. Office 16 facilitates real-time collaboration in Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and is available for documents shared on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online. When another user takes control of a document in any of those platforms, you will be prompted to “opt-in” and watch in real-time where others are editing in document.
Tracking and managing file versions. Documents stored on OneDrive for Business or SharePoint online have a version history which enables users to go back to earlier drafts.
Organizing files by project. The shared notebooks tool in OneNote provides a centralized place to store files related to a specific project regardless of the file type—whether it be documents, PDFs, video, sound clips, or web pages. The organizational logic gives your files search functionality within OneDrive and SharePoint, and sync features enable real-time collaboration with other users within the same notebook.
Conducting remote meetings. Microsoft rebranded Lync as Skype for Business earlier this year, and users will find a host of new features in Office 2016. It works similar to Lync in that you can ping someone with a quick question for a timely IM response. It also has HD video conferencing which can put up to 250 participants in a virtual meeting room, and offers users co-authoring and desktop sharing functionality.
Working from all of your devices. Just as Windows 10 is designed to fit desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, Office 16 takes the same approach. Users will enjoy full fidelity viewing and editing of Office documents on current Windows, Android, and Apple devices.
Secure biometric logon. In Windows 10, Windows Hello enables users to log onto PCs with a simple look or touch, eliminating the need for passwords. This functionality will be extended to Office 16 and Office 365 when your computer or device is used with a finger print reader.
Managing your inbox. A new Outlook tool called Clutter learns how you prioritize e-mail and routes low priority messages in a separate folder and generates a condensed summary of these messages. When viewing Outlook on a mobile device, these lower priority e-mails are triaged into a separate view that can be accessed by one swipe. Clutter preferences are able to be configured and managed.
Business users: Volume licensing for Microsoft Office 2016 becomes available October 1, 2015—check NeweggBusiness.com for more details.
