{"id":180210,"date":"2021-11-22T13:10:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T12:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=180210"},"modified":"2025-07-01T21:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:00:40","slug":"what-is-microsoft-office-how-does-it-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/what-is-microsoft-office-how-does-it-work\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Microsoft Office And How Does it Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve been around computers for a bit, I don\u2019t doubt that you\u2019ve heard about Microsoft Office<\/a><\/strong> Or Office 365<\/strong>? You might even be using these products at the company office without even realizing it. But what is Microsoft Office<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll be looking at the difference between Microsoft Office and Office 365. We\u2019ll also be looking at what software is included in this package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Office?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Office is a suite of programs <\/strong>specifically for business productivity. Each application included serves a specific purpose to its users. For example, MS Word is a powerful word processor that can be used to draft letters, business proposals, contracts, and more. MS Excel, on the other hand, is a spreadsheet program that can be used to set up budgets, business financial plans, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Office has been around for a long time, and the first version was released in 1990. New versions of Microsoft Office<\/strong> are released regularly, with the latest version being Microsoft Office 2021, which is available for Windows<\/a> and Mac<\/a> computers. Microsoft Office can be bought as a one-time purchase, and there are different bundles available depending on what combination of programs you need. These bundles include Student, Individual, Business, and Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft 365?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft 365, now known as Office 365, is a cloud-based subscription<\/strong> version of Office. This means that it includes all the same programs we love, with handy cloud solutions as well. With the subscription, users pay a monthly or yearly fee to use the products. This includes all the bug fixes and version upgrades automatically without having to pay extra. If you go for the once-off options and a new version is released, you\u2019ll have to buy the new version in order to upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who Uses Microsoft Office?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you work in any type of office, chances are you might already be using some of Microsoft Office\u2019s programs. However, it\u2019s not just those who work in offices that use these programs. Creatives, such as writers, might also use Office. In fact, Office is used by more than a million companies worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Is Included in Microsoft Office?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered what Office is, we can look at the different programs<\/strong> more closely. Remember that these programs are usually sold as bundles whether you buy once-off or go with the subscription. This means that if you need specific programs, you\u2019ll have to check to make sure they\u2019re included in the bundle you are buying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Word?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned briefly, MS Word is a powerful word processing tool<\/strong>. With this program, you can easily create various documents, letters, memos, tests, questionnaires, reports, business plans, proposals, and more. If you need to do anything with text, then Word should be your go-to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Excel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MS Excel is a spreadsheet program<\/strong> that can be used to store and evaluate data. This program is beneficial when it comes to evaluating and manipulating numerical data. MS Excel can be used to create budgets, invoices and quotes, business financial plans, costing evaluations, monitor payroll, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Powerpoint?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Powerpoint is a presentation graphics program <\/strong>that allows users to create digital slideshows. You can use these slideshows to present data at sales pitches, informational meetings, seminars, lessons, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Publisher?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MS Publisher is a desktop publishing tool<\/strong> that allows users to create documents with more complex page layouts, usually for printing. These documents include menus, brochures, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Access?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Access is a database management tool<\/strong>. It can be used to collect and store structured forms of data. Its uses include collecting and storing personnel or student data, stock and inventory, custom orders, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Outlook?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Outlook is an email and personal information management system<\/strong>. It allows you to send and receive emails, manage your calendar, set up meetings, create to-do lists and manage tasks, store contacts, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Teams?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Teams is primarily a communications platform <\/strong>that allows users to communicate with each other via text or video conferencing. It also provides file storage, file sharing, and application integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Onedrive?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MS OneDrive is a cloud-based storage platform<\/strong>. With OneDrive, you can store any data in the cloud and access it from anywhere, and keep it protected even if something happens to your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Microsoft Sharepoint?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft SharePoint is a collaborative platform that allows Office users to share and collaborate on different projects created in any of the other Office programs. It is ideal for company teams that need to work together on projects. However, many companies also use it for a range of other uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Microsoft<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Helpful Guides and Tutorials<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you need more help in understanding Office and its various uses, here are a few more helpful guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n