It’s now very much known that Microsoft will be hosting a virtual press event on March 30. Rumors indicate there won’t be a public livestream, but a new report out from Windows Central’s Zac Bowden details some of the new products and services we could see be revealed.
Microsoft 365 for consumers
First off, it’s important to note that it is believed that this event will not be related to anything Surface. Instead, it will likely only be focused on productivity. As a result, it is believed the event will mainly be about a new subscription service for consumers, and judging from Windows Central’s report, the bundle could just be known as “Microsoft 365.”
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However, unlike existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions for businesses and enterprises, this one is mainly for people who already depend on Office 365. This means that Microsoft 365 could end up replacing Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home as we know it today. Pricing is not known, but it will, though, possibly be coming in April. It also could include extras like bonus fonts, templates, and some new services, which we describe next.
The possible bonus features for consumers
Along with including access to the Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, it is said that Microsoft 365 could come with some family and education-friendly perks. The most interesting of the bonus features and services could be a Grammarly-like editor for Microsoft Edge and Word. We’ve seen similar functionality in the Office 365 extension before, but Windows Central’s Zac Bowden provides the following extra details on what we can expect:
“The new Grammarly-like editor is exciting, as it will enrich the writing process inside Word with definitions, sentence suggestions, and more. Many have been calling for Microsoft to buy Grammarly itself for some time, but it appears Microsoft is making its own competitor to the service instead. What’s cool about this is that I’m hearing it will also extend into Microsoft Edge, allowing users who pay for the subscription to get the same rich writing suggests on the web.”
Also included could be a new family safety app for Android and iOS. Much like the experience that recently launched in Microsoft Edge Canary, this app would let parents “set rules, permissions, and track their children’s location all without having to load up a PC or the Microsoft Family website,” according to the report.
It’s not known, though, if the app will have features that are exclusive only to those who are Microsoft 365 subscribers. It also might not be available right away when Microsoft 365 will launch. As per ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, possible new password manager from Microsoft could also be with this, too, though the details are scarce.
Interestingly enough, one of the bonus features for subscribers could also be some new financing feature in Excel. This is where things are blurry, but Windows Central suggests it could “make things easier when it comes to dealing with bank statements and general financing.”
Teams for Life?
Much talk has been around Teams for Life, which is a rumored version of Microsoft Teams for family. However, according to Zac Bowden, this might not be here at launch with Microsoft 365 and it probably won’t be announced, either.
There could also be a lot of other services in Microsoft 365 that won’t be there at launch, either. Anyway, we’ll just have to wait until March 30 to find out the truth. OnMSFT will be planning to cover the event as the news unfolds, so be sure to keep tuned.