If you’re a regular at WinBeta, you’ve probably seen how successful Microsoft’s Office suite has been to both schools and enterprises in the past, and you’ve also seen what Office will look like in the future from Microsoft’s recent Windows 10 event. Office changes the way we collaborate, the way we create, and it changes lives. It is without a doubt a great productivity tool, and so it comes as no surprise that Microsoft and its partners want to make it easily available to as many people as possible.
As part of a partnership with COMPAREX and Communities In Schools (CIS) – the largest dropout prevention organization in the United States – Microsoft will be offering its Office 365 suite to 1 million students and CIS staff in 26 states in addition to Washington, D.C. completely free of charge.
“This unprecedented collaboration will allow our national network of 200 affiliates to provide their students with technology that can help close the achievement gap and better prepare students for real jobs,” – Dan Cardinali, CIS President.
The Office 365 suite in question is the ProPlus edition which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, Lync, and OneDrive. That’s plenty for students and enough for staff members to collaborate and efficiently share files between them. On top of that, students will also be gaining access to training and certifications via Microsoft’s IT Academy to better prepare students for work in modern workplaces and organizations.
“At-risk youth are often unlikely to have broadband internet and other tools for learning at home, so we see this program as one step forward in the larger mission to bring all students the skills and certifications to better prepare them for college and the modern workforce.” – Jamie Harper, General Manager, U.S. Education, Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft has taken active role in improving education in the United States, at least in terms of providing the industry with the leading software solutions that the company is known for. Just a couple of months ago, Microsoft started offering Office 365 to students and teachers at eligible institutions free of charge, so this latest development is a huge step forward in getting Office 365 into the hands of students nationwide.