Microsoft has just announced that it is reducing the cost of its Work & Play Bundle to $149, says VentureBeat. For just $149, subscribers in the U.S. can get access to Office 365 Home, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Music Pass, and Skype Unlimited World + WiFi. Priced separately, the four products would cost $443.65, giving subscribers a deep discount of 66%.
Here’s what it includes, according to the Microsoft site:
- Office 365 Home, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access and 1 TB of OneDrive online storage. ($9.99/month or $119.88/year)
- Skype Unlimited World + WiFi, with access to more than 2 million hotspots around the world and unlimited global calls from a laptop, tablet, phone or TV. ($13.99/month with first month is free or $153.89/year)
- Xbox Live Gold, advanced online multiplayer gaming, including free games and discounts on other games in the Xbox store. ($59.99/year)
- Xbox Music Pass, unlimited access to millions of songs streamed a-free or downloaded to a PC, tablet, phone, Xbox or the Web. ($9.99/month with first month free or $109.89)For bundle buyers who already have a subscription to one of these products, Microsoft will automatically extend that subscription for a year when they activate a particular code.So is this a good deal or not? It depends on what your needs are.
Insider Take:
For students, pros or frequent travelers who like Xbox gaming, this bundle is a steal. It saves a ton of money and offers access to productivity tools, music and popular online games. However, for those who don’t love gaming, prefer another gaming system or music service, or who don’t need Office 365 beyond the free downloadable app, this is not a deal. The Work & Play Bundle attracts a specific audience, and that’s OK.
In fact, that’s one of the things we love about this bundle. It attracts a specific segment of Microsoft’s target market, so the company packaged and priced a product bundle for that particular audience. It means Microsoft is paying attention to its audience, and it is tailoring its offering to that audience.
Every subscription company should do that when possible. Identify a target market, and create a package that draws them in. Add a good user experience and stellar service to products your customers are already using, and you will not just impress them with your creativity and generosity, but you will retain them for years to come.
