Microsoft gateway sign at Redmond, Washington headquarters

Microsoft 365 Basic Subscription to Launch Jan. 29 for $1.99 a Month

New product will replace 100GB of storage on OneDrive

The Microsoft subscription family is adding a new product. On January 29, 2023, the technology company is launching Microsoft 365 Basic for $1.99 a month to make premium benefits more affordable to more people. This new consumer product will include 100GB of cloud storage with some extras. It will replace the 100GB OneDrive storage subscription, also priced at $1.99 a month.

Microsoft 365 Basic will include an ad-free version of Outlook on mobile and for the web, 24/7 phone and chat support and enhanced security features like data encryption for Outlook, suspicious link checking, and virus and malware scanning for email attachments. Customers currently on the OneDrive 100GB storage plan will automatically be upgraded. This subscription, however, does not offer access to desktop versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

“At the start of a new year, self-improvement is top of mind. We all aspire to make a bigger difference in the world and become a better version of ourselves: better students, parents, writers, cooks, athletes, and so on. That’s why we’re excited to share details about how Microsoft 365 is getting better with lower-cost membership options and simpler experiences that make it easier than ever to achieve your goals,” said Microsoft in the January 11, 2023 announcement.

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Source: Microsoft

At the end of the month, Microsoft will offer four plans for consumers, ranging in price from a free version for one user to $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year, for the family plan. Each offers a different range of features. The company also offers a Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription that is compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and the two most recent versions of macOS. After a one-month free trial, subscribers can sign up for just $6.00 per user per month paid annually, or they can pay $7.20 per user per month with just a monthly commitment.

The product includes:

  • Email with a 50 GB mailbox and a custom email domain address
  • A hub for teamwork to connect people via Microsoft Teams
  • Use Office apps for the web, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
  • Storage and file sharing with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user
  • Ability to facilitate online meetings and video conferencing for up to 300 users
  • 24/7 phone and web support from Microsoft

Continuing rebrand

In another change, Microsoft is rebranding the Office mobile app to Microsoft 365, consistent with other branding changes they made in October 2022. The Office app has a new look, new name and new icon as part of the Microsoft 365 app. The news comes on the 10-year anniversary of Microsoft 365, with the first subscription known as Office 365 Home Premium for Windows and Mac.

Insider Take

The Microsoft Office, now Microsoft 365, product suite has changed a lot over the years with new features, pricing and names, but it still remains one of the two top-selling product suites in the market. Google Workspace, which is now a subscription product, is gaining in popularity. Google Workspace also went through several iterations of names, functionality and names.

What we like about the Microsoft 365 Basic Plan is the price point. Right now, people have to make choices on how they spend their money. Some people will do well with the free version, but Microsoft offers other options, depending on a subscriber’s needs. While there are any options to choose from, which can be confusing, this also shows that Microsoft is trying to meet their subscribers where they are. From a SaaS standpoint, this strategy may also help Microsoft weed out products it no longer wishes to support or that no longer serve them.

Copyright © 2023 Authority Media Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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