Microsoft has recently announced the launch of its most affordable subscription plan for availing its service offerings. The newly launched plan called Microsoft 365 Basic will only cost $1.99 per month. Alternatively, the users can choose the annual plan priced at $19.99. Microsoft offers a suite of applications, including cloud-based services, productivity, and collaboration software. The basic plan, which is also a part of subscriptions, comes with an Outlook Email, 100 GB of storage, and priority access to the support experts for help related to Microsoft 365 and Windows 11.
One of the key highlights of the Microsoft 365 Basic plan is that it provides its existing OneDrive subscribers with 100 GB storage and an easy transition to the new plan on January 30th. Moreover, in the coming months, Microsoft 365 Basic plan members will get access to advanced security features such as password-protected sharing links in OneDrive and ransomware recovery.
For the unversed, the newly launched Microsoft 365 Basic will not replace the free Microsoft 365 tier, which will continue to be available along with its current benefits. The free plan includes access to the web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, OneDrive, Clipchamp, and 5 GB of cloud storage. Microsoft 365 Personal will also remain at $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
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Price-wise, Microsoft 365 Basic faces competition from similar rival services such as Google and Zoho. Google Workspace’s plan starts at $9.99 monthly and offers 1 TB of storage, professional support, and Google’s standard productivity software. Microsoft 365 Basic is also more cost-effective than Zoho’s Standard Workplace plan. Zoho’s standard plan starts at $3 per user per month when billed annually and offers a maximum of 10 GB of storage.
The Microsoft 365 app, which replaces the Microsoft Office app with a new look and additional capabilities, has also been made generally available by Microsoft to meet with the launch of the new tier. In addition, to file templates, “smart” suggestions, to-do list features, and device synchronization, the Microsoft 365 app will offer rapid access to products like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This month’s end will see the app’s release for Windows, Android and iOS.
The simplified view feature of Microsoft 365 will soon allow users to view, manage, and upgrade cloud storage across devices. Starting February 1st, subscribers can manage and upgrade their cloud file and photo storage from a Microsoft account, Windows settings, or app setting.
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Microsoft 365 has been the top product generating a lot of income for Microsoft. Thus, the company has staked much of its future on the cloud and, consequently, cloud-driven subscriptions. However, it’s important to remember that Microsoft 365 may be in legal trouble in the European Union.
According to a recent evaluation by a working group of German data protection regulators, Microsoft has yet to be able to address any of its compliance concerns. This might pressure Microsoft 365 users in Germany and other EU countries to review their use of the company’s software or look for less compliance-challenging substitutes.
