Microsoft rolled out the previews for Office 2016 and Skype For Business on Monday morning. The releases are aimed directly at software developers and internet technology professionals. The previews offer a glimpse of what users can expect and serve as a test for what needs fixing before the official release.
The tech company first announced plans to release Office 2016 during the latter half of 2015. The recent announcement offers more details as to what users can expect. The software is also now available to commercial Office 365 customers, which gives them a chance to test it out in advance.
Microsoft introduces Office 2016
According to Microsoft, the current version of Office 2016 does not contain all the features that will come with the final version. However, customers will receive monthly updates throughout the testing cycle. There is a notable number of improvements that will appeal to IT professionals, including a data loss protection expansion and extended Visio information rights management protection. This change is a good move that will satisfy companies that don’t want to mess with compatibility issues during the testing process.
The company won’t make changes to add-ins or macros.
A look at Skype for Business
Microsoft will launch a technical preview in the coming weeks for Lync users. It will ship with a new server, client and update within Office 365. The infrastructure of the system enables business users to communicate within the organization as well as with anyone who has a Skype ID.
Microsoft first announced details on the new Skype for Business during its Convergence event. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella officially introduced the product to the masses. The enterprise version of Skype looks very similar to the current version, but it comes with improvements such as stronger security, IT control and compliance. The software was also built into Office, which makes the whole Skype experience business oriented. It’s evident that Microsoft wants to lead the enterprise market.
