Top 10 Office suites

Latest news about Office suites

2023. ONLYOFFICE DocSpace, a new way of document collaboration


ONLYOFFICE has launched DocSpace, a new solution aimed at connecting individuals and documents in a suitable environment. Essentially, ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a collaborative workspace designed to enhance the sharing of documents with customers, business partners, contractors, and other third parties. This platform enables you to generate customizable rooms with adaptable access rights. There are two types of rooms available in DocSpace: Collaboration rooms for real-time co-authoring of documents, monitoring changes, and communication with integrated chat, Zoom, Jitsi, Telegram, and Rainbow plugins; Custom rooms for your personalized settings and any custom purpose, such as content sharing for viewing only, requesting reviews or comments, sharing a form to complete online, and more.


2023. ONLYOFFICE Workspace 12.5: enhanced security, optimized document management, Dark theme



The newest version of collaboration platform ONLYOFFICE Workspace 12.5 comes with lots of security and usability improvements across the suite. Now you can set up a limit of unsuccessful login attempts along with blocking time and check period to protect your portal from brute-force attacks. You are also able to input trusted IP addresses for users and admins using different sections. In addition to the existing activation of two-factor authentication, you can select trusted IP addresses for which 2FA is not required as well as users and groups for mandatory 2FA. In the Documents module, you are able to generate multiple external sharing links for the same file. Besides, you can set time limits and passwords for externally shared docs to better protect them. Moreover, it’s now possible to share folders via external links as well (setting time limits and passwords for folders is also available). In this case, all the subfolders and files within them will inherit the external link.

2022. Microsoft Office is getting a new name - Microsoft 365



Microsoft is rebranding its 32-year-old software package and giving it a new name: Microsoft 365. In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look, and even more features. The names of individual apps that comprise the Microsoft Offi...excuse me, the Microsoft 365 software suite, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and others, are staying the same. Office isn't going away entirely, at least not right away. Microsoft says it will continue to offer one-time purchases of individual Office apps via Office 2021 and Office LTSC plans, and there will be no changes to Office 365 subscription plans.


2022. Google opens up Workspace with new integrations and APIs



Google Workspace is getting a major update that includes quite a few customer-facing features, but maybe even more importantly, Google is using this occasion to open up Workspace with new integrations and developer tools that expand the overall Workspace ecosystem well beyond the walls of Google’s own services. One of the ways it is doing that is by opening up its smart chips — those links to other documents, people and other information (and their respective pop-ups when you hover over those links) you can add by typing “@” in a Google Doc — to third-party vendors. With today’s launch, Google partnered with the likes of AODocs, Atlassian, Asana, Figma, Miro and Tableau, all of which are already building integrations. Also new are a set of APIs for both Chat and Meet that will allow third-party developers to add functions like starting meetings or initiating meetings from their apps. Asana and LumApps are the launch partners here.


2022. ONLYOFFICE Docs 7.2 gets plugin marketplace, new form fields, ligatures, updated UI



ONLYOFFICE has released a new version of its Docs suite with updated UI and new features. The new Plugin marketplace makes plugin installation easy and straightforward. With the brand-new Plugin Manager you can explore all available plugins and install or remove any plugin with just one click. The new Live viewer allows to track changes in document made by other users collaborating in real time (in the view only mode). In text docs, sheets, and slides you can insert and edit spreadsheets as OLE objects. This is a smart way to share statistics in yearly reports, for example. In the Forms tool you can use new fields to create forms more easily and quickly: email address, phone number, and complex field which allows you to compose any custom fields you need. Besides, the new search bar allows to find anything in your documents. On the left-side panel, you can set detailed search options and navigate between results. You can now use the Whole words only option.


2022. LibreOffice begins charging Mac App Store users $8.99



LibreOffice, the popular open source document processing suite, has begun charging users who download the software through the Mac App Store a one-time fee of $8.99. It’s an unexpected step for The Document Foundation (TDF) — the organization behind LibreOffice — which since its inception has made all versions of LibreOffice available at no charge. Italo Vignoli, head of marketing and public relations at LibreOffice, said that the change was reflective of a “new marketing strategy” where TDF will focus on releasing free, community versions of LibreOffice while “ecosystem companies” develop “value-added” releases targeted at enterprise customers. The LibreOffice client on the Mac App Store falls into this latter category because it’s not based on the same source code as the base LibreOffice project


2022. Canva announces Docs - word processing tool



Graphic design platform Canva has unveiled its new collaborative word processing tool Docs. Canva Docs aims to stylishly take on white-collar stalwarts such as Google Docs. Like its competitors, Canva Docs will allow multiple users to collaborate on the same document at once, so you'll be able to anxiously watch your editor mark up your article in real time. Canva Docs also has spell check and supports languages other than English, including ones that use non-Latin characters. However, the most significant features distinguishing Canva Docs link back to the company's emphasis on visual design. The word processor will offer a selection of format templates for users to choose from, and Canva's Docs to Decks feature will be able to automatically reformat a document into a presentation for you. You'll be able to edit it afterwards of course, but it should take care of a lot of the work for you. Canva Docs will also allow users to embed other Canva projects into their documents, such as presentations, videos, and even digital whiteboards.


2022. ONLYOFFICE launches online document converter



ONLYOFFICE was always good in supporting Microsoft's office documents. And now using the new ONLYOFFICE converter you can quickly convert your docs, sheets, slides and PDF files from one format to another (for example, from docx to odt), without registering or installing any additional software. ONLYOFFICE supports all the popular file formats for text documents, spreadsheets and presentations, plus PDF files. All documents you upload are encrypted to make sure they are completely safe online.


2022. Google brings its Workspace Individual plan to one-person businesses in Europe



Google is bringing its Workspace Individual subscription plan to Europe, a little more than a year after first introducing the service to other markets. Workspace is Google’s productivity and collaboration software suite formerly known as G Suite, constituting Gmail, Meet, Drive, Docs, Tasks, Forms, among other key applications. While many of these apps are available for free individually, Google monetizes the products by charging businesses to access additional features and integrations. With Google Workspace Individual, the internet giant is targeting “solo business owners,” specifically, who pay a monthly fee so they can access premium video calling tools, such as recording, noise cancellation and longer group calls. They also can livestream from Google Meet to YouTube, and leverage “multi-send” for email newsletters and other marketing campaigns. Google recently announced a handful of new upcoming features too, including e-signatures baked directly into Google Docs.


2022. Google Workspace integrated with SAP



Google and SAP have partnered around a number of different projects over the years and Google Cloud, just like its competitors, is a strategic cloud partner for RISE with SAP, the German enterprise software company’s program to help its customers move to the cloud. Today, the two companies announced a rather substantial expansion of their partnership that introduces a deep integration between SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP’s flagship enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and Google Workspace. This new native integration will allow SAP users to access data from S/4HANA and work with it collaboratively in Google Docs and Sheets, all while seamlessly importing and exporting this data between the two systems. While the two companies are currently piloting the integration with a select number of customers, the initial set of features will launch as a standard feature for S/4HANA Cloud later this year.


2022. Microsoft may discontinue selling software and services to Russia



U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued new export control rules on Russia, limiting export of hardware and software to this country. Calls for Microsoft to ban the exportation of software to Russia have already been made, although the company has had no comment thus far. Questions only remain on the distinction between consumer and industrial use of software and how U.S. companies will navigate the sanctions. The ban could significantly hurt Russia's economy in the long run as companies won't be able to upgrade Windows and Office software. During the last years Russian government was seeking to push Microsoft out of the country but had a little success.


2021. Google Workspace is now free for everyone



Google Workspace — the company's suite of business tools previously known as Google Suite — is now free, and available to everyone. Making the switch to Workspace will give users a more integrated experience. They'll get smart suggestions in emails, and be able to show a document in a Google Meet call with one click. Central to this new experience is Google Chat (formerly Hangouts), which is now available for everyone and can be turned on in Gmail's settings. With Chat, you'll be able to create group chat experiences, which are currently called Rooms but will be "evolved" to Spaces over the summer. Spaces will bring several new features, including in-line topic threading, presence indicators, custom statuses, expressive reactions, and a collapsible view, all of which sounds a lot like Slack, only integrated inside of Gmail. Finally, Google also launched Google Workspace Individual ($9.99), which is a new subscription option for individual small business owners. It has several premium features on top of Google Workspace, such as smart booking services, personalized email marketing, and pro video meetings.


2021. Skiff, an end-to-end encrypted alternative to Google Docs, raises $3.7M



Skiff, that provides end-to-end encrypted Google Docs alternative, has raised $3.7 million in seed funding. Skiff is a document editor with a similar look and feel to Google Docs, allowing you to write, edit and collaborate in real time with colleagues with privacy baked in. Because the document editor is built on a foundation of end-to-end encryption, Skiff doesn’t have access to anyone’s documents — only users, and those who are invited to collaborate, do. Skiff isn’t that much different from WhatsApp or Signal, which are also end-to-end encrypted, underneath its document editor.


2021. Google Workspace adds new features for home and frontline workers



Google Workspace is launching a large update that touches everything from your calendar to Google Meet and how you can use Workspace with Google Assistant. Useful new feature for workers that split time between home and the office is support for recurring out-of-office entries and segmentable working hours, as well as a new event type, Focus Time, to help you minimize distractions. Location indicators across Google Workspace will allow users to share which days they will be working from home and which days they will be in the office. For frontline workers, Google is adding something it calls Google Workspace Frontline, with new features for this group of users, and it is also making it easier for users to build custom AppSheet apps from Google Sheets and Drive, so that frontline workers can digitize and streamline their work, whether it’s collecting data in the field, reporting safety risks, or managing customer requests.


2020. Google rebrands G Suite as Google Workspace


Google Workspace is a new name for all of Google's productivity apps, including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet. According to the company, Google Workspace isn't just a new brand identity (even though that's a big part of it), but it will also offer a deeper integration between individual apps, helping "teams collaborate more effectively, frontline workers stay connected, and businesses power new digital customer experiences." Some of these integrations have already happened — remember when Google put Meet into Gmail — but more are coming soon.


2020. New and improved Zoho Workplace adds Dashboard view


Zoho unveiled revamped Workplace, a comprehensive suite of productivity, communication, and collaboration tools. Workplace moves beyond offering just a suite of apps; it’s a completely unified and integrated workspace that integrates well with other business applications, providing context and ensuring continuity. The new icing on top of the integrated Zoho Workplace is the Dashboard view. It sorts and lays out recent and most important work items for you—such as your recent emails, calendar schedules, urgent documents, reminders, and more. Workplace not only simplifies switching between apps, but also maintains context when you do, giving you a smooth transition from one app to the other. For example, an email attachment received in Mail can be edited with Writer, and uploaded to WorkDrive, while the email thread can be carried over to Cliq as a group conversation, an event can be created from this conversation, and a meeting can be launched from the event’s calendar entry.


2020. Microsoft brings transcriptions to Word



Microsoft launched Transcribe in Word, its new transcription service for Microsoft 365 subscribers. It’s now available in the online version of Word, with other platforms launching later. In addition, Word is also getting new dictation features, which now allow you to use your voice to format and edit your text, for example. The new feature lets you transcribe speech, both live and pre-recorded, and then edit those transcripts right inside of Word. With this, the company goes head-to-head with startups like Otter and Google’s Recorder app, though they all have their own pros and cons. For now Transcribe in Word is English only and available only in paid Microsoft 365 accounts.


2020. Google updates G Suite for mobile with dark mode support, Smart Compose for Docs and more



Google has released a major update to its mobile G Suite productivity apps. Among these updates are the addition of a dark theme for Docs, Sheets and Slides, as well as the addition of Google’s Smart Compose technology to Docs on mobile and the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents without having to covert them. Other updates include a new vertically scrollable slide-viewing experience in Slides, link previews and a new user interface for comments and action items. You can now also respond to comments on your documents directly from Gmail. Instead of receiving individual email notifications when you’re mentioned in a comment in Docs, Sheets, or Slides, you’ll now see an up-to-date comment thread in Gmail, and you’ll be able to reply or resolve the comment, directly within the message


2020. All new Zoho Writer adds collaboration analytics and templates flow


Zoho has introduced the new version of its online text processor Zoho Writer 6 with a new collaboration analytics tool called Engagement Insights. This brings you a great set of comprehensive, useful information about how your collaborators are interacting with your document. When working with legal documents like proposals, this gives you an idea what sections your clients tend to consider the most crucial (or the most confusing). Another area where new Writer could make a huge difference is in minimizing the amount of copy/pasting, manual editing, and duplication of content involved in generating contracts, proposals, letters, and customized marketing materials. It's implemented via a new Prepare Template flow that you can use to configure document templates for workflow automation, and later connect it to a data source—like Zoho CRM or a third-party application—via native Zoho integrations, Deluge Custom Functions, or REST APIs.


2020. Hancom Group rebrands ThinkFree as Hancom Office



South Korea's Hancom Group has renamed its ThinkFree Office to Hancom Office. It's a proprietary office suite written in Java and C++ that runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, Android and iOS platforms. It also includes Online version which was the first MS-compatible web-based online office in the world. The suite of applications consists of word processing software (Word), spreadsheet software (Cell) and presentation graphics software (Show). Besides there is Hancom Space which provides a full-featured suite of office productivity tools in a modern collaboration space for enhanced team effectiveness. You can create and share documents conveniently from a desktop, mobile device, or web browser, work together on documents stored in the cloud, combine cloud storage services and manage them from one place.


2020. Microsoft rebrands Office 365 to Microsoft 365


Microsoft marketers apparently had nothing to do on quarantine and they decided to rename Office 365 to Microsoft 365. Starting April 21, all Office subscriptions will turn to Microsoft 365 subscriptions. But the pricing and functionality will remain the same. Changes the functionality will affect only personal plans - the personal version of Microsoft Teams will appear in them. This is a good opportunity for private entrepreneurs that use the personal version to collaborate with employees or other entrepreneurs. In future, Microsoft plans to justify the rebranding by adding non-office services, such as security systems, and, possibly, Windows operating system.


2020. Microsoft launches unified Office app for iOS and Android


Microsoft launched a new version of its Office app for Android and iOS, combining Word, Excel and PowerPoint into a single application. Some of the advantages of this unified approach include, according to Microsoft, a simplified user experience and less phone storage used (compared to installing three separate apps). The app also brings new functionality such as the ability to convert images into editable Word and Excel documents, PDF scanning, making quick notes, scanning QR codes and transferring files between devices. A minor but (to some) important detail: The iOS app supports dark mode, meaning it will be displayed in a darker color scheme to match the rest of the OS when dark mode is set to on.


2019. Microsoft merges mobile Word, Excel and PowerPoint into single Office app


Microsoft introduced Office app that provides a simple, integrated experience and combines existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint mobile apps. Doing so brings all of your Office documents together in one place, reduces the need to switch between multiple apps, and significantly reduces the amount of space used on your phone compared to multiple installed apps. Besides, with the new app you can easily get to recent and recommended documents stored in the cloud or on your device, or search for documents across your organization if using a work account, snap a picture of a document and turn it into an editable Word file with the press of a button, transform a picture of a table into an Excel spreadsheet so you can work with the data, create automatically enhanced digital images of whiteboards and documents with Office Lens features integrated into the app.


2019. Google Docs now lets natively edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint



Until now to edit Microsoft Office files in Google Docs you had to convert them to Google’s format. That’s about to change: Google just announced that it’s adding native support for Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats — like .docx, .xls, and .ppt — which will let you do real-time collaboration in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The feature is already available in the commercial versions of those apps and is coming to regular users too, as soon as this month.


2019. Google launches new security tools for G Suite users



Google today launched a number of security updates to its online productivity and collaboration platform G Suite. The focus of these updates is on protecting a company’s data inside G Suite, both through controlling who can access it and through providing new tools for prevening phishing and malware attacks. To do this, Google introduced advanced phishing and malware protection, for example. This is meant to help admins protect users from malicious attachment and inbound email spoofing, among other things. The most interesting feature here, though, is the new security sandbox, another beta feature for G Suite enterprise users. The sandbox allows admins to add an extra layer of protection on top of the standard attachment scans for known viruses and malware. Those existing tools can’t fully protect you against zero-day ransomware or sophisticated malware, though. So instead of just letting you open the attachment, this tool executes the attachment in a sandbox environment to check if there are any security issues.


2019. ONLYOFFICE gets media player, upgraded mail and calendar



The new version of ONLYOFFICE is released with lots of enhancements: more security tools, new access rights to documents, completely upgraded mail and calendar, and other features. Now you can protect log-in procedure with two-factor authentication via an authenticator app, share documents letting users view and add comments, or insert data into the chosen fields only. The new integrated multi-format media player allows to play audio and video files directly in the cloud. Other improvements include completely upgraded Mail module, smarter Projects module, redesigned Calendar, optimized portal management


2019. Microsoft added table OCR to mobile Excel



Microsoft has added a new feature to the mobile Excel application that allows users to take a picture of the printed table and convert it into an Excel spreadsheet with editing capabilities. While the feature is only available for Android, but it will also come iOS soon. The feature is available only for Office 365 users. Of course, this feature is intended for simple tables. Complicated tables with merged cells are recognized with errors.


2019. Google Docs gets an API for task automation



Google opened a new API for Google Docs that will allow developers to automate many of the tasks that users typically do manually in the company’s online office suite. The REST API was designed to help developers build workflow automation services for their users, build content management services and create documents in bulk. Using the API, developers can also set up processes that manipulate documents after the fact to update them, and the API also features the ability to insert, delete, move, merge and format text, insert inline images and work with lists, among other things.


2019. Google raises G Suite prices



Google announced that it is raising the price of its online office suite G Suite. The prices of G Suite Basic and G Suite Business editions will increase by $1 and $2 per user/month, respectively. The new pricing will go into effect on April 2; those on annual plans will pay the new price when their contract renews after that date. This is the first time Google has raised the price of its G Suite subscriptions. The company argues that it has added plenty of new services — like video conferencing with Hangouts Meet, team messaging with Hangouts Chat, increased storage quotas and other security and productivity tools and services — to the platform since it first launched its paid service with its core productivity tools back in 2006.


2018. G Suite makes it easier for people without Google accounts to collaborate on documents



Soon it will be easier for people without Google accounts to collaborate on G Suite documents. Currently in beta, a new feature will enable G Suite users to invite people without G Suite subscriptions or Google accounts to work on files by sending them a pin code. Using the pin code to gain access allows invitees to view, comment on, suggest edits to or directly edit Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. The owners and admins of the G Suite files monitor usage through activity logs and can revoke access at any time. According to the feature’s support article, admins are able to set permissions by department or domain. They also can restrict sharing outside of white-listed G Suite domains or their own organization.