Microsoft Corp is launching a new bundle of workplace software with the aim of getting more people to use its artificial intelligence tools for the office.
The E7 bundle will cost US$99 (RM388) per user per month – a 65% price increase from Microsoft’s previous flagship bundle. It will include a slew of widely used tools such as Word and Excel as well as the company’s Copilot AI assistant and a feature that lets administrators assess how AI is being used within their company.
Demand for Microsoft’s AI tools prompted the new bundle’s introduction, said Jared Spataro, who oversees workplace applications. "If we can put that together for customers, it makes it easier for them to purchase and deploy and makes it much easier for us to sell.”
Microsoft said in January that more than 450 million business users pay for its office tools. Still, only about 3% of them are also paying for Copilot, the company’s business-focused answer to ChatGPT.
Compliance and security concerns are frequently cited as roadblocks to implementing workplace AI. In November, Microsoft unveiled a tool that helps customers monitor and manage how the technology is being used.
Inclusion of this tool, dubbed Agent 365, is a major selling point of the new software package, Spataro said. The E7 bundle is cheaper than buying each tool separately, Microsoft said.
Bundling a wide array of software has been key to Microsoft’s success in persuading businesses to standardise on its products. It has been more than a decade since the company announced its last flagship bundle, dubbed E5. – Bloomberg
