The last release of Microsoft Office was in 2010, now three years later Microsoft unveils their new “sleek appearance” and features with Office 2013. The new appearance coincides with the Windows 8 look; they’ve added better functional improvement and links to SharePoint and SkyDrive.
There is the option of purchasing the software separately or getting Office 365 for your business. Still questioning if it’s time to upgrade? Here are some features that I’ve done research on that might change your mind.
Do you find that your desktop applications are taking up too much space on your hard drive? Microsoft has introduced SkyDrive Integration with Office 2013. Office 2013 is designed to integrate with the cloud using SkyDrive and SharePoint. That’s a big benefit to SMB if you prefer to store your documents in the cloud. If you're still skeptic about the cloud, you still have the option of saving files on your local drive.
Do you find that you are always on the go and can’t bring your laptop with you all the time? When business is booming you might find yourself all over the place, with no time to sit at a desk. But using Office 2013/Office 365 you will be able to view your documents online using a PC, tablet or WebApps. This feature makes it easier to pick up where you left off working, even if you open the file on a different device than you last used.
Do you have trouble using Excel? Do you need to use Excel to create charts and monitor sales? Excel 2013 has a new feature called Recommended Chart which you select the data to chart and click Insert > Recommended Chart to see options such as line, bar, and pie charts that the program recommends for your data. Click each chart to preview what your data will look like in that form.
Received a PDF that needs to be edited? In the new Word 2013 you can open a PDF file and edit it on the spot. When you’re done editing it you can save it back to a PDF or a Doc.
After everything stated in the above, aren’t you curious to at least try a free trial of Office 2013/365? Let me know what you think by posting a comment below!
Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Partner