Office 365 turns Mac users into Microsoft Insiders

Last Thursday, Microsoft has announced the extension of its Office 365 Insider program to Mac users. The news comes in the wake of a number of new features, including new inking tools for iPad and iPad Pro, finally coming to iOS after having been available on Windows PCs since 2007.

In his statement posted on the Office Blog, Corporate VP of the Office Team, Kirk Koenigsbauer stated that Microsoft wants to “...make pen and ink a primary input across Office apps...”, Koenigsbauer went on elaborating that inking tools in Office for iPad and iPad Pro, make it easy to use fingers or Apple Pencil, further outlining Microsoft’s interest in a symbiotic relationship between Microsoft and Apple’s ecosystems that transcends more obvious rivalries on other fronts.

These statements may ring familiar, as the corporate VP made an onstage appearance on the very unveiling of the Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, where Koenigsbauer introduced MS Office 365 for the iPad Pro.

Office Insider builds for Mac

Towards the end of last year, Microsoft announced the Office Insider program, which, similarly to the Windows 10 Insider program, offers early access to Office 365 features still in development, in the form of Preview Builds. Up until last week, the program was limited to Windows 10, Windows 10 for Mobile, and Android. Finally, Mac users have now a chance to explore experimental features, as Office Insiders. Office Insiders with active subscriptions will be able to download Preview Builds, and offer their feedback, and help shape the look, feel and features of future official updates of the productivity suite.

Those interested in joining the program, can do so through this link: https://products.office.com/en-us/office-insider

What about iOS?

There is no official word on whether owners of iPhone, iPad and iPad Pro, will get a chance to join in as well, but such move is expected to occur within the year. Once the Insider program for Mac users acquires momentum, it will be a matter of time for the program to cover all desktop and mobile operating systems, in line with Microsoft’s mobile-first strategy, as well as the commitment to its software-as-a-service business model introduced by Satya Nadella, upon the unveiling of Microsoft Windows 10, last summer.