This time it's 'Personal': new Office 365 sub covers just two devices

Microsoft has introduced a new subscription model for Office 365 and this time it's literally personal: the new “Office 365 Personal” makes the productivity suite available for just two devices – one PC or Mac and one tablet – for $US69.99 a year.

That's a small discount on the $83.88 it would cost to pay the $6.99-a-month charge for the service.

It's also not a colossal reduction from the Office 365 Home price of $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month for Office 365 Home, a package that allows access on five PCs or Macs and five tablets.

Microsoft says “By offering Office 365 Personal, in addition to Office 365 Home, we are better positioned to deliver the right Office to a broader range of households.” Even households where everyone pays for their own Office 365 subscription.

Throw in the fact that Microsoft has also added Office to the Chrome Web Store (here's Word Online) and it is becoming clear that Redmond is keen to take Office into as many channels, in as many forms, as it can.

And why wouldn't it? The world is becoming less PC-centric every day. If Microsoft is to keep milking the cash cow that is Office, changing the way it is packaged and sold makes good sense.

A final thought: Satya Nadella settled into Microsoft's big seat on February 4th. Office 365 Personal was foreshadowed on March 13th. Might Office 365 Personal be a personal project of the new CEO's, and a sign his intentions for Microsoft are quickly becoming reality? ®