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Microsoft Office Revamps with New Updates

By Alicia Young Web Editor

In recent years, Microsoft (News - Alert) Office has been losing out on some customers due to the popularity of Google Docs. Through this functionality, you can create documents, sheets and slides. The best part is that you can share each document easily with other people, invite them to edit it and even see their changes in real-time.

This makes any sort of group project much easier for everyone involved. The problem is that this caused people to use Microsoft Office less, as Google (News - Alert) documents, sheets and slides were suitable replacements for Word, PowerPoint and Excel, respectively.

Well, Microsoft is fighting back by updating its programs to better serve the needs of its customers. Microsoft’s Word, PowerPoint and Excel apps received an update for Android (News - Alert) yesterday that makes them much more efficient when it comes to sharing content.

Some highlighted changes to all three apps include the ability to quickly share your documents and see who else is working on them in real time, and the option to find and open files others have recently shared with you. PowerPoint also received some extra updates. It has a new look that makes reading presentations on your phone much easier. You can now drag and drop to reorder slides and double-tap to edit them, which is incredibly helpful. The program also now has a “find” icon to help you search for individual words or phrases in your presentation.

While these changes may be subtle, they certainly put Microsoft Office back on the same playing field as Google when it comes to documents. Personally, when I was in college, Google Docs became the main program that everyone used because it made collaboration much easier. If I had had access to a Microsoft Office that allowed me to work in real time with my group, though, I never would have deviated. So, if you have an Android, go ahead and check out these new features for yourself. All three updated apps are now available in the Play Store. 

Edited by Stefania Viscusi