Ignite 2017: Microsoft Announces Two New Variations of Microsoft 365

We are here at Microsoft Ignite this week in Orlando, Florida along with almost 25,000 attendees to hear the latest from Microsoft on the productivity, cloud, machine learning, and AI fronts.

Here is a snapshot of some of the big news announcements which began the week during the main keynote led by Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

What Was Announced

Microsoft 365 Education - Includes Office 365 for Education, Windows 10, Enterprise Mobility & Security, and Minecraft: Education Edition. Provides students, faculty, and staff with everything they need to create and collaborate securely.

Why It's Important - First it simplifies the licensing challenges that educational institutions can face by streamlining everything from the operating system to the productivity software into one subscription bundle. In addition to the OS and Office software, subscribers will also get access to Minecraft: Education Edition which has become a very popular teaching tool that helps students gain skills for the 21st century. It involves students learning about assessing and reflecting on their work/progress, creates an immersive learning environment, and encourages collaboration with their classmates.

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Microsoft 365 F1 (F1 stands for Firstline Worker) - This new subscription bundle includes Office 365 F1, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility & Security. This package, just like the Microsoft 365 for Education, allows companies to streamline their licensing however, Microsoft 365 F1 is more about giving a company the tools to empower their frontline workers.

Why It's Important - These are usually the folks who have regular daily contact with your customers out on the store floor or maybe through a help desk but do not always have dedicated workstations. By giving these employees access to the collaboration tools that come with Microsoft 365, businesses can allow them to benefit from more opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues and benefit from digital transformations.

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Stay tuned all week as we bring you on site coverage of Microsoft Ignite.