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    Microsoft 365 Pricing Changes Following Copilot Launch

    Microsoft has raised the costs of its Microsoft 365 subscriptions, yet subscribers now have access to the new Copilot feature.

    You may already be aware of the newly launched premium service, Microsoft Copilot Pro, which enables subscribers to utilize advanced AI models with increased usage limits. The corporation is actively advocating artificial intelligence with the deployment of Copilot.

    Bryan Rognier, Vice President of Microsoft 365 Consumer, stated in a blog entry that the service currently boasts 84 million consumer subscribers. Users of Microsoft 365 can now take advantage of Copilot across various applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and through the Microsoft 365 Copilot application. Furthermore, subscribers can now access the new Microsoft Designer app, which assists users in crafting and generating images with the support of AI editing tools that can eliminate unwanted elements from photos.

    The announcement emphasizes the benefits of incorporating AI within Office applications while also introducing a potentially contentious aspect: AI Credits. The system for AI credits, similar to that present in Notepad’s Rewrite, is now applicable to Office applications. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plan subscribers will receive monthly AI credits for utilization within these applications. Should users need more than their allotted credits, they will need to upgrade to Copilot Pro for unlimited access to AI functionalities.

    With these advanced features comes a rise in user expenses, which justifies the recent price increase.

    Raised Costs for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Plans

    The fees for Microsoft 365 subscriptions have increased by $3 monthly, affecting both the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans. This price adjustment signifies the first increase since the service launched in 2013.

    Before this increase, users had the option to subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal for $69.99 annually or choose the Microsoft 365 Family plan at $99.99 per year, which supports up to six users. The price increase is worldwide and has already been implemented.

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    Here’s a recap of the updated pricing in the U.S., U.K., and Europe: Microsoft 365 Personal is now available for $99.99/£84.99/€99.00 annually, while the yearly Microsoft 365 Family subscription is priced at $129.99/£104.99/€129.00. You can verify the official website for pricing tailored to your region. Please note that active subscribers will not notice the price increase until their next renewal.

    What about privacy? Is your information secure? Microsoft has assured users that it will not utilize your files, responses, or prompts to enhance its AI models while you engage with Copilot in Microsoft 365 applications.

    The corporation has also mentioned that Office and Microsoft 365 applications will no longer be supported on Windows 10 once the operating system reaches its end of life on October 14, 2025. As a result, users on Windows 10 will not receive feature or security updates for Office products. Ending support for Windows 10 is one issue, but the absence of continued support for a subscription that users have already paid for is rather unusual. It remains unclear whether this change will also affect OneDrive.

    As a reminder, LibreOffice serves as a free, open-source substitute for Microsoft Office and is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.

    Image Source: Tada Images / Shutterstock

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