So long, ‘MS Office': Microsoft 365 Office rebranded as 365 Copilot – Details here

Microsoft's 365 Office branding has been retired, making way for 365 Copilot. Here are the details.

Microsoft’s Office has been an iconic product, with billions relying on it to accomplish their work. However, in 2022, the brand made a surprising decision to rebrand itself. Microsoft Office was renamed Microsoft 365 Office. But now, the tech giant has taken things a step further by deciding to retire the ‘Office’ brand altogether. It has been rebranded as Microsoft 365 Copilot, fully embracing the AI era, as reported by Windows Latest.

MS Office branding was iconic, but it is now gone.(Microsoft)

With this change, the Office brand is officially gone. However, the branding is somewhat confusing, as Microsoft has opted to use the same Copilot logo for this rebrand. That said, there are subtle differences, which include a new "M365" badge atop the Copilot logo.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: What We Know

Microsoft has previously hinted its aim to align the company’s branding with its focus on AI, with Copilot at the forefront. This rebrand is another step in that direction. According to Windows Latest, the latest rebranding is now rolling out on Windows 11 devices.

Microsoft seems to be fully committed to the Copilot branding and artificial intelligence as a whole. And this is why, there are a multitude of other changes as well, including including the retirement of the top header to create a more seamless look, moving features like Microsoft 365 and Copilot Chat to the left sidebar, while the search bar now appears prominently on the home page, and more.

So long, ‘Office’

It remains to be seen how people will perceive this change, as the Microsoft Office brand is universally recognised worldwide. Many users still refer to it as ‘Office’ and commonly associate the brand with apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Therefore, the reception of this rebranding remains to be seen.

Furthermore, considering that Copilot represents Microsoft's AI-first experience and chatbot, its adoption has yet to fully penetrate the user base. A large number of users are still unfamiliar with the new branding. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft ensures users adapt to this shift and whether more rebranding moves will follow. Given Microsoft's growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, such changes would not be out of the ordinary.