Microsoft has announced pricing and packaging details for Office 2013. Office 2013 will come in two new subscription-based editions, both of which are in free public trials now. If you're queasy about subscriptions, you can still buy the traditional versions of Office 10, which use a device-based licensing model. Each license gives you the right to install the software on a single PC, and your usage rights are perpetual and don't require any ongoing payments.
Subscription-based editions
Office 365 Home Premium includes the complete lineup of programs found in Office Professional 2010, the most expensive retail version today: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. For $100 per year you get a "household license," which allows you to install and use the software on up to five PCs or Macs and on "select smartphones and tablets." There's no limit on the number of users who can use those five PCs or Macs.
Subscribers will also get 60 Skype minutes a month and 20 GB of extra SkyDrive storage (in addition to the free 7 GB) for the primary user account.
Office 365 Small Business Premium includes the same collection of apps and adds Lync and InfoPath, making it equivalent to the current Office Professional Plus 2010, which is available in a traditional package only through volume licensing programs. These subscriptions are sold on a per-user basis, at $150 per user per year, with each subscriber getting the right to use the software on up to five PCs or Macs and on "select smartphones and tablets."
Subscribers will also get hosted Exchange through Office 365, with a 25 GB mailbox and shared calendars, and a total of 10 GB of SharePoint storage for the organization, plus an additional 500 MB of SharePoint storage per user. The Lync software also allows free HD video conferencing and screen sharing.
Device-based editions
Office Home & Student includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, will cost $140, up 17% from the current $120.
Office Home & Business includes the above apps plus Outlook, will go for $220, up 10% from the current price of $200.
Office Professional includes the above apps plus Access and Publisher, goes up to $400, a 14% bump from the current sticker price of $350.
Source: Zdnet | Office blog
