Microsoft bundles Office 365, Windows 10 and more for partners

Microsoft has revealed a new product that combines capabilities from its most popular software platforms including Windows 10 and Office 365.

Microsoft 365 bundles together Office 365, Windows 10 and 'Enterprise Mobility + Security', which is the new branding for Enterprise Mobility Suite.

"Microsoft 365 is a fundamental departure in how we think about product creation. This is the coming together of the best of Office 365, Windows 10 Enterprise and Enterprise Mobility + Security," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said on day one of the company's Inspire conference in Washington DC.

Partners can sell Microsoft 365 in two streams. The first stream for larger organisations and government institutions is called Microsoft 365 Enterprise. It comes with Office 365 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise will be available in two plans, Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5, which will both be available from 1 August. Microsoft 365 Enterprise will replace Secure Productive Enterprise. 

The small and medium business product, dubbed Microsoft 365 Business, is for businesses with up to 300 users and includes Office 365 Business Premium with specific security and management features from Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

"Microsoft 365 business is the coming together of all of these products in a very compelling offer and package for every small business and every medium-sized business to have the same sophistication that any large business has," Nadella said.

Microsoft 365 Business will be available in public preview from 2 August before general availability launches later in the year. Once launched, Microsoft 365 for Business will be priced at $US20 per user per month.

The software giant said Microsoft 365 Enterprise could increase partner revenue opportunities by more than 50 percent compared with selling Office 365 by itself.

Microsoft made the announcement to partners on the first day of its Inspire 2017 conference in Washington DC on Monday.

The journalist travelled to Inspire as a guest of Microsoft.