Microsoft is reportedly making changes to its Microsoft 365 subscription in certain regions to bring the copy to more users. According to the report, the Redmond-based tech giant has begun bundling associate AI assistants, which can get subscriptions on multiple applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. As the company is said to have increased the price of cloud-based services in these regions, this new increase is not without cost. It is unclear whether Microsoft plans to propose the same strategy in other countries.
Microsoft 365 and Copilot subscription
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the tech giant has begun rolling out a new feature with its standard Microsoft 365 subscription in Australia and multiple Southeast Asian countries. This change reportedly does not require any action from the end of the user, nor does it exclude AI chatbots from this service.
Under normal circumstances, adding a new feature would be a positive change, but the company also reportedly pushes subscription prices in these regions to increase, which could offset the cost of the copy. This means that unlike the United States, India and other countries, these regions have no choice whether they want AI capabilities.
The report cited examples of Alistair Fleming from YouTuber in Australia, claiming that Microsoft is also actively pushing to enable users to try out AI capabilities. Fleming reportedly wrote a video script on Word, and alert notifications were issued from Copilot after each line. It is said that a message popped up on the AI Assistant logo saying it can help users write.
“It’s so eager to be used, which makes me annoyed.” In addition, he claims his Microsoft 365 subscription has increased from AUD 11 (about Rs 585) to AUD 16 (about Rs 585) 852 rupees). It is unclear whether the company sent users an email about the change and price increase.
This may be an experimental rollout, but if it is expanded to other regions, there is no doubt. In India, the standard Microsoft 365 subscription does not have the secondary subtitle feature. To use the AI assistant, users can choose to pay for additional Rs. Copilot 365 add-ons 2,495 per month. The company’s competitor Google also followed its strategy.
