Microsoft to sell Office, security software subscription for $70 a year: This has been rumored for years.
I think it’s a response to the growing competition from things like OpenOffice, Google Docs, and the general lagging need for a productivity suite anymore. Office used to be simply required for a business user. Not so much anymore.
Microsoft will begin selling its Office programs to consumers on a subscription basis starting mid-July, in a bid to reach thrifty PC buyers who would otherwise pass on productivity software.
The software bundle, which also includes Microsoft’s Live OneCare computer security software, will be sold at nearly 700 Circuit City stores for $70 per year.