Microsoft Office users have expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s recent rebranding effort following a name change to its well-known software suite. Originally introduced by Bill Gates’ global corporation in 1990, the suite, encompassing Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, boasts a substantial user base of 400 million worldwide.
Last week, users were surprised to encounter a dialog box informing them of the renaming. The message read, “Welcome to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app,” emphasizing that the Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office) now enables users to create, share, and collaborate seamlessly with various integrated apps.
Established in 2023 as a successor to Cortana, Copilot is an AI chatbot designed to enhance user productivity by automating tasks and generating content.
In response to the rebranding news, software creator and entrepreneur Peter Dedene criticized the change, lamenting the shift from MS Office to “Microsoft 365 Copilot.” Another individual expressed dismay, likening the renaming to a worse scenario than Twitter being rebranded as X, and calling for a discussion with the manager who approved the decision.
Another critic pointed out that the brand deterioration occurred in 2020 when Office was rebranded as “Microsoft 365,” unrelated to the AI aspect. A user highlighted the irony of Microsoft’s transition from a longstanding productivity brand to an AI-focused identity, suggesting that many would still refer to it as Office regardless of the new label.
Microsoft clarified that the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, formerly known as Office, now integrates Copilot, offering enhanced productivity features for work, education, and personal use. Gareth Oystryk, Senior Director of Marketing at Microsoft 365, addressed the backlash, asserting that the core Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint remain unchanged, with only the Office hub app transitioning to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to unify Copilot and Microsoft 365 experiences.
Users were advised by Microsoft to ensure their web, mobile, and Windows apps reflect the changes by connecting to the internet and restarting the Microsoft 365 Copilot app if necessary.