In a recent IDC survey identifying in-demand skills needed for the workplace, proficiency in Microsoft Office ranked third among 20 top skills. To help students prepare for the workforce, this week we announced the availability of Student Advantage, a new benefit designed to help students to get access to the latest version of Microsoft Office and better prepare themselves for the tools used in modern day workplaces. The benefit is available to more than 35,000 educational institutions worldwide.
Among the education institutions that have recently turned to Microsoft Office is the Peel District School Board, Canada's second largest public school board. The Peel District School Board plans to provide Office 365 to 150,000 students, administrators and staff members to help its students prepare for the working world.
To learn more about why education institutions choose Office 365, please see our blog posts that compare a day in the life of a teacher and student using Office 365 vs. Google Apps.
Below is a round-up of these and other news items from the last few weeks. Enjoy!
Microsoft Launches Student Advantage Worldwide, Lets Teachers Who Bought Office 365 Give it to Students for Free. Microsoft announces the worldwide availability of Student Advantage, which enables all schools and universities that license Office 365 Pro Plus or Office 365 Professional Plus for staff and faculty to provide it free of charge to students.
Microsoft Expands Office 365 Educational Push. Microsoft's Student Advantage offer could "lead to skyrocketing adoption rates."
One More Reason Microsoft Office Will Kill Google Docs. One more reason Microsoft Office is killing Google Docs: "Google simply isn't serious about joining the fight."
OneNote Windows Store App Adds Share Charm Integration, Camera Scanning. The OneNote Windows Store app "just got better" with the ability to capture notes using the Share charm and scan physical documents with your device's camera.
Microsoft Bulks Up Security; Brings Encrypted Email to Office 365 Enterprise Bundles. Enterprises sending email via Office 365 will be able to encrypt those messages starting next year at no extra charge via Office 365 Message Encryption.
How Microsoft Lync Capabilities Measure Up in the Marketplace. Microsoft Lync is "a viable collaboration tool" that works seamlessly with other Microsoft applications.
Skype-Based Virtual Real Estate Tours Lead to Microsoft Partner Win. How Skype is changing the face of the real estate industry.