Microsoft launches Office 2019 as a preview for the Mac. The new software offers new admin tools for companies, but normal users also have a bit of focus mode and morph transitions.
Microsoft today released its Mac preview for Office 2019. The new test program is intended for companies and organizations that do not use the company’s cloud-based Office 365 software.
In a blog post, Microsoft announced that Office 2019 for Mac will be released in the “second half of 2018. Microsoft also announced that Office 365 ProPlus is still the best solution for commercial use as a subscription, but also recognizes that there are companies that do not want to go into the cloud. For these, Office 2019 for Mac is intended.
Office 2019 for Mac offers new features such as ribbon customization in Office applications, focus mode in Word, morph transitions and 4k video in PowerPoint, new charts and features in Excel, and focused inbox in Outlook. These features are already included in Office 365 ProPlus, but not available in Office for Mac 2016. If you want to get a deeper insight, you can have a look at the release notes.
Microsoft also believes that Office 2019 will be useful for Mac IT administrators because it is easier to manage on the network. Command line tools allow IT, administrators, to centrally control how and when Office updates are applied to users’ devices. Support for industry-standard MDM policies and settings enables IT to enforce company-wide security policies, including settings for Visual Basic macros and App settings.
The Office 2019 Commercial Preview Program for Mac is not available to individuals. If you want to participate as a company, you have to register.