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ZDNET's key takeaways
The Office suite has not been rebranded to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The web-based version was renamed Microsoft 365 in 2022.
Microsoft still has a bad reputation for naming and renaming its products.
Microsoft has a bad reputation when it comes to naming its products and services. Sometimes the company will pick a name for a product and then change it. Other times, it will use the same name or a similar name for different products. The names themselves can be confusing and cumbersome. All of that explains why many people have jumped to conclusions over the alleged renaming of Microsoft Office.
Recent posts on such sites as X, Reddit, and Hacker News have claimed that Microsoft has renamed its familiar Office product to Microsoft 365 Copilot, as reported by The Verge. Though the posters are in error, the mistake is easy enough to make. And it's mainly Microsoft's own fault.
Also: Gemini vs. Copilot: I compared the AI tools on 7 everyday tasks, and there's a clear winner
The product page for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app states the following right off the bat: "The Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office) lets you create, share, and collaborate all in one place with your favorite apps, now including Copilot." With most people likely assuming that Office refers to the popular software suite, the implication here is that the Office name has been replaced by an AI-infused brand. But that's not the case.
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