New business-focused Microsoft 365 subscription bundles Office and Windows into one package

Microsoft has announced a new subscription package dubbed Microsoft 365 that combines Windows 10, Office 365 and the company's Enterprise Mobility + Security package into a unified solution. The new package is essentially a rebranding of its Secure Productive Enterprise, but with a bigger emphasis on companies of all sizes. Microsoft said this marks "a fundamental shift" in its approach to how it designs and launches its products for the needs of businesses.

The service will be available in two variants: Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Business. As per Microsoft's description, Microsoft 365 Enterprise is for large organizations and integrates Office 365 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

Microsoft 365 Business is designed for small-to-medium sized businesses with up to 300 users, also integrating Office 365 Business Premium with tailored security and management features from Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise will be available from August 1 in two plans, designated as E3 and E5. The company didn't elaborate on pricing or what each plan includes, but it already offers E3 and E5 variants of its Secure Productive Enterprise, so it's probably safe to assume nothing has changed there. Customers will be able to buy Microsoft 365 Enterprise through Enterprise Agreements or Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) resellers.

Meanwhile, Microsoft 365 Business will be available in public preview on August 2, 2017, with general availability coming worldwide in the fall of 2017, priced at $20 per user, per month.

The new offerings are meant as a "comprehensive approach to secure productivity," instead of managing devices, security and Office apps separately.

Microsoft will continue to offer subscription versions of Windows 10 Enterprise as standalone offerings, for those who don't want or need the full bundle.

In addition to Microsoft 365, the company also previewed three tailored Office 365 apps for small-to-medium sized customers: Microsoft Listings, Microsoft Connections, and Microsoft Invoicing. They will be coming soon to Office 365 Business Premium and Microsoft 365 Business.