Microsoft announces new Office Insider program

Mark Coppock

Microsoft’s Windows Insider program has been a massive success, shepherding the company and its user base through a pretty aggressive transition from Windows 8 to Windows 10. With millions of people providing feedback on progressive builds of Windows 10, Microsoft has been able to create an operating system that over 120 million people have already installed on their machines.
Now, Microsoft is following up on the success of Windows Insider with a new program aimed at helping make Office a better solution. The Office Insider program will provide the same inside access to new Office builds, create a community of Office aficionados, and provide helpful feedback to Microsoft in enhancing Office 365.
Here’s Microsoft’s announcement over at the Office blog:

Today, we’re also launching Office Insider, a new program that allows Office 365 Home, Office 365 Personal and Office 365 University subscribers to opt in to pre-release builds of Office 2016 for Windows. As an Insider, you get first-hand access to the latest innovations, putting you on the inside track for all things Office. And when you become an Office Insider, you are joining a community of like-minded power users. With your partnership, we can ensure a high quality Office experience for millions of Office users worldwide.

You can learn more about the new program and toss your name in the hat over at the Office Insider page. Opt into the Office 365 First Release program if you are running a commercial version of Office 365 and want to get early access to the newest stuff. Office Insider builds will be available on a number of platforms in addition to Windows 10, including Android, Windows 10 Mobile, and Mac.
We’re pretty darn excited about joining the Office Insider program. Hopefully it will create a version of Office that’s as well-suited to our needs as with Windows 10.