Office 365 China Launch Finally Takes Place

The Office 365 software subscription service was launched back in June 2011. China, one of the most populated countries in the world with a rapidly growing tech market, was among the few countries that weren’t supported by the new service. It has taken Microsoft almost three years to finally come through with Office 365 China launch. The subscription service will be offered from local data centers within China, and will be operated by 21Vianet.

This announcement comes on the heels of Microsoft Azure’s general availability in China, which is also operated by 21Vianet, last month. Customers in China will be able to access Office, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online as well as specialized services such as Visio Pro and Project Pro for Office 365 by subscribing to the service.

The launch event was held in Shanghai. The government of Shanghai is one of the early adopters of Office 365 in China. It is also being used by the Shaanxi government to set up its IT infrastructure as well as to foster regional growth in the Xi Xi’an new area. Additional Chinese early adopters include Dongfeng Renault, ICBC Leasing, TCL and more.

Microsoft is certainly making big investments in the People’s Republic and by the looks of it, this will continue in the future as well. Recent rumors indicate that the company might also be planning to launch Xbox One in China.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Computers
Tags: Microsoft, office 365