Microsoft 365's new consumer tier to get 100GB of storage at $1.99: Report

Microsoft will introduce a new consumer tier to its 365 subscription offerings called "Microsoft 365 Basic", which will get 100GB of cloud storage at just $1.99 per month.

It will also get some extra features, which will sit in between the free option and the $6.99 a month Personal subscription, and will be available worldwide on January 30, reports The Verge.

Microsoft 365 Basic will be available with an ad-free Outlook web and mobile experience and enhanced security features.

The security features will include data encryption for an Outlook mailbox, suspicious link checking, and virus/malware scanning for attachments.

Customers with existing OneDrive 100GB storage will be automatically upgraded to Microsoft 365 Basic for the same $1.99 monthly fee, according to the report.

"Later this year, we'll have a bunch of stuff with OneDrive advanced security that will be available as well, that includes Personal Vault, password-protected and expiring links, ransomware detection and recovery, and bulk file restore," Gareth Oystryk, director of product marketing for Microsoft 365, was quoted as saying.

Moreover, Microsoft 365 Basic will also include access to the company's technical support, including phone and online chat support for both Microsoft 365 apps and Windows 11.

Other than the amount of cloud storage, the main difference between the $6.99 Personal subscription and the new $1.99 Basic subscription is that Microsoft 365 Basic does not include access to the desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps, instead, basic subscribers will have to rely on the web or mobile versions, said the report.

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced that it will no longer provide security updates to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, leaving users with the option to upgrade to a newer operating system or remain vulnerable to security threats.

After more than a decade of service, Windows 7 was discontinued in January 2020, although the company allowed users to purchase extended security support, however, now, those extended security updates came to an end.

--IANS

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