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Microsoft extends Office 365 availability to more Asian markets

Office productivity suite is now in 38 new markets, several of which are in Asia-Pacific including the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Three languages and five currencies including ringgit and rupee are also added.
Written by Eileen Yu, Senior Contributing Editor

Office 365 is now available in 38 new markets and in five new currencies, several of which cater to the Asia-Pacific region. 

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Office 365 is now available in ringgit, Hong Kong dollar, and rupee.

According to a blogpost by Microsoft's Office 365 technical product manager Andy O'Donald, the office productivity suite is immediately available for subscription to customers in the Philippines and Thailand, while the other markets can begin a 120-day trial before the paid subscription model is available. These markets include Vietnam, Macau, Brunei, Iraq, Mongolia, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Five currencies have been added including the Malaysian ringgit, Hong Kong dollar, and Indian rupee, and three new languages are now supported: Vietnamese, Malay, and Arabic. This puts the number of languages supported at 36.

Previously available in 69 markets, Office 365 is now in 127. The cloud-based software offering first landed in Asia in Singapore and Malaysia in June 2011. In an update last September, Microsoft told ZDNet adoption of Office 365 in Singapore had "exceeded expectations" with about 4,500 companies, of which 90 percent were small and midsize businesses.

In a March 2013 ZDNet report, industry analysts said the software's comparatively high annual subscription fee model could hinder uptake and suggested Microsoft should include support for rival platforms, including Apple iOS and Google Android, to boost adoption. 

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