Microsoft Edge could soon become the obvious choice for Office users

Microsoft is testing a brand new characteristic for its web browser Edge that introduces tighter integration with its Microsoft 365 suite of productiveness apps.As famous in a submit on the Microsoft Edge subreddit, the newest early-access construct features a new choice that enables users to launch straight into web-based Word, PowerPoint and Excel paperwork.

To entry the characteristic, users can proper click on on an open browser tab and choose the “New Office tab” choice in the context menu.Currently, the Office integration is barely accessible to members of the Microsoft Edge Insider Canary channel, who've opted to obtain the most experimental options as soon as potential. Even then, studies recommend solely a portion of Canary members have been given entry.Assuming no main points are encountered in testing, nevertheless, the performance ought to be prolonged to all users soon sufficient.

Office in Microsoft Edge

Although the newest market share figures present Edge remains to be a good distance off market chief Google Chrome, and even Apple’s Safari, the new Office integration will act as extra incentive for the Microsoft 365 clients (of which there are various thousands and thousands) to make the swap.The rise of distant working has additionally positioned new emphasis on web-based workplace software program, which facilitates real-time collaboration between staff now not in a position to seek the advice of each other in-person.As such, though the new Edge characteristic in all probability falls into the nice-to-have class, easy accessibility to web-based variations of Word, PowerPoint and Excel can be enticing to loads of users. And in future, there’s no motive the choice can’t be expanded to incorporate different Microsoft 365 providers too, reminiscent of OneDrive, Outlook, Teams and more.

With few remaining Internet Explorer and Edge Legacy users to funnel in direction of Edge, Microsoft must work out how to attract folks away from different main browsers if its service is to proceed to develop. A brand new Office integration could not less than go some approach to attaining this objective.