The Naming Odyssey Continues: Microsoft 365 to be Rebranded as Microsoft 365 Copilot

Product rebranding is a common occurrence among big tech companies, and Microsoft is no exception. The tech giant is set to rename its flagship office subscription service, Microsoft 365, primarily to align more closely with its Microsoft Copilot brand.

Microsoft Copilot, a key focus of Microsoft's AI push, encompasses devices capable of running AI locally, known as Microsoft Copilot+PC. With Microsoft 365 now integrating AI features, the company feels a rebrand is necessary to highlight this enhancement.

According to announcements made in the Microsoft 365 Message Center, both the consumer and enterprise versions of Microsoft 365 will undergo renaming, a move that's becoming increasingly perplexing to the public.

In summary, the rebranding includes:

• The consumer version of Microsoft 365 will be renamed to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• The enterprise version, previously known as Microsoft Copilot, will be rebranded to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
• The Microsoft Copilot website will shift to M365Copilot.com.
• Office.com will redirect to M365.Cloud.Microsoft.
• Microsoft365 will also redirect to M365.Cloud.Microsoft.

Furthermore, Microsoft is developing new icons to replace the existing ones. Instead of completely abandoning the Copilot logo, an M365 tag will be added to distinguish the brand. These changes are expected to take effect in mid-January 2025.

Jokes about Microsoft's frequent renaming are common, with some suggesting the company has a dedicated "renaming department." The new names, especially the addition of "Copilot" to the standard Microsoft 365 office software, seem less intuitive than the previous Office 365.

The domain changes are particularly surprising, with M365Copilot.com resembling a phishing site and the *.cloud.microsoft domain, though Microsoft-affiliated, appearing unusual and less user-friendly than office.com or live.com.

Ultimately, Microsoft's goal may be to incorporate the Copilot name into every AI-supported software, humorously suggesting that even Windows 11 could become Windows 11 Copilot (a jest, not to be taken seriously).