Another improvement in the new Office that may be valued by enterprises is its new user interface, which Microsoft says adapts itself to various form factors, including PCs, tablets, "hybrid" laptops and large-screen, all-in-one systems.

On desktop and laptop PCs, the interface is designed for use in a conventional manner with a mouse and keyboard. But when users work on touch- and stylus-based devices like tablets, which have become so popular in workplaces and for which the upcoming Windows 8 OS has also been optimized, the suite's interface supports radial menus, hand gestures like swiping and pinching, and menu items and buttons become larger.

(Although it has ported OneNote and Lync to iOS, Microsoft so far is resisting a full iOS version of Office, a decision some find questionable considering the broad use of iPads and iPhones in enterprises.)

Along the way, the user interface was also cleaned up and streamlined, which may enhance and simplify the user experience for many, leading to more efficient of Office, which has often been criticized in previous versions for its "bloat" of features that most end users ignore or don't understand.