An office suite is a collection software programs bundled together, generally intended for office use.
An office suite is a form of productivity software that is sometimes known as an office application suite. Office suites are designed to be used for routine office work or other tasks within an organization. Typically, an office suite includes programs used for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, but may include other modules as well. The components of an office suite are usually created by the same vendor, they have a consistent user interface, and have interactivity features. In many cases, the applications can be installed separately.
One of the first office suites was Sunburst, which came out in the early 1980s, and included a word processor (WordStar), a spreadsheet (CalcStar), and a database (DataStar). Several others soon followed, but Microsoft Office came to dominate the market in the 1990s, a position it still holds. Microsoft Office has versions for Windows and Mac, although they are not identical.
Another early suite was WordPerfect Office, which began in 1979 with a version for the Data General Microcomputer. Its DOS version was introduced in 1982, with a Windows version to follow. The WordPerfect suite was a dominant player in the late 1980s and early 1990s. WordPerfect products are still for sale, although the last version, as of this writing, was released in 2018.
Introduced in 1985, StarWriter later became StarOffice, then Oracle OpenOffice. It was discontinued in 2011, but Apache OpenOffice is considered a successor of Oracle OpenOffice. LibreOffice and NeoOffice forked from OpenOffice.
KOffice was distributed from 1997 to 2011. Calligra Suite forked from KOffice in 2000, and is still developed.
Other, perhaps lesser-known, office suites that are still available include Ability Office, G Suite, iWork, MarinerPak, OfficeSuite, OnlyOffice, SoftMaker Office and its open-source version, SoftMaker FreeOffice, and WPS Office, although this is not a comprehensive list.
These and any other office suites are the focus of topics listed in this category.
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Developed by Ability Plus Software, the proprietary suite consists of a word processor, spreadsheet, database, modules for presentations and photo or image editing, a photo/image organizer, and vector line drawing application. The features of each of its modules are described, and a trial version may be downloaded, or the software may be purchased or upgraded through the site. Product history and support services are defined.
https://ability.com/
AOO is an open-source productivity office suite software produced by the Apache Software Foundation and distributed as an open-source application. A successor to OpenOffice and IBM Lotus Symphony, and closely related to LibreOffice and NeoOffice, it includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation application, drawing application, formula editor, and a database management application, which may be downloaded from the site, which also contains support files.
http://www.openoffice.org/
Makers of FlowBreeze Flowcharting Add-In for Excel, a unique tool that converts text into flowchart symbols. FlowBreeze automates many of the steps required to make a flowchart, business process map, or value stream map. FlowBreeze process diagrams can be exported to other Microsoft Office applications, and because it leverages the built-in Office drawing tools, the exported flowcharts can be edited in place. FlowBreeze allows for the seamless convergence of diagrams, data, and documentation.
http://www.breezetree.com/
The Calligra Suite is a graphic art and office suite by KDE, and available for installation on desktops, tablet computers, and smartphones, and includes applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, vector graphics, and digital painting. Using the OpenDocument format as a default, it can import other formats, such as Microsoft Office formats. The open-source (GPL, LGPL) is available for Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows.
https://www.calligra.org/
Developed by Google Cloud, G Suite is a suite of cloud computing, productivity, and collaboration software and tools, previously known as Google Apps for Your Domain. It includes Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Currents, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Form, and Sites, as well as an interactive whiteboard and App Maker, an application development platform. A trial version is available through a SaaS pricing model, with three price options listed, and compared side-by-side.
https://gsuite.google.com/
Replacing its AppleWorks suite, iWork is an office suite of applications created by Apple Corporation for its macOS and iOS operating systems and made available across platforms through its iCloud site. The suite includes a presentation program (Keynote), word processing and desktop publishing application (Pages), and spreadsheet application (Numbers). It is preinstalled on most Apple computers or available through the App Store.
https://www.apple.com/iwork/
Created by David K. Levine, Jarnal is an open-source (GNU General Public License) software application for note-taking, sketching, making a presentation, annotating a document, and keeping a journal. Similar to Microsoft Windows Journal and the earlier Mimeo whiteboarding and Palm notepad applications, it is designed for Linux-type operating systems, and instructions for installing it on Mac systems are included, along with full documentation and a FAQ.
http://www.dklevine.com/general/software/tc1000/jarnal.htm
Available as free and open-source (MPLv2.0, GPL, LGPLv3+, Apache License) software, LibreOffice has been tested on Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android devices, and should run on other Linux-type operating systems. The suite forked from OpenOffice in 2010 and includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows, diagrams and drawings, databases, and mathematical computations. Documentation, installation instructions, and professional support options are available.
https://www.libreoffice.org/
Microsoft Office is a family of client software and services by Microsoft Corporation. Originally an office suite that contained Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, it is currently produced in several versions, the most common being its desktop version, available for Windows and macOS, although Microsoft has been promoting its Office 365 as a primary means of distribution since 2013, offering use of the software on a subscription basis.
https://products.office.com/
Powered by vBulletin, MSOfficeForums is an independent online support forum for users of Microsoft Office products. Topics include the following Microsoft products: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Office, within which several other topics (Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher, OneNote, Visio) are introduced, along with other Microsoft products. Registration is free but required for participation in forum discussions.
https://www.msofficeforums.com/
Created for the macOS by Planamesa Software, NeoOffice is a fork of the open-source OpenOffice suite that includes most of the features of that suite and adds some not currently offered in the macOS versions of LibreOffice of Apache OpenOffice. Its core modules include a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, and graphics program. Previously free and open-source, its free version now cannot save documents, while a commercial version may be purchased from the Apple App Store.
https://www.neooffice.org/
Developed by MobiSystems, OfficeSuite is a cross-platform office suite with versions for the Android and iOS mobile platforms, as well as for Microsoft Windows PC. Compatible with the most frequently used Microsoft Office file formats, OfficeSuite adds PDF capabilities. OfficeSuite is preinstalled on several devices and is available from its site, Google Play, and other locations. Until 2009, OfficeSuite was mostly a reader but is now a full-featured suite.
https://www.officesuitenow.com/
The open-source office suite is developed by Ascensio System SIA, headquartered in Latvia. Originally known as TeamLab, the suite features online document editors, a platform for document management, corporate communications, and project management tools, delivered either through a SaaS pricing model or as an installation for deployment on a private network. Its interface includes Documents, CRM, Projects, Mail, Community, Calendar, and Talk.
https://www.onlyoffice.com/
Outlook and Exchange Solutions Center
Maintained by Slipstick Systems, and not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation, the site is focused on Microsoft Outlook, a personal information manager that is part of the Microsoft Office Suite. Primarily an email application, it includes a calendar, task manager, contact manager, note-taking, journal, and web browsing features. The site discusses topics related to the use of Outlook, as well as third-party tools that can be used to integrate with Outlook.
https://www.slipstick.com/
Offering through downloadable format or cloud-based, the SmartOffice time and attendance suite features attendance management, shift management, SMS service, advance leave management, comp off, FTP and parallel data export, MIS/customized reports, and multiple database support. Its desktop suite is designed for companies with a relatively low number of employees at a single location, while its web-based or cloud-based suites are ideal for larger companies.
http://www.smartofficesuite.in/
Founded in 1987, SoftMaker is known for its office suite, which contains a word processor (TextMaker), spreadsheet (PlanMaker), presentation graphics (SoftMaker Presentation), and database software (DataMaker), which is available for Linux, Mac, Windows, and Google Android, in Home and Universal editions. The suite may be purchased as a download or accessed through a subscription plan. A support forum is included.
https://www.softmaker.com/
Created in 1987, SoftMaker Office is an office suite that is offered as a one-time purchase in Standard and Professional editions, as a subscription-based version known as SoftMaker Office NX, and as a downloadable free version, SoftMaker FreeOffice, available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android operating systems. Compatible with their counterparts in Microsoft Office, it includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation applications.
https://www.freeoffice.com/
Offered as free software, with no subscriptions, up-selling, third-party add-ons, toolbars, installers, or software distributions, the office suite is made available as an online office suite or as desktop office suites, available for the Windows platform. Including a word processor, spreadsheet program, and desktop database, as well as network communications, file and system tools, portable utilities, security and encryption tools, and personal finance and business tools, the suite is free.
https://ssuitesoft.com/
Distributed by CompuClever, Ultra Office is a free office and PDF software suite, designed as an alternative to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF, supporting file formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and also OpenOffice document files, as well as a PDF editor, a vector graphics and flowchart drawing program, database editor, and a math formula editing application. Licensed under the MPL v2.0, and compatible with the Windows OS, it can be downloaded from the site.
http://www.compuclever.com/products/ultra-office/
Originally developed at Brigham Young University in 1979, WordPerfect was first marketed through Satellite Software International, the product line was sold to Novell in 1994, and to Corel in 1996. The suite is marketed in three editions: Standard, Professional, and Home & Student, which are available as a purchase for the Windows platform. Each of its editions is described here, along with its policies on free trials, special offers, and support services.
https://www.wordperfect.com/
Created by Kingsoft, originally for a Chinese market, the office suite currently supports Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS platforms, and is compatible with Microsoft Office and Adobe file formats, offering the following modules: Writer, Spreadsheets, Presentation, and PDF Editor. Its basic version is free to use, but it also offers three premium versions, by subscription, although a Windows version is available at a one-time purchase.
https://www.wps.com/
