Tentpole Programs

Tentpole programs are the most commonly used titles in the Microsoft Office suite. These programs have also been around the longest (often outdating the formation of Microsoft Office itself). These titles are:

Word
Excel
PowerPoint
OneNote
Word

Microsoft Word is a word processor. It makes it possible to create documents in traditional text form. There are added templates available in Microsoft Word that do alter creation potential, ranging from book layouts to postage addresses. This is the oldest continually running program in the Office package, with its origin dating back to 1983 (although it was called Multi-Tool Word then).

Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program. While often used for financial reports, this program allows a user to input information into individual cells on a chart. The spreadsheet software permits the creation of complex mathematical formulas, based on what a user needs. This way sums, equations, and other information can be automatically calculated when typing in new data into the cells. Microsoft first released Excel back in 1985.

PowerPoint

This slideshow presentation software is a digital version of old-fashioned film slides. Individual “slides” can house text, visuals, video footage and other information. PowerPoint came out with the initial Microsoft Office release in 1990.

OneNote

OneNote is best used in a collaborative environment. It makes it possible for individuals to input notes (both typed or handwritten), images or other content picked up from the Internet. This way, when researching a subject or when working with different users across a network, it is easier to save all viable information in one location. This title has been around since 2003.

Additional Programs for Office Professional 2016 include:

Outlook
Publisher
Access
OneDrive
Skype
Outlook

Outlook is an email service. The desktop application version provides more in-depth features than what the online login option provides.

Publisher

This is a basic level publishing tool designed to be an easy to use Microsoft Publisher for books, pamphlets and other, similar documents.

Access

This is a database management software. It shares many similar features as Excel only it makes it possible to output the information easily to not only Excel but Outlook, Oracle based programs and other third party titles.

OneDrive

This is a cloud-based service, which makes it easier to save information created in the Microsoft Suite to the Internet cloud drive. This way, a user can access the information anywhere there is an Internet connection.

Skype

Skype is an Internet communication service. It provides VoIP features, instant messaging, video calls and other communication options.