Microsoft Excel, the most widely used spreadsheet program in the world will enable bitcoin support in 2017. The confirmation comes ten months after the feature was revealed to be in its development state – which it continues to be at the time of publishing – within the Microsoft Office software suite roadmap.
First revealed in March 2016, the feature was among 84 other updates (at the time) that were in development.
Pinning bitcoin as a currency, a description for the feature, at the time, read:
Bitcoin Currency Format Support
Now use Excel to track, calculate and analyze Bitcoin data using native Bitcoin number formatting options. Feature is first being rolled out to Excel 2016 for Windows, Excel Online, Excel Mobile for Windows and Excel Mobile for Android.
Although the feature continues to be in development presently, support for the world’s most widely-known and used cryptocurrency is pinned among the most anticipated new Office 365, according to one Microsoft executive.
“In 2017, Excel will be able to recognize, format, calculate and analyze numbers expressed in Bitcoin currency,” wrote Martin Butler, the account executive for all General Electric (GE) engagements from Microsoft.
A quick look at the Office 365 roadmap reveals currency format support for bitcoin, in development, across multiple platforms. This hints at currently ongoing development to include bitcoin support, across every platform with Excel implementation, individually.
As speculated earlier, enabling native bitcoin support could include recognition of bitcoin as BTC within Microsoft Excel. Furthermore, the surging value of bitcoin could see BTC denominations up to 8 decimal counts, compared to the standard of two for fiat currencies.
Microsoft, the maker of several of the world’s most widely-used software is notable for its bitcoin-friendly stance from as early as 2014. In a significant endorsement of the cryptocurrency, Microsoft began accepting bitcoin, via payment processor BitPay, as payment for digital products including games and apps in its Windows and Xbox stores. Microsoft’s instructions on using bitcoin for services can be found here.
Image from Shutterstock.
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