In order to store your information in the cloud, you need an Office account.

This account is
associated with an email address that you use for various Microsoft services, such as those
in the following account types:

▪▪ Microsoft account This account type, previously called Windows Live ID, is typically
associated with a personal email address. For example, if you use Windows Live Mes-
senger, Windows Live Hotmail, or Microsoft Xbox LIVE, you have a Microsoft account.
TIP Even though a Microsoft account is typically associated with a personal email ad-
dress, you can use almost any email address to create a Microsoft account.

▪▪ Organizational account This account type is provided to you by an administrator

3
for Microsoft SharePoint Online services. If your company or educational organization
uses Office 365, then you have an organizational account.

IMPORTANT If you have an organizational (Office 365) account, your personal settings aren’t
stored on SharePoint but are stored in your Office account.

If your email account lets you use Microsoft services, then you already have an Office ac-
count. All you need to do to start using it is sign in to Office, and you’ll learn how to do that
in the next section.

Need a Microsoft account for Office?

Outlook.com, an upgrade to Hotmail, is a new email service from Microsoft. It has a
better Office integration experience than its predecessor, along with features that are
more like the desktop version, Microsoft Outlook. And as with Hotmail, SkyDrive is
included for online file storage along with Microsoft Office Web Apps.

SEE ALSO For more information on SkyDrive, see the sidebar “What is SkyDrive?” later
in this chapter.

To get your new email account, go to www.outlook.com and sign up. Or, if you al-
ready have a Hotmail account, you can upgrade it to an Outlook.com account in your
Hotmail account options.

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