Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is partnering with data aggregator Plaid on a personal finance app, Money in Excel, set to roll out in the coming months, both companies said in blog posts this week. The collaboration is part of the April 21 relaunch of Office 365, which will be rebranded Microsoft 365.
- The deal would give Office 365’s 38 million users exposure to Plaid, which already serves 11,000 institutions, including, Venmo, Square and Acorns, and is connected to one in four U.S. bank accounts, according to the company’s chief operating officer, Eric Sager. Visa announced plans to purchase the company in January for $5.3 billion.
- It’s not the first foray into financial services for the tech giant. The company in 1991 launched Microsoft Money, a personal finance management program that let users check bank account balances, create budgets and track expenses. Microsoft discontinued it in 2009, saying “demand for a comprehensive personal finance toolset has…
