Microsoft: Office Beta For Mac Introduces Support For Apple Silicon

Microsoft has released a beta version of Office for Mac that adds support for Apple Silicon, the new processor that Apple will use for its next computers, the first of which should be announced on November 10th during the “One more thing“. According to rumors, the first Macs with Apple Silicon could be a 13-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a 13-inch MacBook Air.

The new build of Office for Insider Program members contains support for Apple-designed processors for SQL Server connectivity settings, more specifically, for the SQL Open Data Connectivity (ODBC) provider integrated into Excel for Mac. Microsoft also has added support for TLS v1.2 communication protocol. This Excel feature allows users to access data from SQL Server databases using integrated ODBC drivers.

In recent days, we recall, Apple has also launched a series of initiatives aimed at developers to provide all the support and resources necessary to develop Universal apps, optimize apps built with Mac Catalyst, and test iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with Apple Silicon. Developers can also request one-to-one sessions with an Apple engineer to delve into aspects of app optimization for new Macs with Apple Silicon. Moreover, in recent months, Apple has made available both the resources of the aforementioned program and the first Developer Transition Kit, a Mac mini with an A12Z processor.