2024 Trends: AI in Office Suites

This post is part of G2's 2024 technology trends series. Read more about G2’s perspective on digital transformation trends in an introduction from Chris Voce, VP, market research, and additional coverage on trends identified by G2’s analysts.

Buyers will increasingly look for AI functionality when purchasing office suites

As long as software has been around, so has office technology—software like email, web browsers, calendars, document creation, presentation, and spreadsheets. 

Businesses have long relied on consolidated software packages known as office suites, especially those sold by industry giants Microsoft and Google, which bundle key productivity apps in an integrated solution.

However, an emerging new trend for industry leaders and other smaller office suites sellers is the emergence of AI in office suites, in the form of AI assistants aimed at enhancing productivity. 

Office suites have become foundational for businesses of all sizes since they can be used for diverse tasks and to improve organizational efficiency. Some of the most popular ones are familiar names for many workers, notably Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

Over time, office technology has evolved to include such functions as package tracking, digital wayfinding, visitor management, digital business cards, and others to fulfill modern offices' needs across all industries. 

Now, office suite sellers are integrating AI assistants within their products as the competition to have the best AI helper heats up. 

These assistants—Microsoft’s forthcoming Copilot and Google’s Duet AI among them—help product suite users with intelligent suggestions within their typical workflows. 

For instance, within document creation software, a product suite assistant can suggest relevant content, offer writing assistance, and automate everyday tasks. In spreadsheet software, an assistant can take a user’s plain text description of a calculation and create a formula. 

G2 data shows varying ROI across different office software products

A key question is what kind of impact these emerging AI tools will have on how quickly an organization realizes a return on their investment after buying a software suite.

Here is a look at ROI data for the top 25 Office Software categories listed on G2 over the last year, based on G2 user reviews.

The average ROI across these categories is around 15 months. Office suites have an ROI of 16 months, which is just above the average.

However, the AI assistant is a newer addition to office suites, so there is a projection in 2024 for office suites to have a lower ROI as the benefits are realized. 

Having an office suite with the added benefit of an AI assistant gives buyers new ways to realize value from their investment and do it faster.

AI assistants in office suites will be the differentiator

The increasing use of AI assistants should help make office suites more intuitive and accessible. 

Considering office suites have been on the rise as competitors try to keep up with the industry giants, having AI incorporated into office suites should lead to more interest in the packages. Consequently, this helps drop the ROI for buyers as they realize the advantages of investing in AI-powered office suites quicker. 

As companies look to get the office suite that best suits their needs, a key consideration will be which ones provide the best AI assistant to help manage everyday tasks for employees.

Learn about how AI will impact email communication.

Edited by Jigmee Bhutia