Microsoft yesterday announced the launch of an 'invite only' preview of Office Web Apps, the long-anticipated competitor to Google Apps. A public beta is expected to follow later this year.
The Office Web Apps Technical Preview program will include lightweight, web versions of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and One Note (OneNote and other apps, along with further integration with Office 2010, will be available later) and can be accessed through Windows Live.
The Technical Preview is available in English and Japanese, with additional languages to be added later.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the early Technical Preview program is designed to collect additional customer feedback prior to the broad release of the service before the official launch next year. Office Web Apps will be available for PCs and Macs and will be able to run on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari, he said.
The full feature set for Office Web Apps will be available in the first half of 2010, and offered in three ways, according to Microsoft. Windows Live customers will have access to Office Web Apps on Windows Live SkyDrive. Office Web Apps will be available to Office 2010 volume licensing business customers, hosted with Microsoft SharePoint Server on-premises. Also, businesses will have access to Office Web Apps through Microsoft Online Services.
A recent study showed that around one in five organizations use Google apps to some extent. Though most of the times, this is in conjunction with MS Office, it does show that organizations are waking up to the flexibility that web-based productivity suites provide. Google's efforts have of course been hampered due to inhibitions on the part of IT managers, but a recognized brand like Microsoft Windows 7 might find getting acceptance easier.
Office Web Apps could provide Microsoft with the opportunity to knock Google out of competition in the office productivity solutions space. Of course it depends on how good a product Microsoft has created and what kind of value proposition they will be providing to consumers.
Source: cxotoday.com
The Office Web Apps Technical Preview program will include lightweight, web versions of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and One Note (OneNote and other apps, along with further integration with Office 2010, will be available later) and can be accessed through Windows Live.
The Technical Preview is available in English and Japanese, with additional languages to be added later.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the early Technical Preview program is designed to collect additional customer feedback prior to the broad release of the service before the official launch next year. Office Web Apps will be available for PCs and Macs and will be able to run on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari, he said.
The full feature set for Office Web Apps will be available in the first half of 2010, and offered in three ways, according to Microsoft. Windows Live customers will have access to Office Web Apps on Windows Live SkyDrive. Office Web Apps will be available to Office 2010 volume licensing business customers, hosted with Microsoft SharePoint Server on-premises. Also, businesses will have access to Office Web Apps through Microsoft Online Services.
A recent study showed that around one in five organizations use Google apps to some extent. Though most of the times, this is in conjunction with MS Office, it does show that organizations are waking up to the flexibility that web-based productivity suites provide. Google's efforts have of course been hampered due to inhibitions on the part of IT managers, but a recognized brand like Microsoft Windows 7 might find getting acceptance easier.
Office Web Apps could provide Microsoft with the opportunity to knock Google out of competition in the office productivity solutions space. Of course it depends on how good a product Microsoft has created and what kind of value proposition they will be providing to consumers.
Source: cxotoday.com
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