Microsoft's Online Office Web Applications
Web-based Office 2010 Suite Software Coming Soon
Jul 19, 2009
At the Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, software giant Microsoft Corp. recently announced that Office 2010 is ready for testing. As part of the invitation only Technical Preview program, thousands of people will take part in the testing of Office 2010. The company also announced that an online version of Office 2010, called Office Web Applications, will also be available.
Office Web Applications
The online version of Office 2010, Office Web Applications, is a lighter version than its full-blown desktop counterpart. The web-based version will include WORD, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. As part of the “software plus service,” Office Web Applications will be available via three different browsers: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.
Users will be able to create a document from home then edit the same document using a remote computer or mobile device that includes a modern browser. Computer users will be able to create, edit, collaborate, share and save a document, while preserving and maintaining the look and feel of a traditional Office document, from any location or device.
Users will be able to access the online version in three different ways. For example, accessing the service using Windows Live at no cost. But it appears business customers may not be so lucky. Office Web Applications will be available through a hosted subscription service and through existing volume licensing agreements.
Among other things, the full-fledged desktop Office 2010 version will include a nifty feature allowing PowerPoint users to share and broadcast PowerPoint presentations online. Once the desktop version has been released, the free version will be available online. The light-weight, web-based version will most likely include advertising.
Google versus Microsoft
While Google, Zoho and Open Office offer similar versions of office productivity applications, Microsoft Office reigns supreme. In what appears to be a back-and-forth between Google and Microsoft, Microsoft went head-to-head against Google earlier this year with Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.
Not to be outdone, search engine giant Google recently announced the upcoming release of their free operating system, Chrome OS, which will compete with Microsoft’s Windows OS. The latest announcement by Microsoft offering a free version of Office online may or may not be coincidental. But coincidence or not; a little healthy competition between companies is generally beneficial for consumers.
Office 2010 Product Release
A public preview of the online version is expected later this summer. Office 2010 will be available in both the online and desktop versions, and is expected to be released in the first half of 2010. For a sneak peak, visit Office 2010: The Movie or the Microsoft Office 2010 technical preview.
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