Microsoft Office To Be Available as a Service

Microsoft Office users soon will be able to open, create, and edit files using "lightweight" hosted versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, Microsoft announced.

Moreover, those online applications will be accessible on the fly via smart phones, Web browsers, or remote PCs. The service will complement Office Mobile applications and installed versions of Office.

Last Wednesday, at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced that it would add Office Live to its growing list of online apps as part of its "software plus services" strategy.

The hosted Office apps will sit on top of the growing Microsoft Live family of online products. The viewing and sharing of Office files is already available through Microsoft Office Live Workspace, currently in beta release. However, users of Office Live Workspace still need a copy of Microsoft Office if they want to edit and save those shared files.

The beta version of Office Live Workspace is being used by more than a million people, according to Microsoft's announcement.

Office was described as one of Microsoft's leading moneymakers in the company's first-quarter 2009 financial report, published late this month. It's unclear how Microsoft plans to price the new lightweight hosted Office apps, but the planned release suggests that Microsoft is plunging ahead with its overall software plus services strategy.

"We are on a path to deliver all our technology as software-plus-services, and today is an important milestone in this journey," Microsoft Senior Vice President Chris Capossela said in a released statement.

Capossela noted that Microsoft has been offering services such as hosted Exchange, Outlook Web, and Live Meeting for "more than 10 years." The company introduced Microsoft Online earlier this year, and mega-companies such as Coca-Cola, Blockbuster, and Energizer were quick to adopt the online strategy, he said.

Capossela explained that users typically access various computing devices and "they want a seamless, synchronized experience across those devices to help them work smarter, faster, and better."

The hosted Office can store more than 1,000 Microsoft Office documents in a password-protected environment, according to Microsoft's marketing materials. The service synchronizes contacts, tasks and event lists with Microsoft Outlook.

Hosted files are protected by Forefront Security for SharePoint and require a Windows Live ID and password to access. The user can control permissions and manage which files are available to specific users, according to Microsoft's Web site.

Office Web applications will be available to individual consumers through Office Live, either by subscription or ad-funded.

Organizations can access hosted Office apps via "subscription and existing volume licensing programs," according to Microsoft.

Availability dates for the hosted Microsoft Office apps were not specified. However, Microsoft plans to release a "private Technical Preview of Office Web applications later this year," according to the company.

About the Author

Herb Torrens is an award-winning freelance writer based in Southern California. He managed the MCSP program for a leading computer telephony integrator for more than five years and has worked with numerous solution providers including HP/Compaq, Nortel, and Microsoft in all forms of media. You can contact Herb here.

Featured

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has introduced a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • laptop screen displays an

    Crafting Thoughtful AI Policy in Higher Education: A Guide for Institutional Leaders

    Here's how to develop and implement an AI framework that not only aligns with an institution's unique mission, but also addresses the diverse needs of its stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, and administration.

  • human figures surrounded by precise arcs with book and gear icons

    Kennedy-King College Rolls Out Holistic Student Support Program

    Chicago's Kennedy-King College is expanding student support services through a collaboration between City Colleges of Chicago and One Million Degrees (OMD), a Chicago-based nonprofit serving low-income community college students.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.