Big news from Microsoft found at
Information Week about Internet-based versions of Office and
Windows.
“Over time, virtually every piece of
Microsoft’s software lineup will be offered as a server or a service,” said
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. He and CTO Ray Ozzie unveiled the company’s
new Windows Live and Office Live offerings Tuesday.
…
Focused on the individual user, Windows
Live is an advertising-supported service that lets users customize their own
home pages with search content, RSS feeds, workspaces, applications and a
new Ajax-based mail system called Live Mail and Live Messenger, an updated
version of Microsoft’s MSN Messenger. The free service is not designed to
replace the company’s msn.com, which will continue to feature programmed
content.
Office Live, previewed by Microsoft’s
General Manager of Information Worker Services Rajesh Jha, is a set of free
and subscription-based services for small businesses with fewer than 10
employees.
The base-level Office Live lets small
businesses sign up for a free domain registration and a free web site, plus
multiple Live Mail accounts with up to 2 Mbytes of storage, free online
collaboration to enable ad-hoc file-sharing a la Groove Networks, code-named
Mojo. The subscription-based service is designed for fuller-function
business portals that might enable a company to set up a secure space to
communicate with an accountant or for various workgroups.
——–
You can check one of the beta sites at http://www.live.com.
Warning, though! Firefox browsers are not supported yet. But at least
they tell you that right up front.
There is a lot to this announcement, especially for small business
owners. It’s looking like Microsoft is taking the Internet more
seriously.
I tell you, if they can create a web-based version of Outlook, they will
have my interest again.
I’m curious to check this out. We’ll see. You let me know your
thoughts.
—-
Tom
