News

First office Beta Expected to be Released in Few days

January 13, 2006

Very soon the Microsoft Office data would go live.

Office Live is not a hosted version of Microsoft Office. Instead, it is a set of software services Microsoft Corp. is developing as extensions to its shrink-wrapped Office product. Microsoft introduced the Office Live concept in November, at the same time as it rolled out its Windows Live strategy. Company officials said at that time to expect a first beta of Office Live in early 2006.

Microsoft sent invitations the first week of January to testers the company had selected to participate in initial Office Live testing, according to the LiveSide Weblog—an independent site dedicated to tracking Microsoft's live efforts. The first Office Live beta is expected to be available for U.S.-based participants running Windows XP and Office 2000 or later versions of Microsoft's desktop operating system and Office suite.

Microsoft is pitching Office Live primarily as a small-business play.

Source: eweek