Microsoft is getting ready to tackle head on providers of online office solutions such as Google and Zoho. With the launch of its primary Office 2010 suite this week Microsoft is providing a free online component – called Office Web Apps to keep its corporate customers onside as more organisations consider going webside as business becomes more mobile.
However the biggest shock is that Microsoft will also offer its online office suite to all Facebook users giving them a potential market of between 4-5 billion people.
An online version of MS Office has been available to 400 million members of its Live service and from what I have seen (review here) Microsoft has done a good job of integrating its desktop and cloud based services.
The firm has also integrated the social web into its software in a bid to attract new customers and keep the desktop software relevant in an increasingly online world. Its Social Connector facility allows people to import information from social networks such as LinkedIn and MySpace into the Office Outlook e-mail program.
Google’s online office service accounts for about 4% of the market while Microsoft’s domination with more than 94% means the rivals have an uphill struggle to break into the corporate business model.
A Gartner analyst commented: “It is critical that Microsoft capture users who are not tethered to the same desktop PC every day. They need to be able to serve the growing netbook community and people using their phones.”
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