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MS Planning Free Web-Based Business Software

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the word-gets-online-calls-some-folks-newbs dept.

nieske writes "In response to Google Apps for Your Domain, Microsoft is also planning to release free web-based business software. The software will be ad-supported, but a paid, ad-free version will also be available. From the article: 'Revenue from software licenses for Office and the Windows operating system accounts for a bulk of Microsoft revenues. The challenge for Microsoft will be to make sure a free or, possibly, a subscription-supported version of Works won't hurt sales of its dominant Office software, which accounted for a quarter of the company's $44 billion in sales last year.' Would you choose an ad-supported online version of Microsoft Office over other free options like OpenOffice or Google Apps for Your Domain?"

2 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Spin Alert! /. Title is Misleading by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Informative
    Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday it may offer a free, advertising-supported version of its basic word processing and spreadsheet software, in an apparent bid to fend off a nascent challenge from Google Inc. in the business software market.
    Microsoft is not "planning" this. The title of TFA is "Microsoft mulls free Web-based business software." The definition of 'mull' is "to consider at length." Nowhere does it say this is for sure or that they are planning it. They are considering it. There is a difference. They are trying to figure out if it would be feasible to port MS Works to be accessible over the web generating revenue through in product advertising.

    Maybe they'll decide to work on this. Maybe they'll decide the market is too crowded already. Right now, it's all up in the air -- I have found no sources claiming they are already planning it.
    --
    My work here is dung.
  2. Oh wonderful.... by KoshClassic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Knowing Microsoft, it will have features like:

    a) it only works with Internet Explorer
    b) documents saved with it will never load on anything but Microsoft products
    c) shortcuts to it will be placed in highly visible locations in all future versions of Windows
    d) it can only be accessed from PC's running licensed copies of Windows

    etc. etc. etc.

    I'll stick with Google.

    --
    Understanding is a three edged sword. - Ambassador Kosh Naranek, Babylon 5