Microsoft took aggressive steps at the Macworld Conference and Expo
yesterday to promote Office to users of Apple Computer's Mac OS
X.
The company announced two promotional offers intended to make
Office v. X for Mac appealing to Apple customers. Microsoft said it
has signed a deal with Apple to install a 30-day trial version of
Office v. X for Mac on all new Macintosh computers.
The trial software, known as Office Test Drive, is a full-function
version of Microsoft's productivity software but lacks the ability
to print documents.
"It gives users a chance to kick the tyres of Office," said Scott
Erickson, product manager with Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit
(MacBU). He claimed hundreds of thousands of users have downloaded
the test drive kit or received a free copy of the software since it
first became available a year ago.
Apple and Microsoft have also introduced a $300 (£187) instant
rebate for customers worldwide who purchase Office v. X for Mac
when they also buy a new Macintosh.
Microsoft has branded its latest marketing effort "Office Romance",
but is, essentially, duplicating a similar deal to purchase Office
v. X for Mac for $199 with the purchase of new hardware.
These efforts to introduce the software to Mac users is the latest
sign that Microsoft may be struggling to spur sluggish sales of
Office v. X for Mac, according to Giga Information Group research
fellow Rob Enderle.
"I do think that Microsoft is starting to say, 'If we don't build a
bigger market for this, then we're going to have to exit the
market'," Enderle said. "The volume of sales has been well below
expectations."
Microsoft and Apple have shared a development relationship for five
years, with Microsoft committing an entire business unit to
creating Mac software. However, some have questioned that
relationship because the two companies decided not to renew a
contract that bound Microsoft to produce software for Apple's
operating system.
Erickson insisted Microsoft remains "extremely committed" to the
Mac platform.
Microsoft also announced that it would sell Entourage, its e-mail
and personal information management software for Mac OS X, as a
standalone product. For $99, Mac users will be able to purchase the
e-mail management software, which is equivalent to Microsoft's
Outlook software for Windows users.
The move to pull Entourage apart from the Office bundle comes just
as Apple has begun to promote its own e-mail software as well as
iCal, a calendaring application.
Microsoft also previewed its MSN for Mac, a hybrid Internet access
application that brings together Web browsing, e-mail, digital
media and other Internet features into a single interface.