Microsoft'sOffice Online suite, a browser-based version of MS
Office, promises to change the economics of licencing for
enterprises.
The hosted product only requires an internet connection and a
web browser to run. Microsoft is expected to offer a free version,
sponsored by online advertising alongside an advert-free premium
edition.
Users looking to reduce the cost of their Microsoft Office
licences and simplify the management of their desk top PCs, could
benefit from the online version.
"Probably only 10% of users do enough with MS Office to justify
the cost of the full product," says Howard Kendall, founder and
chairman of Service Desk Institute.
Microsoft online version of Windows and Google's alternative
online appications, are attracting interest in the cash-strapped
public sector.
Geoff Connell is chief information officer for ICT Services at
the London Borough of Newham.
"I don't think there's much doubt that in the coming years that
we will be consuming an increasing amount of ICT services from the
cloud," he says.
Newham willupgrade its hardware infrastructure once more, before
moving to a blended approach using a combination of in-house
software and hosted services, he says.
"I am actively investigating how quickly we can move to a mixed
approach in order to prove the cost effectiveness of these new
offerings as well as reliability and security."
| Why you shouldn't renew your Microsoft Enterprise Agreement
yet |
|---|
| Cloud computing using software like Google Apps and Office
Live will change the economics of software licences, which may mean
Microsoft volume licensing discounts are no longer
economical. |
| Only 10% of users need the full version of MS office, so why
licence the complete package? |
| A new generation of staff, the so-called Y generation, have
grown up on the internet using online tools like Google, instant
messaging, web mail and Facebook/MySpace, instead of traditional
desktop software. |
| Why buy MS Office for temp staff and tele-workers. Home
workers could buy their own IT equipment and software (or get it
free from Google/Microsoft), while software for temps could be
charged on a per use basis. |