Microsoft Releases Office 365 Beta

We recently did an article about Google launching Pagination for Google Docs which helps users to read and write their articles through a cloud based system. Shortly after this, Microsoft released its own strategy for cloud based computing in the form of Microsoft Office 365.

Microsoft's Office 365 Beta released (Image credit:Josh Lowensohn, CNET)

Microsoft usually releases a few large scale public beta versions to remove possible bugs and has done the same by releasing a beta version of Office 365. This service combines Office Web Apps with hosted versions of Exchange and SharePoint as well as Microsoft's Lync product, which provides the online communication and collaboration piece. Besides this, it also has a variety of features which include document creation and sharing, e-mail, instant messaging, online meetings, and public Web sites.

Another Interesting feature of this is that Microsoft Office 365 is cross platform and can be used through a desktop PC, the Web and a Windows Phone 7 smartphone. However, it is also possible to use it on Android, Apple iOS devices as well as the RIM’s PlayBook. This service can also be operated on different browsers like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari; though it isn’t possible to use it on Safari for iOS.

The beta version of Microsoft Office 365 is available in 36 countries, in 17 languages and will be officially launched later this year.

Source: CNET