MICROSOFT TAKING OFFICE TO THE CLOUD

Microsoft will begin beta testing a new Office in the cloud product dubbed Office 365.  The new offering will include document storage, sharing, editing and a variety of communication tools, all cloud-based.  Office 365 will include Office Professional Plus along with Sharepoint Online (for collaboration and sharing), Exchange Online (for email, calandar and contacts) and Lync Online (for IM, audio/video conferencing and screen sharing).

Pricing will be based on number of users per month. Small organizations consisting of 25 people or less will be able to access Office Web Apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Lync Online, for $6 per user, per month. Larger businesses will be able to select from several different plans, ranging from email at $2 per user, per month, to a complete Office 365 package including Office Professional Plus for $24 per user, per month.

Office 365 just released in beta and is expected to launch to consumers later in 2011. [Geek]