Microsoft Office 365

[dbdawn]

So MS released pricing for professionals and small businesses (under 25 employees). $6 per month/employee

• Email, calendar, contacts, personal archive, and 25 GB mailbox storage with 35 MB attachments with Exchange Online
  
• Online document viewing and basic editing capabilities with Office Web Apps
  
• Easily access and view files from your mobile device with Office Web Apps
  
• Consistent file formatting from desktop Office versions to web versions with Office Web Apps
  
• Sites to share documents and information with SharePoint Online
  
• Easily design and maintain a professional-looking public website with SharePoint Online
  
• Instant messaging, presence, online meetings, and PC-to-PC audio/video calls with Lync Online
  
• Share your desktop with colleagues and partners with Lync Online
  
• Premium antivirus and anti-spam filtering with Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for Exchange

How do you think this will fare?

[SmithFamilyDesigns]

Originally Posted by dbdawn

So MS released pricing for professionals and small businesses (under 25 employees). $6 per month/employee

• Email, calendar, contacts, personal archive, and 25 GB mailbox storage with 35 MB attachments with Exchange Online
  
• Online document viewing and basic editing capabilities with Office Web Apps
  
• Easily access and view files from your mobile device with Office Web Apps
  
• Consistent file formatting from desktop Office versions to web versions with Office Web Apps
  
• Sites to share documents and information with SharePoint Online
  
• Easily design and maintain a professional-looking public website with SharePoint Online
  
• Instant messaging, presence, online meetings, and PC-to-PC audio/video calls with Lync Online
  
• Share your desktop with colleagues and partners with Lync Online
  
• Premium antivirus and anti-spam filtering with Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for Exchange

How do you think this will fare?

Cursory glance, its something I would use. Ease of deployment, mobile platforms supported, etc would all play big roles though.

Edit: Noticed that it still requires MS Office 2007+ and purchase of Lync... That seems pretty cost prohibitive considering this is now just an add on rather than alternative.

[ZenTree]

Using it at the moment, works perfectly with no hassle

[dbdawn]

Originally Posted by MeDammit

Edit: Noticed that it still requires MS Office 2007+ and purchase of Lync... That seems pretty cost prohibitive considering this is now just an add on rather than alternative.

I thought it was an alternative, I will have to go back and read.

[SmithFamilyDesigns]

Originally Posted by dbdawn

I thought it was an alternative, I will have to go back and read.

I did too. As an alternative, hell yes! But under system requirements it shows all the dirty stuff.

[ZenTree]

Originally Posted by MeDammit

I did too. As an alternative, hell yes! But under system requirements it shows all the dirty stuff.

I'm pretty sure that you don't need office to access the web based apps. For example I can access my email absolutely fine from any computer, regardless of having outlook or not. It's like a server providing OWA.
With regards to opening documents, I have presumed it was the same but I'll have a check and let you know.

[MrUnknown]

Web access is included and is actually rather nice.

I was in the beta and they seemed to offer Outlook as a free download for use with the service. I already have Outlook, so I never tried, but I do recall the option. It was also already pre-configured to work with your account.

Lync is an addon, I don't think it is required.

[4ycr]

I have not tried office 265 but can anyone tell me the difference between this and BPoS in regards the email?

Both seem to offer 25GB storage and with outlook and web access

[MrUnknown]

Originally Posted by 4ycr

I have not tried office 265 but can anyone tell me the difference between this and BPoS in regards the email?

Both seem to offer 25GB storage and with outlook and web access

Office 365 is replacing BPOS

I think it also has web-versions of Excel, Word, etc.

[16k_zx81]

Originally Posted by dbdawn

How do you think this will fare?

I give disk/local based installs primacy for 5 years max. in developed countries.

Everything will be cloud based, imminently. The only variable here is broadband infrastructure and locality.

Countries with high-speed internet will adopt faster (Im looking at you, Korea and Japan). They will be picking up this technology NOW, as we speak. im not talking about this product specifically, but about using a cheap, thin client to access the Net and to use remote machines for storage and computing power.

Those with slower infrastructures will have a take up rate in accord with that. (Im in Australia. Our broadband sucks, and wont be much better within the next 5 years)

The notion of installing software locally will fast be extinct. Its an inefficient and dated notion.

I just had a look at the pricing here for Office 365 Its $7.90 AUD per month. I think MS have got that aspect spot-on, and can see this being popular fast.