Microsoft's Office Live exits beta

[BGonaSTICK]

Microsoft's Office Live has shed its beta. The Internet-based software for businesses, which offers features such as Web site building and hosting, email accounts and customer management tools, became generally available in the US on Wednesday morning. It had been in beta since February 15.

An international beta version of Office Live was also scheduled to be released on Wednesday in the UK, France, Japan and Germany, but Microsoft has since pushed that release date back to 21 November.

In addition to the free Basics version, Microsoft is selling premium versions with more services for a monthly subscription fee -- Microsoft Office Live Essentials for $20 (£11) per month and Microsoft Office Live Premium for $40 (£21) per month. The software is available via the Office Live site.

As part of the release, Microsoft announced that Toshiba and Sony laptops will come bundled with a desktop link to Office Live and other Office Live links from within relevant Web tools.

Office Live is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to compete with Google and others now offering Web-based applications. Microsoft Office Live's AdManager, for example, is a direct competitor with Google Adwords -- it allows people to purchase keywords tied to search advertising on the MSN and Live.com sites.

The technological shift to Web-based applications and services will be the most significant development of the decade, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said at the company's annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday. Ballmer also said he sees Microsoft's online services arm as the company's "fourth core," alongside desktop software, server software and entertainment.