RSSMicrosoft Mulls Web Based Works Suite
By Ed Oswald | Published September 22, 2006, 12:15 PM
Microsoft is considering giving away its basic Microsoft Works word processing and spreadsheet software, aimed at preventing a possible challenge from Google, who bought web-word processor Writely in March, and began testing Google Spreadsheet in June.
However, the Redmond company runs the risk of hurting its Office business, which contributes a significant amount of revenue to the company's bottom line. The challenge will be how Microsoft handles the Web-based service while still making money off its Office suite.
Microsoft currently offers Works for $50, and it includes basic versions of applications which could also be found in Office, including a word processor and spreadsheet, as well as calendar and e-mail applications. Through a Web-based approach, some of these services could be folded into currently available services, such as Windows Live Mail.
It's not clear if Microsoft would offer the services under the guise of Windows Live, although plans call for the service to be advertising-supported. There is a service named Office Live, but that suite of products has more to do with putting a business online rather than the suite of software applications using the same name.
JupiterResearch senior analyst Joe Wilcox said that a free or hosted version of Works may not be a good idea for Microsoft. "That's not to say it would be a bad more. Microsoft could easily do the right thing, just for the wrong reasons," he explains.
"If Microsoft does bring Works to the Web, the reason should be to bulk up the commoditized functions of its Windows Live products and services," Wilcox continued. He said that a web-based Works should be for consumers, and not included as part of Office Live.
"Works as part of Office Live risks cannibalizing Office sales to small businesses. I simply don't see a strong upsell opportunity to Office," he added. "More likely, many very small businesses would find the hosted or free Works as good enough. I've got to strongly encourage Microsoft folks to resist making product decisions in response to competitors; there simply is too much of this kind of behavior going on."
Well innovation has never been a forte of M$ so nobody is expecting it, but what we can expect from them is to copy someone's innovation in an innovative way, but even that is way too much for M$.
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well it can lower prices of ms office to improve its sales. that way more people will actually buy it instead of using old versions (my entire school district still runs o2k)
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Office 2007 is an actual improvement over previous versions of office. Works just plain sucks it always has. You wouldn't catch me paying for it or using it free via the web. I would rather use a previous version of office or openoffice.org or heck even writely or thinkfree.com
In fact I think thinkfree.com is really where the attention should be focused. It is a real life alternative to Microsoft's office suite at least 3 of the programs including word, PowerPoint and excel. If you never seen thinkfree before check it out. You be the judge of truly why Microsoft is worried. I mean with the advance of broadband and wifi reliability and capability.
Stand alone apps really are beginning their trend downward. Soon games, music and even movies and maybe even advanced aspects of Os's will be streamed almost like dummy terminals were back in the day. What easier way to get the latest and greatest apps without download patches, getting viruses or anything else for that matter. But if your broadband connection goes down, uh oh! Same as living in the stone age just like losing electricity.
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"Microsoft is considering giving away its basic Microsoft Works word processing and spreadsheet software, aimed at preventing a possible challenge from Google, who bought web-word processor Writely in March, and began testing Google Spreadsheet in June."
That wrong. We heard about MS strategy moving some of its ligthweight programe (like money, works) to web before Google have it spread sheet program. Revenue model is clearly stated by RayOzzie and Bill Gate in WindowsLive conference.
Jupiner is wrong also. If MS dont do innovation, other will do.
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We're Building a New House & I've Used/Use Writely.Com Extensively!!!
http://www.writely.com/
We Have EVERYTHING On There...
I Like The SIMPLE "Remotely Hosted"/Collabration Part! ;-)
Google Spreadsheets, TOO!!!
http://spreadsheets.google.com/
I LOVE IT!!!
But, Hay! I'll L@@K@Microsofts' Offering, Also!
Aloha!
;-)
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"Works as part of Office Live risks cannibalizing Office sales to small businesses. I simply don't see a strong upsell opportunity to Office,"
Microsoft eats itself? Geez, do they eat their fingernails too before the head?
Since when?
Microsoft is the biggest business of software within the entire world!
Why eat itself?
About the lower prices. Here is a company that had then and still has the right idea all along.
http://www.ulead.com
Tell 'em I sent you.
William K. Mahler
http://www.mahlers.com
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You have to choice, either eat yourselves or wait for other come to eat you.
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What does that have to do with an office suite being online ulead makes photo editing software dvd burning etc. NO office suite there so wtf?
Here is some good pricing for you www.openoffice.org
www.linux.com
www.google.com personalized page
www.google.com/calender
www.youtube.com
www.ipod.com
www.itunes.com
www.mozilla.org
picasa picasa.google.com
google earth earth.google.com
avg antivirus
Let's just say these are all products that give microsoft reason to exist due to they are good at what they do and microsoft is jealous and guess what, they all make money offering these products and do it very well with overwelming majority of use. These are companies microsoft wants to destroy. Because they make money not going into microsoft's pockets. Which is sad because microsoft will always will and always have inferior buggy crappy software. They just have the operating system which gets installed on 90 percent of all computers to help them shove it down your throat and market these things.
Vista has an incredible amount of products tied to it and an ability to market all their new products which are available online via windows live. This includes tieing their search to the browser, its the default unless you figure out how to change it. Soapbox coming out soon to compete with youtube. Office 2007, windows live onecar security suite. Windows defender hard bolted to the os with no uninstall feature.
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Will I be more likely to bag the position if I email my resume as a Works Document?
That alone should be evidence enough of my knowledge, skills, and abilities!
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-hurting its Office business-
um... Isn't that one of Works MAIN features...
Making you want a better Office suite?
-offer the services under the guise of Windows Live-
So you take a feature limited product and run it via the interweb....
-plans call for the service to be advertising-supported-
Oh, you mean it gets ... better?
I think Office of any version is safe here.
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Great. I was left with a substantially broken computer after doing nothing more than uninstalling Works last night. All trust is gone there now, too.
Also, why offer a product that no one has ever used although it was been free all along? Most computer users don't even know Works is on their computers! Therefore, I don't think Works will cannibalize Office. That's one expert who is clueless. (I'll be he's never even used Works.)
Offering for "free" a product consumers have already had for years at no cost, and never used even then? There's nothing like following failure with folly, but then we are talking about Microsoft.
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