Microsoft's web-based office product, Office Live, was released in beta yesterday.
Microsoft Office Live provides companies with its own free domain name, Web site, and e-mail accounts.
Additionally, Office Live offers
* business management applications, such as customer, project, and document management tools,
* Web site managed and maintained by Microsoft where you can work together and share information with employees, customers, suppliers, and contractors.
Microsoft Office Live isn't a replacement for Microsoft Office, and it's not a hosted version of Microsoft Office.
These services are offered at three different levels:
Office Live Basics,
Office Live Collaboration,
and Office Live Essentials.
Basics (Free)
Create an effective Web site and more:
Your own domain name
Five e-mail accounts
Web site traffic reports
Collaboration (Starting at $29.95/month)
Organize, manage and share information in a single online workspace with:
Simple online programs to manage customers, employees, and projects
Online workspace to share information and work with others more efficiently
Essentials (Starting at $29.95/month)
Manage and grow your business online using:
Your own domain name and Web site
50 e-mail accounts
Site traffic reports and search engine (keyword) reports
Greg Linden thinks it's more "branding foolishness from Microsoft", because Office Live doesn't live up to the 'Live' hype.