Microsoft launches online Office

Mumbai: Microsoft has launched a web-based model of its most lucrative product, the Office, in an attempt to seize the initiative back from web search giant Google.

Consumers can use the web-based version of Office to write, store and edit material created in programmes such as Microsoft Word and Excel directly onto the internet, Microsoft said in a statement.

Microsoft had earlier said it would offer web-based versions of some of its enterprise products, including the e-mail programme `Exchange.' Companies will be able to access e-mail for their workforces stored on Microsoft's servers by paying a subscription.

Microsoft's aggressive foray into the new web-based model of software delivery marks yet another attempt to catch up with Google. Its great rival has already launched called

Google, meanwhile, has launched Google Apps, a suite of Office-like applications that allow users to create and store documents online.

Microsoft, which is still into a $45 billion takeover bid for Yahoo!, is concerned that Google is well placed to exploit the new trend of delivering software via the internet, having already stolen a sizeable lead in the market for online advertising.

Microsoft already allows people to create and store Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations online, and share them with friends and colleagues through its `Office Live WorkSpace'.

The new version of Exchange will mean that companies can manage their employees' e-mail accounts as well as calendars, contact lists, video conferencing and other functions without needing to buy an expensive servers.