Office 365 beta ready for business

Microsoft launches beta version of cloud productivity solution Microsoft Office 365.

Microsoft has launched the public beta of its cloud productivity solution Microsoft Office 365.

The solution, aimed at businesses of all sizes, brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online under one roof, and offered as a cloud service.

Office 365 for enterprise users can select which aspects of the solution they want to subscribe to. Prices start from £1.30 per user, per month for basic email.

Alternatively, businesses subscribing to the solution can gain access to Office Web Apps, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and an external web site for £4 per user, per month – a process that takes just 15 minutes according to Microsoft.

Office 365 users can also buy Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop software on a pay-as-you-go basis for £15.75 per user, per month.

This comes with email, voicemail, enterprise social networking, instant messaging, web portals, extranets, videoconferencing, web-conferencing, 24/7 phone support and on-premise licences.