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Microsoft to offer Web-streamed Office, combating Google Apps

Time: 16:35 EST/21:35 GMT | News Source: ComputerWorld | Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum

Worried by the small but growing number of small businesses and consumers switching from Office to less expensive or free online alternatives, such as Google Apps, Microsoft Corp. plans to arm a key cohort of its formidable legion of business partners to help fight the threat posed by so-called Office 2.0 technologies.

Microsoft plans to conduct a yearlong test of a change to a key part of its license for Office 2007 that will, according to multiple sources, enable Web hosting service providers to offer the Office suite via an emerging technology called application streaming.

The sources said Microsoft will make the announcement early next week during its Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas.