New Office 2010 Challenges Google Docs
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Microsoft Australia, has today launched Office 2010 the latest version of its Office suite of software that has been specifically designed to fend off a challenge from Google who are starting to take market share away from Microsoft with their Google Docs offering which only costs $50 a year.

In a move that heightens the competition between the two Companies, Microsoft has said that they will also offer a free, Web-based version of Office that will contain advertising. Users will be served the advertisement every time they go into the software or when they start a new document.

Recently Google’s online Apps, which perform similar business-related functions to Office, have gained momentum in the market however Google Australia has refused to say how many people are using their service in Australia. 
A recent SmartOffice survey revealed that several people were now using the Google offering in Australia because it is cheap and less prone to “administrative hassles”. However the bulk of users primarily used Word,Excel, Powerpoint and Microsoft outlook.
Microsoft, who has close relationships with PC manufacturers due to the past success of their Windows operating system, has said that 80 per cent of the PCs sold after it launches the retail version of Office 2010 on June 15 will come with the new Office 2010 pre loaded. 
Stephen Elop, head of Microsoft’s business division, formally launched Microsoft’s new office productivity suite, Office 2010, in New York last night .He said consumers will have several options for trying out the new software before paying online for a digital key that will unlock the complete suite.

 
He described the new software as being the best for desktop and cloud-based computing. “This is a generational moment. Welcome to the future of productivity. Welcome to Office 2010,” Mr Elop told his audience.
He said “Three times more people have downloaded the Office 2010 beta than downloaded the beta version of Office 2007 reflecting the excitement among users,” he said.
Office 2010 includes a significant upgrade in the Outlook messaging component together with improvements in the core Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications designed to enhance productivity.
The biggest underlying change is the integration of cloud computing into the Office suite enabling users to manipulate documents stored on remote servers from anywhere and to share, change and view content simultaneously on a PC, browser and smartphone.
Microsoft has been criticised for lagging behind some of its rivals including Google in its embrace of cloud computing. However Mr Elop insisted on Wednesday, “We are fully committed to the cloud and fully committed to cloud-based computing as a revenue growth opportunity for us.”