Office XP expands to the Web

 

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Posted on 16 May 2001 at 10:37

Delivering software as a service is how Microsoft sees the future, and a new Web site is one of the first concrete examples. Called "Tools on the Web", you can think of it as an online repository for Office XP services.

The site lives at http://office.microsoft.com and, essentially, it is intended to extend what you can do using Microsoft's latest Office software.

Sections available include a Design Gallery (clip art, photos, sounds and motion clips), a Template Gallery (sample documents), an Assistance Centre (articles, FAQs and tips) and eServices (additional software services that complement Office).

"The Tools on the Web site contributes to Microsoft's .NET strategy by delivering software services that extend the value of Office applications," said Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's senior VP of Office.

As an indication of the content, one of the eService categories is "Communication Services". Within the "Email" subcategory you will find a service brought to you by Zairmail in conjunction with Microsoft. This promises to: "Launch a direct mail campaign in 15 minutes, straight from your desktop. Upload your mailing list and a Microsoft Word document, and we will print, fold, insert, address and mail your letters for delivery virtually overnight."

At the moment, the content on "Tools on the Web" is free, but it doesn't take too much foresight to see this as a revenue-generating part of the .NET framework.

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Author: Alun Williams