Microsoft predicts mass switch to online Sharepoint

 

Gallery

By Reuters

Posted on 9 Dec 2008 at 08:48

Microsoft claims around half of its customers will be using online versions of its messaging and collaboration software within five years.

"What we think is in five years, 50% of the use of Exchange and Sharepoint could be serviced from the cloud," says Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft's business division.

"Between now and then, a year or two or whatever, if it's going to be tough economic times, that means we expect quite a lot of movement in that direction, a lot of people taking advantage of that," he adds. "I think the economy will help it."

Elop also reitterated plans for its online version of Office: "We expect fully that the full range of Office utilities, from the most advanced to simpler lightweight versions, will be available with a range of options: ad-funded, subscriptions-based, traditional licensing fees, and so forth. So you should expect to see that full array," he says.

Elop declined to specify when the services would be launched, but says "in 2009 you're going to see a lot of advance in this area."

Microsoft will likely make a profit from the new initiative within a year after the launch, he adds.

He also said that even the basic, free versions will trump Google Apps in capabilities, and that Microsoft will ensure that users can move Office documents in and out of the web browser environment without any garbling to the text.