Collaboration with Office Web Apps, Office 2010

Since our review of Google Cloud Connect, several articles have come to similar findings. The loss of data and the inconsistency of the plug-in have led some to conclude Google Cloud Connect is not-even-version-1 product. Today, let’s take a look at Microsoft’s approach to collaboration in the cloud.  For both consumers and businesses, Office Web Apps and Office 2010 provide the tools you need for shareing and editing in the cloud. The following videos provide more detail:

Share and Edit Your Document Virtually Anywhere with Office Web Apps
Office Web Apps first came out in 2009, and are available with SharePoint and Windows Live SkyDrive. 

Anyone with a Windows LiveID account (which is free to sign up if you don’t already have one) can save to Windows Live SkyDrive.  SkyDrive is 100% free to use.  Once you have uploaded your files, you can share files on SkyDrive by sending a link to others.  You can also edit your Office, Word, Excel, OneNote files using Office Web Apps virtually anywhere, including many popular smartphones with Internet access.

Collaborate in Real Time with Office 2010
Microsoft Office 2010 allows multiple people can work on the same document at the same time in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications.

Mac users can also leverage this great collaboration feature in Office for Mac 2011.  Coauthoring is available in the cloud through Office Web Apps for Excel (you may noticed this scenarion in the first video) and OneNote; coauthoring in Word and PowerPoint files requires Office 2010 client.  You will also be able to take advantage of real time collaboration in Office 365, which will be available later this year.

See District Computers and Mediterranean Shipping Company put Office Web Apps in Action!
Many customers are realizing the benefits of online collaboration with Office Web Apps. Be sure to check out some of these customer stories to see how you can benefit from their journeys.

   

   

District Computers

Using Microsoft Office Web Apps** has given DC employees nearly instant access to critical files and correspondence—no matter where they are. Adding to that flexibility is Microsoft Office Mobile 2010, which gives users access to information from Windows phones.

  Mediterranean Shipping Company

Office Web Apps provide Mediterranean Shipping with a cheaper, easier storage and replication alternative. “Our replication solution is very expensive. With Office Web Apps, I will be able to get rid of that solution and stop copying huge files among our branch offices,” says Catassi. “In effect, Office Web Apps is a great remote access solution.” Catassi believes the company will save at least U.S.$100,000 in hardware and licensing costs annually by no longer using its third-party replication solution. “We’ll also be able to cut back on the amount of bandwidth we consume transferring files over the wire,” he adds.