MGT300

Tech: Office in the clouds

NEW STRAITS TIMES

2011/07/10

SITI SYAMEEN MD KHALIL

MICROSOFT has responded to the rising popularity of cloud-based applications for collaboration and communication, with Office 365. Office 365 hosts Microsoft’s latest productivity tools including Office, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online. With the tools being hosted online, users will be able to access it via multiple browsers including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari using enabled devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Users will be able to get automatically updated email, calendar and contacts on the devices they use most, on platforms including iPhones, Android and BlackBerry when they are on the go.

Available at an affordable monthly fee of RM18 per user, Microsoft Malaysia’s managing director, Ananth Lazarus says, “Through Office 365, Microsoft is giving organisations of all sizes the tools to transform the way they do business by providing a trustworthy, safe and reliable environment in which to create, edit, store and share their ideas and work from anywhere and at any time through Microsoft’s familiar and consistent user experience.”

While enjoying the familiarity of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and Outlook on the desktop via Office Professional Plus and on the web using Office Web Apps, users will also benefit from enterprise-class email, calendar and contact application using Microsoft Exchange Online and cloud based instant messaging service with voice and video conferencing using Microsoft Lync Online. Another valuable addition, Microsoft SharePoint Online lets users connect and network with colleagues, partners and customers.

Datuk Hafsah Hashim, chief executive officer of SME Corporation Malaysia, who was present at the Office 365 launch last week said the new tool offers the features needed by SMEs to work efficiently, communicate across their business network, safely and securely share information as well as work together with peers and partners.

“Through Office 365, Malaysian SMEs will have the same enterprise-class productivity and collaboration tools that larger companies have.”

The joint-effort in promoting the adoption of cloud computing lead to bigger things in the future, says Lazarus of the next step in Microsoft and SME Corporation partnership. Hafsah also notes that SME Corporation through its state offices will play the role of change agent in informing businesses of Office 365 as a means for them to work more efficiently. In conjunction with the Malaysian launch of Office 365, Microsoft is holding a contest on Facebook (http://apps.facebook.com/trysharewin/), which is open to all Malaysians 18 years old and above. Set to run till August 3, 2011, participants are required to download the free 30-day Office 365 Trial, then submit a testimonial about their experience using it in 5,000 characters or less. The testamonial voted as the most popular by the public will be rewarded RM20,000 and nine runners-up will each receive an HTC Windows Phone 7 smartphone.