Why pay $400 for Microsoft Office when, as an individual, you can get the same functionality for free?
Good question according to the co-creator of Hotmail.
It’s invitation only at this point and you can request one at Live-Documents.comÂ
Though there are already online tools like Google Docs, this promises the SAME “feel” and functionality of Microsoft Office.
Plus, it’s not Google getting more access to your stuff! That’s increasingly a big factor as people sicken over Google privacy concerns. Google wants so much of your information that they can predict when you’ll sneeze to they can sell ads to tissue companies, and many folks just don’t want someone to have that much control over private data.
The key though is that nobody wants to work on a platform that doesn’t have the deep financial pockets to be stable.
Perhaps this company will give Microsoft a run for their money - at least until they buy it out like they did Hotmail!
From the TimesOnline UK
Designed to help consumers avoid expensive upgrades and to foster collaboration on a secure internet platform, Live Documents matches features found in Office 2007, the most recent version. It will be given away to individuals with 100MB of free data storage space per user. Companies will pay for the system, either hosted remotely or on an internal server, at a discount to Microsoft’s licensed technology. Aricent, an Indian software services group with 6,700 employees, is the first client.
Live Documents is similar to Google Apps, launched in February and used by companies including Proctor & Gamble, General Electric and Capgemini as a cheaper alternative to Microsoft. However, Mr Bhatia claims that his product is superior to Google’s in its range and quality, most crucially because it mimics Office 2007. Most of Office’s estimated 500 million customers have yet to upgrade from the 2003 version, while it is not available for Apple computers.
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