Windows Redstone will follow Windows 10

Microsoft is being exceptionally busy when it comes to Windows at the moment, on PCs and mobiles. It is pushing the Windows 10 release as hard as it can through the technical preview, with a summer launch now almost upon us. It is taking this hectic-paced approach to try to move straggling (and struggling) users on from Windows XP, as well as Windows 7 and Windows 8. With most business users and enterprises firmly sticking with Windows 7, it will take something major to move them on.

Which is why Windows Redstone is making the news now. Once Windows 10 is out the door, with its many consumer-centric features, the company needs to concentrate on keeping enterprise users happy. Windows Redstone (named after an ore found in the game Minecraft, which the company recently acquired) will be a major update to Windows 10 and will be released in 2016. Incorporating many features that haven’t made the launch, it will also be the perfect time for Microsoft to push Windows 10 and Redstone to enterprises, who traditionally only upgrade to the latest version of Windows when the first major update arrives.

Expect greater integration with Microsoft’s business features, like SharePoint and Azure cloud services, and more enterprise-friendly features for the likes of Skype and OneDrive, as Microsoft positions itself as the business platform of the big data era. It could also be part of the move to Windows being provided as a service, just as most cloud offerings are. That would allow Microsoft to sell subscription-based Windows licenses rather than the traditional up-front fee, which would generate more stable revenue over the longer term.

Small and medium sized businesses need to be aware of these trends now, as Microsoft tries to move on from selling one license every three or four years. Instead, they can sell subscriptions to a range of services and apps at cheaper monthly rates that will make it easier for small businesses with little cash (allowing those using BYOD schemes to use hardware at minimal cost) to get started while larger companies can spread the up-front costs over a longer period.

Windows Redstone will follow Windows 10

Piracy not an option for Windows 10

There are still many businesses that run pirate software, often inadvertently, while there are whole countries where piracy of all kinds of software remains rampant. But Microsoft plans to eradicate the issue, as far as its operating system goes, by making the upgrade to Windows 10 initially free for all when it launches this summer.

Currently, while enterprises are locked into their volume licence agreements and are regularly audited, smaller businesses can pick up copies and install that multiple times or they can “borrow” licences from other PCs. All of these go against Microsoft’s rules, but the company is unlikely to come breaking down the doors.

When Windows 10 launches, it will be a free upgrade, regardless of the status of the current system installed on a PC. That means pirate versions of Windows XP or Windows 7 can be legitimised, whereas in the past, the upgrade would refuse to install. With a legitimate Windows 10, users can run all of Microsoft’s cloud services and install the latest apps.

Part of Microsoft’s reasoning behind this idea is that its users will become so used to running the apps and services, such as Skype, OneDrive and Office 365, that it will be too much hassle to go back to their pirated ways. These cloud-based services are also more likely to generate revenue for the company in the future, as users buy more storage, call minutes and other features.

The free upgrade offer is only going to be valid for a year from the launch, so Windows 10 users may need to plan to pay for the new installation.  We expect that Microsoft could easily install a time limit on any PCs that previously had a pirate OS installed, with an expiry date. This would nudge users into paying a licence activation fee, to keep Windows 10 running.

Before your business considers its upgrade options this year, check with your IT support that all your software is valid so that you are not breaking any rules, and to make sure you don’t run into any issues post-upgrade. You should also consider the merits of using Microsoft’s cloud services http://www.oswin.com/microsoft-takes-fight-competitors-free-office-365/

Piracy not an option for Windows 10

Cortana for iOS and Android could boost Microsoft

Given the tiny share of the mobile market that Windows Phones have (about 3% to 4% according to analyst reports), Microsoft is taking a hardware-neutral stance when it comes to promoting its own cloud services. The latest news is that Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant will land on iOS and Android devices, competing with Apple’s Siri and the range of Android assistants on their own platforms. This could give a boost in uptake of Microsoft’s other cloud services and encourage further bring your own device (BYOD) adoption among businesses.

With Microsoft aiming to aggressively grow its cloud services (OneDrive, Office 365, SharePoint, Skype and so on), Cortana could become a useful link in getting iOS and Android users to try these apps on their devices. While they come provided on all Windows Phones, Microsoft is still struggling to get them on other mobiles, even if workers mostly use Microsoft productivity tools in their office environment. The current heavy advertising around Cortana and all the hype it will receive during the launch of Windows 10 could make it one of the most wanted apps as users see the benefits, with Microsoft hoping to enjoy the halo effect of Cortana’s cool features.

Cortana has quite a few advantages over Siri. Firstly, she is always on, whereas Apple users have to press the Home button to activate Siri, or have their iPhone plugged in. Cortana can also scan your emails and understand things like package deliveries, to remind you of events or incoming mail. That might be harder to integrate into the iOS version, but will be a neat trick, if she can pull it off. Cortana is also better at learning, she’ll remember who your favourite sports team is, or who your close friends are, and give you updated news in those areas. Another advantage is you can type to Cortana, which is handy if you’re in the quiet coach on a train or in a meeting. Siri will presumably get these features at some point, but for now, Cortana looks the better bet.

When the new mobile versions of Cortana launch, you can bet links to Microsoft’s other cloud and mobile apps won’t be far behind as Microsoft tries to make sure it stays relevant for mobile workers in the cloud computing era.

Cortana for iOS and Android could boost Microsoft

Mobile World Congress increases BYOD options

This year’s Mobile World Congress is on in Barcelona this week. It sees the likes of Microsoft and its Windows Phone, plus the many Android device makers, announcing new or improved mid-range devices that pack in many features of what were formerly high-end, expensive models. More memory, better processors and bigger screens make these more usable and attractive as a working device. Also, the recent range of business software launches for mobiles means that more people are tempted to try them out for bring your own device (BYOD) schemes.

As a business, having your workers able to use documents that are stored in the cloud, business contacts, and address emails wherever they are can be a big benefit. It saves investing in laptops or tablets, gets issues resolved faster and with data stored in the cloud and protected by password or fingerprint ID, there is less risk of them losing their phone and having valuable data go missing.

While Windows Phones are all prepped for business, users can use all Microsoft’s apps and storage features with the current Windows Phone 8.1. Sony, LG, Motorola and ZTE, among others, have a huge range of Android devices and they all support Google’s Lollipop Android 5.0. Lollipop in turn runs Samsung’s Knox, a business security feature to protect data stored on user’s own phones. Apple has its own security features for business, and Microsoft’s popular apps are now available for both iOS and Android.

This means that it is now safer for workers to use business data on their own phones, and the apps make checking documents and performing light revisions almost as painless as on a desktop (especially with a larger-screen device). For larger businesses, solutions like Hypori’s ACE platform, which was built with support from the American Department of Defense, help protect business data by separating the physical mobile device (no matter the brand and OS) from any sensitive applications and data.

These latest moves means there is less reason for businesses to be averse to the idea of BYOD, and should see the increasingly mobile workforce come of age for knowledge workers, sales forces and marketers who have been eager to try it out.

Mobile World Congress increases BYOD options

Windows 10 for phones will boost worker productivity

The recently announced Windows 10 smartphone technical preview (http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/02/12/announcing-the-first-build-of-windows-10-technical-preview-for-phones-2/) is causing great excitement among gadget enthusiasts, but the real benefit will be to mobile, knowledge and other workers. They will soon be able to run almost fully featured Microsoft Office, productivity and unified communications apps on their phones, with seamless transition of documents, web content, messaging and other data to their desktop or laptop, swapping devices seamlessly.

With documents and contacts stored in the cloud, working on the commute, in a hotel or on a plane is becoming easier, increasing the availability of your workers and key staff and improving their productivity. Boosting communications between staff will help projects run smoother and help get decisions made faster as key reports are easier to find and talk about, by video chat, messaging or VoIP call. Naturally, Microsoft has apps for all these features, from Skype to Outlook and Lync, but it is also playing nice with iOS and Android, to encourage bring your own device (BYOD) schemes at work. Microsoft is also supposed to be bundling its apps with major future Android device launches, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, to further encourage take-up.

Currently, the Windows phone beta only runs on select Lumia devices, but the full launch will come with a range of new hardware from Microsoft (since it acquired Nokia) and hardware partners like Samsung and HTC. With a full range of tablets, portables, ultraportables and two-in-one devices, 2015 will see a major effort to get business users upgrading to new hardware and Windows 10 across all devices.

That’s all part of Microsoft’s plan to get users both upgrading and back into using its services, with many having moved on to Google, Amazon, Oracle or other business software providers. Whatever hardware and applications you use, switching to Microsoft’s will be an easy and seamless choice come the full launch of Windows 10, with handy tools like OneNote now fully free to use.

Also, Microsoft continues to buy companies that can help improve its offerings. It recently acquired N-trig, makers of the best tablet pen technology around, to make sure that Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 and future Surface tablets all benefit from a truly professional experience. Roll that all together and the Microsoft ecosystem will soon be a compelling place to be and work.

Windows 10 for phones will boost worker productivity

Microsoft Office goes touchscreen friendly

New preview versions of the latest Microsoft Office apps are available for anyone testing Windows 10 Technical Preview. The “universal” apps can be used on any Windows device, from a desktop to a tablet or phone. They come with a host of touch features to make working on a touchscreen (and a smaller screen) more natural, and make the many MS Office desktop-era features more accessible.

When the final version of Windows 10 is released later this year, new systems, Windows Phones and tablets will ship with the apps for free. However, since Windows 10 won’t be free for businesses, we don’t expect enterprises to start getting Office licenses for free either. While usability is one of the key features, pick up and go is another, so users can start a document on their PC, leave the office and continue working on it on their phone or tablet, thanks to OneDrive storage.

Note that these aren’t the productivity apps that will ship as Microsoft Office 2016, which is being developed with standard PCs and enterprise users in mind. The Office 2016 apps will feature easier integration with cloud services and data sources. They will allow for a wider and deeper range of analytics tasks, as the Office suite tries to exist in a world of big data and smart dashboards that are rendering the standard Excel spreadsheet and PowerPoint display redundant in many businesses.

The Windows 10 Office touch apps, along with Outlook and Office for iOS and Android are part of Microsoft’s plan to keep Office relevant in an increasingly fragmented device market, where Windows Phones and tablets have a very small market share. The Office anywhere, anytime approach, including Office 365, is part of the plan to keep adoption of Google Docs, and productivity services from Amazon and others at bay.

Key to the success of Windows 10 will be new hardware. Microsoft is likely to unveil the Surface Pro 4, and possibly a Surface Pro mini tablet around the time of the OS launch to tempt enterprise users, while third parties are already producing a raft of cheaper hardware for those not in the executive suite to make Windows tablets more affordable.

Microsoft Office goes touchscreen friendly

Amazon gets into hosted email with WorkMail

Joining the hotly contested hosted email solution market, Amazon is taking on the likes of Gmail for businesses and Office 365 with a new service called WorkMail. There are a few differences to its rival products; for a start, WorkMail allows businesses to choose on which set of Amazon AWS servers their data lies, which will help keep them within their jurisdiction and stay compliant with local data privacy laws. Something that may or may not be an advantage, depending on the level of enterprise security, is that WorkMail lets businesses manage their own sets of encryption keys.

The product is available now across the US and Europe, and is likely to roll out globally soon. This expansion will also help to cut transfer times. WorkMail costs $4 per user per month (pupm), or can be bundled with WorkDocs for document sharing and a collaboration suite for $6 pupm. It can sync with anything that uses ActiveSync, including Outlook on PCs. While Amazon may be dominating in cloud computing services, it is falling behind in adoption by enterprises for the routine tasks of business – especially when it comes to smaller businesses. So WorkMail and WorkDocs are part of a concerted effort to get those users interested in AWS, S3 and EC2, where Amazon has so much power and can offer opportunities for companies to exploit.

The trouble is that users are now happy with vibrant and full-spectrum products, like Google Docs, Outlook, OneDrive and Office 365, which all leave Amazon’s barebones and piecemeal approach looking rather hollow. We’ll find out in coming quarters just how much AWS makes for Amazon, as the company changes its reporting methods, but it is hard to see WorkMail adding more than pocket change to the numbers.

Does WorkMail sound like an option for your business, or are you already happy with your current product and unlikely to move unless there is an obvious and significant advantage? We wonder what Amazon will offer next to attract customers, but we think there’s an uphill battle ahead.

Amazon gets into hosted email with WorkMail

Public cloud reliability rankings revealed

Cloud computing is on the rise. With more and more of us relying on cloud services for business and personal use, cloud computing solutions are having to adapt to increased levels of use. 2014 saw cloud become more popular, and make lots of changes to its functions, but just how well are the public cloud solutions coping? A survey conducted throughout the year by cloud computing website tracker Cloud Harmony tested the performance of a number of public cloud solutions, arriving at total downtimes, outage incidents and uptime percentages for all those tested.

The survey tested the reliability, performance and consistency of over 30 different public cloud computing options, and came to some interesting conclusions. Out of the 30 different solutions tested, which ranged from major corporations like Google and Amazon to smaller cloud operations like Akamia and Zettagrid, the top two might not surprise you. You’ve probably guessed it already, but Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform topped the list, boasting consistently impressive performance levels and very few major outages. In fact, in the period tested by Cloud Harmony, Amazon Elastic Computer Cloud, which powers its Web Services, recorded only 20 different outages, totalling a little over two and a half hours of overall downtime throughout the year. This means that for the whole of 2014, Amazon Web Services boasted an uptime percentage of 99.074% – rather impressive. Google Cloud Platform’s statistics are even more impressive though. During 2014, users of Google’s public cloud only experienced 14 minutes of outages, giving it an uptime percentage of 99.9996%.

CEO of Cloud Harmony, Jason Reed, said of the survey: “The more established players are fine-tuning their systems and becoming quite stable”. He commented on the performance of AWS, which he said, “has been providing cloud services longer than anyone in the market” and is used by Google to run its cloud services. He praised their “long track record of managing a reliable distributed system”.

If you need advice or information about cloud computing or cloud and remote backup and storage solutions for your business, contact us at Oswin today.

Public cloud reliability rankings revealed

What’s coming to Office 365 in 2015

Now that Microsoft has moved its office suite to the cloud, Office 365 users are a little more demanding about the updates and features, after years of impressive updates to other cloud services. So, here’s what Microsoft has on its raft of rolling out, and in development features, for the suite in 2015.

In the process of currently being rolled out to the general user base, we have:

Declutter your inbox

This is a new Clutter folder that will appear in Outlook online and plays host to low priority emails that you decide aren’t worth dealing with immediately. It learns what you don’t need to look at, and will start automatically moving those messages to the Clutter folder.

Document related chat

Document conversations let users link their Yammer conversations about a particular file to that document, so SharePoint or OneDrive documents, images and videos can be seen with a record of that chat, allowing everyone to remember what was discussed. Editing the document is an in development feature (see below).

Groups in Office 365

With a growing focus on collaboration, Groups will provide a unifying experience for users across Outlook and OneDrive for business, linking people, conversations, calendars, and content for easier and more relevant collaboration efforts across applications.

Still in development, hopefully arriving in 2015:

Compliance for Office 365

Larger businesses love policies, and Compliance Center for Office 365 will allow the implementation of rules and regulations across the apps and services. This will ensure workers follow the rules and don’t access any content or send any messages that they shouldn’t be sending. A different feature, but related to this, is File Deletion Policies, which is also in development.

Improved Excel functions

One of the most asked for functions are pivot tables in Excel Online, and these are coming. Microsoft is hard at work on adding support for the editing and updating of workbooks containing pivot tables and power views, which are currently limited to the desktop version.

Office support in Yammer

You’ll soon be able to open and work on documents from directly within Yammer, again helping to improve collaboration and workflow. The feature, when launched, will enable co-authoring by different users at the same time, while users chat and discuss the document’s content.

Which feature are you most looking forward to from Microsoft Office 365 in 2015?

What"s coming to Office 365 in 2015

Microsoft takes the fight to competitors with free Office 365

In a surprise move, tech-giant Microsoft has announced it is making parts of its Office 365 software available to mobile workers on iPad, iPhone, and Android tablets for free. The new policy will allow users to make edits to documents from the comfort of their mobile offices, without needing to pay for a Microsoft Office 365 subscription. The move is the latest volley in Microsoft’s campaign against Google, Amazon and Apple, as CEO Satya Nadella attempts to win mobile users’ hearts and minds as part of the company’s ‘mobile first, cloud first’ strategy.

There is a slight catch; free users won’t have access to the full suite of services open to paying subscribers, but it’s still an encouraging move and one that shows Microsoft may finally be taking the threat posed by Google and Apple a little more seriously. Nadella has long been a proponent of making Microsoft 365’s applications available to mobile users; one of the first things he did upon taking office as Microsoft’s chief executive was to scrap the company’s previous, unwieldy mobile apps and replace them with bespoke new apps that took the needs of mobile users into careful consideration.

Former Ovum man and current employee at Jackdaw Research, Jan Dawson, welcomed the move, saying Microsoft are right not to charge mobile users, arguing that paying for the basic Microsoft Office services the app provides is unreasonable in many cases.

“Think about the kind of Office-related work you might want to do on an iPad,” he wrote on his blog, before going on to highlight that your average user will use the service to fix the odd typo and finesse a spreadsheet during their daily commute, not embark on the next great American novel, or write a TED talk.

“Is that functionality worth $70-$100 a year for most users?” he argues.

It is also worth considering that revenue for Microsoft’s consumer Office software has tracked much lower than business revenue. Not much of a surprise in itself, but interesting in that it shows Microsoft is willing to take a financial hit if it means staying on top of the technological heap.

 

Microsoft takes the fight to competitors with free Office 365

Dropbox and Office 365: a match made in heaven?

Recently, the CEO of Dropbox announced that the cloud storage system had reached a total of 200 million users, including 4 million businesses. Drew Houston also announced that the company was keen to increase the number of Dropbox business users. Microsoft’s OneDrive is a similar service, meaning that Dropbox and Microsoft have long been seen as competitors, but changes have now been announced that show a very different reality.

Dropbox and Microsoft working together

Despite offering very similar services, Microsoft and Dropbox have chosen to work together to the benefit of both companies. Users of Dropbox and Office 365 will now find that the two work seamlessly together. The change is said to have ‘broken down walls’, and will increase ease of use and productivity for mobile workers.

Changes to the Dropbox app

The Dropbox app for mobile phones now features Microsoft Office integration. Users will be able to edit Office documents and files straight from Dropbox on their tablet or phone. The same is possible in reverse, with mobile workers able to use files that are stored in their Dropbox straight from their mobile Office applications. This functionality is available on both iOs and Android devices. Users, of course, will still be able to use OneDrive instead of Dropbox if that’s their preferred cloud storage system.

The importance of seamless connectivity

Microsoft’s CEO has said that “people need easier ways to create, share and collaborate regardless of their device or platform”, indicating that many companies will benefit from working closer together and not competing. As a result, Dropbox and Microsoft will be extending their partnership to offer the same connectivity for Windows phones and for PC and browser-based use in early 2015.

For mobile workers, these changes are sure to make life easier. As more and more devices and apps work seamlessly together, it will become easier than ever to upload and download files, make use of cloud computing and conduct meetings and presentations. Users will no longer need to circumnavigate restrictions, and will not be forced to use a certain service or provider. They can make their own choices, to suit their individual needs.

Dropbox and Office 365: a match made in heaven?

Technology Costs - Does outdated technology hurt SMB competitiveness?

Technology Costs

How much does outdated technology hurt SMB competitiveness?

Summary: Putting off investments in new PCs and other infrastructure may save money in the short-term, but research suggests sticking with older technology may hurt a small company’s credibility with employees and customers.

By Heather Clancy

Click here for more…

The Intel research (conducted by Techaisle) suggests that small-business workers could be losing up to one work week per year because of old personal computers. If a PC is four years or older, employees lose 21 hours on repairs, maintenance and security fixes, according to the Intel Small Business PC Refresh Study. The survey covered 736 small businesses with fewer than 100 employees in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Russia and the United States.

The average cost to repair PCs four years or older is now around $427, according to the survey. That’s about 1.3 times the amount needed to fix a system that is less than four years old.

More than one-third of the businesses surveyed (36 per cent) are clinging to older systems, the Intel study found.  Small companies in the United States were more inclined to make do as long as they can: 8 per cent of the ones surveyed were using systems more than five years old, compared with 5 per cent of the companies from other countries.

“PCs are largely considered the foundation for many of these companies, and this study makes a clear-cut case for refreshing them on a regular basis,” said Rick Echevarria, vice president of the PC Client Group and General Manager of the Business Client Platform division at Intel, in remarks about the data.

The Microsoft research looks at things from a customer perspective, and it’s based on the opinions of 1,405 general consumers polled online via SurveyMonkey in September 2013.

Here are four of the main revelations:

• 61 per cent think an SMB is out of date if it’s using an operating system that is more than five years old

• 25 per cent think an SMB lacks credibility if it is using a free email service


• 68 per cent think “modern technology” is key to the success of a business


• 70 per cent said they were be “extremely or quite concerned” about providing personal information on an outdated SMB Website

Even more than those findings, I especially appreciated the list of attributes that define a “modern SMB,” according to the Microsoft study. Here they are, ranked by the percentage of respondents who expected these things:

• Network security certificates that protect personal information (63.5 per cent)


• Email appointment confirmations (61.6 per cent)


• Real-time online chat and scheduling (59.8 per cent)


• Modern mobile devices including tablets and smartphones (57.8 per cent)


• The latest operating system (55.4 per cent)


• Mobile-friendly Web site (54 per cent)


• Mobile payment processing (50 per cent)

 

 

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Technology Costs - Does outdated technology hurt SMB competitiveness?

Which Web Browser is safest?

 

Recent Internet Explorer Vulnerability Alert attracts attention

 

It has been widely reported that Internet Explorer is vulnerable to a new attack which could affect millions of computer users.  We asked “Which browser is the safest?” and found this article – “Big browser builders scramble to fix cross-platform zero-day flaw” and it is not the first time we have seen a report which appears to suggest that Internet Explorer blocks more attacks than Chrome, Firefox and Safari.  This is not the whole story – what is very clear is that whichever browser is used it must be kept up to date through the application of regular updates and patching – this will protect you from most common attacks.  Most malware writers will target systems which are not upgraded with the latest protection.

 

We like to use what our customers use, so professionally we prefer Internet Explorer since we believe it is still the most common web browser and that it offers the best protection.

 

Internet Explorer includes the following security features:

 

• Domain highlighting, which lets you more easily see the real web address on websites you visit. This helps you avoid deceptive or phishing websites that use misleading web addresses to trick you. The true domain you’re visiting is highlighted in the address bar.


• SmartScreen Filter, which can help protect you from online phishing attacks, fraud, and spoofed or malicious websites. For more information, see SmartScreen Filter: frequently asked questions.


• Manage Add-ons, which lets you disable or allow web browser add-ons and delete unwanted ActiveX controls. For more information, see How do browser add-ons affect my computer?
  


• Cross site scripting (XSS) filter, which can help prevent attacks from phishing and fraudulent websites that might attempt to steal your personal and financial information. For more information, see How does Internet Explorer help protect me from cross-site scripting attacks?
  


• A 128-bit secure (SSL) connection for using secure websites. This helps Internet Explorer create an encrypted connection with websites run by banks, online stores, medical sites, or other organizations that handle sensitive customer information. For more information, see How to know if an online transaction is secure.

 

Windows also provides a built-in trouble-shooter that can automatically fix some common security problems in Internet Explorer.

 

Update your Windows computer now – Click here to improve your security

 

 

 

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Which Web Browser is safest?

Free Office - The best free alternative to Office is Office on the web

The best free alternative to Office is Office on the web

Lately, it seems there’s a new, free productivity application launching every week. They’re flooding the market with point solutions that have rudimentary levels of functionality and a variety of user experiences. With this comes speculation of if these free offerings can replace Office.

We know the crowded app market is creating confusion for customers, but the reality is, the best free alternative to Office is Office – Office Web Apps. The Office Web Apps are a free version of the Office applications you already know and love with the same familiar user experience you want. And, they trump the free alternatives hands down.  Here’s why:

1. 
   They’re complete.  With Office Web Apps, you can create, edit and share Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote files. Instead of addressing just one need, Office Web Apps provide a complete suite – all with a consistent user experience and functionality that works across the applications.


2. 
   They work anywhere.  Whether you’re a PC, Mac, iOS or Android fan and whether you use a touch device or mouse and keyboard, Office Web Apps work across all devices and browsers. Office Web Apps live in the cloud, so you can get to your files and documents anywhere. Your content is always in sync and available across any device.


3. 
   They’re consistent.  Office Web Apps look and feel like Office, so you already know how to use them. This means nothing new to learn. And, because Office always ensures your content formatting and functionality remain intact, you can share with confidence knowing that your documents will look as intended (and don’t get garbled like they do with some alternatives).


4. 
   They’re shareable.  Sharing through SkyDrive is easy, and it integrates closely with Office. So you can work with other people without version control issues or having to use an additional file storage and sharing service.


5. 
   They’re rock solid … and always getting better.  Tens of millions of people already use Office Web Apps, so they’re proven. Microsoft are always taking feedback and continually improving the Office Web Apps for the future; in fact, if you’ve tried Office Web Apps in the past you might want to take a second look, as there have been many improvements to the product suite to make it more intuitive, touch-friendly and more seamless with your Office experience.

I should note that, because Office Web Apps are browser-based, they don’t do everything Office 2013 or Office 365 does. Some of the more powerful features require the desktop version, but the Office Web Apps are a great solution for a lot of people, and a better option than the alternative point solutions.

If you’re looking for a free alternative to Office – or are just looking for a convenient way to access your files on the go – give the Office Web Apps a try by logging in to skydrive.com and clicking Create in the top menu.  We think you’ll like what you see.

–Julia White

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Free Office - The best free alternative to Office is Office on the web

Office 365 is now available as a donation to qualified nonprofits

Get anywhere access to familiar Office applications, plus professional email, calendar, HD video conferencing, and more.

Take advantage of the cloud to help your non-profit deliver on its mission.

Microsoft is now offering its cloud-based Office 365 for Non-profits software programme to qualifying non-profits around the world via its software donation programme. The donation is available immediately to eligible organisations in 41 countries around the world, including the UK, and will be extended to a total of 90 countries by July 2014.

Office 365 for Non-profits lets non-profit and NGO staff use its cloud-based service to access files from almost anywhere, whether with a PC, smartphone or tablet. Staff can collaborate using shared applications such as email and shared calendars. Microsoft pledges a 99.9 per cent uptime. Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International, said: “Today we are donating to non-profits and NGOs access to Microsoft’s best-in-class cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, enabling them to spend fewer resources and time on IT and focus on their missions addressing global issues, such as disease eradication, education and literacy, and environmental sustainability.”

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Office 365 is now available as a donation to qualified nonprofits

Store, Sync and Share with SharePoint

Store, Sync and Share with SharePoint

Get a glimpse at some of these SharePoint features, and see how easy it is to share with others.

Whether you are working on a document by yourself, or a team that needs to collaborate on a project, SharePoint has many ways that help improve productivity across an organization.

Put social to work

Share ideas, discover answers and keep track of what your colleagues are working with new social features throughout SharePoint.

Share your stuff

Publish content to SharePoint from any Office application and share with people inside and outside your organization in a few simple clicks.

Take SharePoint on the go

Share documents, update your activity feed and keep in touch with your colleagues from your mobile phone or tablet.

Think of SharePoint as a central hub for all your content.  You can fill it up with documents, organise them how you want, and easily share them with other people.  There’s only one document you have to deal with—and it’s always in the same place and it’s always up to date.  Instead of lots of people creating multiple versions in different places, you can get everyone to work on the same document—even at the same time—and SharePoint will keep track of everyone’s changes in one place.  You don’t even need to be at your desk to get work done together.  You can keep reviewing and tweaking your content while on the go, even offline and from virtually any device.

Read this blog post, Vivek Narasimhan’s is a product manager for SharePoint.

Discover more here!

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Store, Sync and Share with SharePoint

Office 365 subscribers get Office Mobile for Android phones

Today, Microsoft are launching Office Mobile for Android phones in the United States at no additional charge for Office 365 subscribers. This means that Office 365 subscribers can now work on their Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from virtually anywhere–using their Windows Phone, iPhone or Android phones.

Office Mobile for Android phones can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. To use the app, you need a qualifying Office 365 subscription, including Office 365 Home Premium or Office 365 ProPlus (you can find the complete list of qualifying subscriptions here). Office Mobile for Android phones is initially available in the United States, with more countries coming on board over the next several weeks.

A true Office experience

Office Mobile is the official companion to Microsoft Office. Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents look great on your phone, thanks to support for charts, animations, SmartArt Graphics, and shapes. When you make edits or add comments to a document, the formatting and layout remain intact. When you return to your PC or Mac, your document looks like it should.

Easy access

Office Mobile is designed for people on the go.  We made it easy to access your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents in the cloud on SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro.  When you’re on your phone, you’ll see the list of documents you recently opened on your computer in the Recent Documents panel–no searching needed. And of course, you can view and edit documents you receive in email.

Designed for the phone

Office Mobile has been optimized for the small screen of your phone so you can get things done efficiently.  When reviewing Word documents, the Resume Reading feature takes you to the exact point in the document where you left off on your PC so you don’t waste time searching. The new Slide Navigator lets you browse through PowerPoint presentations fast while Speaker Notes help you practice on the run.

Sharing built-in

Edit documents and share them right from your phone. You can review comments in Word and Excel documents on your phone and add your own.  When you’re done, you can save the file back to SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro or just send it as an email attachment.

 

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