Microsoft has unveiled a technical preview of Office Web Apps, the online version of its productivity suite.
The free Office Web Apps line-up is set to arrive alongside Office 2010 next year, to help the paid-for product compete with web-based productivity offerings from Google and Adobe.
Office Web Apps will be available to anyone with a Windows Live account, such as Hotmail users, even if they have not bought a copy of Office.
At the moment, the technical preview is being offered just to users of SkyDrive, Microsoft’s storage in the cloud system.
The features available in this early preview are “modest” at the moment, admitted program manager Nick Simons.
“This early peek at the Office Web Apps will include high-fidelity viewing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in the browser,” he wrote in a blog post.
“Invitees will also be able to edit Excel and PowerPoint files. Over time we’ll add OneNote Web App and the ability to edit Word files as well,” he added.
Brian Hall of Windows Live added more detail about the features. “When those of you participating in the Tech Preview upload or create a new document, you’ll be able to view them much like you do today when using the full Office programs – without the loss of formatting or data and with the familiar Office 2007 ribbon,” he said in a blog post.
“And it will be very easy to share your documents in password-protected folders and give permission to whoever you want to have access – just like with any other SkyDrive files.”
Microsoft said access to Office Web Apps would be gradually expanded to more and more users as the final release draws closer.
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