Office Web Apps
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Office Web Apps is a web-based version of the Microsoft Office
productivity suite. It includes the web-based versions of Microsoft Word
, Microsoft Excel
, Microsoft PowerPoint
, and Microsoft OneNote. The web applications allow users to access their documents directly from anywhere within a web browser
as well as share files and collaborate with other users online. Supported web browsers include Internet Explorer 7
or later, Mozilla Firefox 3.5
or later, Google Chrome
and Safari 4.
Office Web Apps was released to the consumer public via Windows Live Office on June 7, 2010. The service is intended to replace Office Live Workspace, and users of Office Live Workspace had been progressively migrated to Windows Live Office since this date.
Microsoft also offers other web applications in its Microsoft Office suite, such as the Outlook Web App (formerly Outlook Web Access), Lync Web App (formerly Office Communicator Web Access), and Project Web App (formerly Project Web Access).
(PDC) 2008 in Los Angeles
. Microsoft originally announced that Office Web Apps will be available through its Office Live Workspace offering. During PDC 2008, Office Web Apps was announced to be powered by AJAX
as well as Silverlight, however the latter is optional and its availability will only "enhance the user experience, resulting in sharper images and improved rendering." Microsoft's Business Division President Stephen Elop stated during PDC 2008 that "a technology preview of Office Web Apps would become available later in 2008", however, the Technical Preview of Office Web Apps was not released until 2009.
On 13 July 2009, Microsoft announced at its Worldwide Partners Conference 2009 in New Orleans that Microsoft Office 2010 reached its "Technical Preview" development milestone and features of Office Web Apps was demonstrated to the public for the first time. Additionally, Microsoft also announced that Office Web Apps will be available to users in three ways: via Windows Live
for consumers (instead of the previously announced Office Live Workspace), or via Microsoft SharePoint
or Microsoft Online Services
for business users. However, Office 2010 beta testers were not given access to Office Web Apps at this date, and it was announced that it will be available for testers during August 2009. However, in August 2009, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that there has been a delay in the release of Office Web Apps Technical Preview and will not be available by the end of August.
Microsoft officially released the Technical Preview of Office Web Apps on 17 September, 2009. Office Web Apps was made available to selected testers via its Windows Live SkyDrive
service. The final version of Office Web Apps was made available to the public via Windows Live Office on June 7, 2010.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
productivity suite. It includes the web-based versions of Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
, Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
, Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system...
, and Microsoft OneNote. The web applications allow users to access their documents directly from anywhere within a web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
as well as share files and collaborate with other users online. Supported web browsers include Internet Explorer 7
Internet Explorer 7
Windows Internet Explorer 7 is a web browser released by Microsoft in October 2006. Internet Explorer 7 is part of a long line of versions of Internet Explorer and was the first major update to the browser in more than 5 years...
or later, Mozilla Firefox 3.5
Mozilla Firefox 3.5
Mozilla Firefox 3.5 is a version of the Firefox web browser released in June 2009, adding a variety of new features to Firefox. Version 3.5 was touted as being twice as fast as 3.0...
or later, Google Chrome
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google that uses the WebKit layout engine. It was first released as a beta version for Microsoft Windows on September 2, 2008, and the public stable release was on December 11, 2008. The name is derived from the graphical user interface frame, or...
and Safari 4.
Accessibility
Office Web Apps is available to its customers via three channels:- Consumers are able to access Office Web Apps through Windows Live SkyDrive, HotmailHotmailWindows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
, Docs.comDocs.comDocs.com is a collaboration between Microsoft FUSE Labs and Facebook to provide a basic online document editing suite, similar to Google Docs. It is designed to make it easy to discover, create and share Office documents with your Facebook friends...
and Facebook MessagesFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... - Microsoft Office Volume Licensing customers are able to host Office Web Apps on-premises on a server running Sharepoint Foundation 2010 or Sharepoint Server 2010
- Businesses, corporations and educational institutions are also able to host Office Web Apps using a subscription-based Microsoft Online ServicesMicrosoft Online ServicesMicrosoft Online Services is Microsoft's hosted software offering and a component of their Software plus services strategy. Microsoft Online Services are hosted by Microsoft and sold "with" Microsoft partners....
, Live@eduLive@eduMicrosoft Live@edu is a free suite of hosted Microsoft services and applications that is intended for educational needs.The Live@edu program provides education institutions with a set of hosted collaboration services, communication tools, and mobile, desktop, and web-based applications, as well as...
or Office 365
Office Web Apps was released to the consumer public via Windows Live Office on June 7, 2010. The service is intended to replace Office Live Workspace, and users of Office Live Workspace had been progressively migrated to Windows Live Office since this date.
Microsoft also offers other web applications in its Microsoft Office suite, such as the Outlook Web App (formerly Outlook Web Access), Lync Web App (formerly Office Communicator Web Access), and Project Web App (formerly Project Web Access).
History
Office Web Apps was first revealed on 28 October 2008 at the Professional Developers ConferenceProfessional Developers Conference
Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference is a conference for software developers, normally Windows developers.It covers new and upcoming technology from Microsoft, and so only occurs in the years when there is something new to talk about...
(PDC) 2008 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Microsoft originally announced that Office Web Apps will be available through its Office Live Workspace offering. During PDC 2008, Office Web Apps was announced to be powered by AJAX
Ajax
- Mythology :* Ajax , son of Telamon, ruler of Salamis and a hero in the Trojan War, also known as "Ajax the Great"* Ajax the Lesser, son of Oileus, ruler of Locris and the leader of the Locrian contingent during the Trojan War.- People :...
as well as Silverlight, however the latter is optional and its availability will only "enhance the user experience, resulting in sharper images and improved rendering." Microsoft's Business Division President Stephen Elop stated during PDC 2008 that "a technology preview of Office Web Apps would become available later in 2008", however, the Technical Preview of Office Web Apps was not released until 2009.
On 13 July 2009, Microsoft announced at its Worldwide Partners Conference 2009 in New Orleans that Microsoft Office 2010 reached its "Technical Preview" development milestone and features of Office Web Apps was demonstrated to the public for the first time. Additionally, Microsoft also announced that Office Web Apps will be available to users in three ways: via Windows Live
Windows Live
Windows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
for consumers (instead of the previously announced Office Live Workspace), or via Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a web application platform developed by Microsoft. First launched in 2001, SharePoint is typically associated with web content management and document management systems, but it is actually a much broader platform of web technologies, capable of being configured into a wide...
or Microsoft Online Services
Microsoft Online Services
Microsoft Online Services is Microsoft's hosted software offering and a component of their Software plus services strategy. Microsoft Online Services are hosted by Microsoft and sold "with" Microsoft partners....
for business users. However, Office 2010 beta testers were not given access to Office Web Apps at this date, and it was announced that it will be available for testers during August 2009. However, in August 2009, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that there has been a delay in the release of Office Web Apps Technical Preview and will not be available by the end of August.
Microsoft officially released the Technical Preview of Office Web Apps on 17 September, 2009. Office Web Apps was made available to selected testers via its Windows Live SkyDrive
Windows Live SkyDrive
Windows Live SkyDrive, initially called Windows Live Folders, is a free-of-charge file hosting service that allows users to upload files to a cloud storage and then access them from a Web browser...
service. The final version of Office Web Apps was made available to the public via Windows Live Office on June 7, 2010.