On Tuesday, Microsoft will unveil details about its next office productivity offering, Office 14. Among other things, the Office 14 wave of products will include the oft-rumored Web versions of certain Office applications, giving customers a way to both view and edit rich Office documents in the Web. For this first version of Office Web Applications--which may or may not be the final name--Microsoft is providing Web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
"These are lightweight versions of the applications from the desktop product," Microsoft Office general manager Takeshi Numoto told me in a recent briefing. "They allow you to view, edit, and collaborate on Office docs in the browser."
The Office Web Applications will be distributed via Office Live, like Office Live Workspace and Office Live Small Business. Microsoft isn't yet discussing how or if they're going to charge for the Web Applications, but Numoto reminded me that the current offerings provide ad supported and subscription models, while businesses can actual host on-site. Expect more information down the road.
If you're interested in getting on the Office Web Applications beta, sign up for Office Live Workspace. Microsoft tells me that it will allow any Workspace customers to access the tech preview when it becomes available later this calendar year. Here are some screenshots of the experience.
Viewing a Word document in Word Web application
Editing a Word document in Word Web application
Viewing an Excel spreadsheet in Excel Web application
Editing in an Excel spreadsheet in Excel Web application
Viewing a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint Web application
Editing a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint Web application.
Viewing OneNote notes in OneNote Web application
Editing OneNote notes in OneNote Web application