March 4, 2013-The next-generation Microsoft Office 365 productivity suite, which works seamlessly across devices and screens, is now available for businesses in India. The service will be available for various business SKUs (stock-keeping units) for on-premise use at prices ranging from $6 to $22 per user. Smaller businesses will also be able to use access it as a service through Airtel.
The new Office 365 will consist of all the usual productivity tools, along with Microsoft Lync Online, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Microsoft’s recent acquisition, Yammer. The new service uses the cloud to its advantage while also letting companies tap into the power of enterprise social.
“Office 365 gives users the freedom to do things when, where and how they want it,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman of Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd, at the launch in New Delhi on Monday. He said the service will let companies exploit all the four dominant tech trends today: mobility, social, big data and cloud. “They will see the advantages of instant scalability and attractive economics,” he added.
Launched in mid-2011, one in five of Microsoft’s enterprise customers now uses Office 365; as many as 41 of the world’s top 100 companies also use the service. Ramkumar Pichai, GM of the Microsoft Office Division, said this release brings next-generation computing to life. Office 365 can increase productivity of individuals, organisations and IT infrastructure, he said. Pichai added that while it helps users simplify their work, it also helps IT managers stay in control of the diverse environments created by a proliferation of devices.
Office 365 can be accessed using any Windows device and from any location. Users of other platforms can download certain applications or access the services through a web browser. Companies such as Lupin Limited, Godrej Industries Ltd, SIRO Clinpharm and Tata Elxsi, among others, have already adopted the new service in India.
Office 2013, the consumer product, became available in India earlier this year.
INDIA TODAY
