Microsoft recently became the new, proud owner of the attractive generic domain name Office.com after purchasing it from a U.S. entrepreneur for an undisclosed amount. Rather than reserving the name for its upcoming online suite of business software services, the domain name went live this morning with a forward to the Microsoft Office Online website.
For reference, that website is designed to help people learn more about Microsoft Office’s desktop software although it does also link to some of its web-based products (e.g. Microsoft Office Live). Likely, the domain name will be used for better purposes later on (at least, I hope so).
For more information about Microsoft’s plans, read our “The Complete Guide To Microsoft’s Office 2010? post. An excerpt:
Most certainly a direct response to Google Apps, Microsoft is rolling out lightweight, FREE, Web browser versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. All based in the cloud, the web-based versions of these products have fewer features than their desktop cousins but still give users basic tools to edit and change documents.