Microsoft has unveiled details of free web-based software for small firms as it bids to compete with applications from rivals such as Google. Office Live allows businesses to boost their online presence - giving them a domain name, a Microsoft hosted web site and company email addresses.
It is part of Microsoft's strategy to position itself against rivals offering software on demand over the internet. Such products pose a threat to revenue from the likes of Microsoft Office. This is particularly crucial with the new version of its Windows operating system, Vista being released to businesses from 30 November after lengthy delays. Microsoft is also planning to launch its own advertising-financed, on-demand suite of office software - part of an "historic shift" it revealed last year.
