Microsoft Online Services available in India from November 7
Microsoft Online Services will be available in India from November 7: Microsoft has officially launched Online Sevices in India today. ‘Online Services’ includes Exchange Online (for e-mail), Office SharePoint Online (portals and collaboration), Office Live Meeting (for conferencing), Exchange Hosted Services and Office Communications Online (for instant messaging). Microsoft Online Services can be availed for as low as $2 per user a month. It will be available in India from November 7 i.e. Saturday. The company has also joined with HCL Infosystems, Infosys and Wipro to market and proffer value-added services around the Microsoft Online Services.
Microsoft Business Group President Stephen Elop told, “Customers can access a suite of products directly from the company website and pay a use-based monthly subscription fee, and thus manage their IT needs efficiently and lower their capex. We estimate their IT spend can go down 10-50 per cent.”
This is really something hot and happening for SMBs. With Microsoft ‘Online Services’ in India small and medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprise customers get permission to access e-mail and conferencing solutions through Internet.
Companies today are looking at following technology like cloud computing as IT spends have been lowered considering the slowdown. The model works well for SMBs which have smaller IT budgets.
Cloud computing is Internet-based development technology services, where common business applications are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored elsewhere on the servers.
A smaller enterprise can access the suite online and start using it for a monthly rental whereas mid or large companies can transmigrate from their legacy systems with the help of partners like HCL Infosystems, Infosys and Wipro.
The standard suite will cost the end-users $10; they could choose individual offerings at the rate of $5 per user per month for Exchange Online, $5.25 per user per month for SharePoint. The subscription fee for Office Communication Online is $2 per month per user and for Office Live Meeting is $4.50 per user per month.
According to a study by Brown & Mohan, the market for hosted email is likely to grow at a CAGR of over 50 per cent, while over 28 per cent of email solutions are expected to run on the hosted model by 2012.
Microsoft had proclaimed the trial launch for its online services in July 2009, as part of which more than 1,800 customers in India tried out the services. Since July 2009, more than 100 partners in India have signed on for Microsoft Online Services.
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