Microsoft unveils Office 365 cloud platform

Microsoft, with its Microsoft Office 365 hosted applications announced Tuesday, is offering Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync Online as an "always-up-to-date" cloud service.

Office 365, the company said, makes it easier for organizations to use the company's solutions via cloud computing. Users can work together more easily from anywhere on virtually any device, including smartphones, Microsoft said.

Although Microsoft previously has offered cloud services, such as its Business Productivity Online Suite and Office Live Small Business, Office 365 represents a new approach to cloud applications because it brings together Office desktop software and Office Web Apps to Microsoft business cloud services for the first time, a Microsoft representative said. It also features more complete versions of Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync and a new platform with single sign-in, federated identity, and scripting.

:story: Full story: InfoWorld