Office Live Merging into Windows Live

The Office Live set of services for small businesses will be merged into Microsoft’s Windows Live services for consumers, Microsoft has confirmed. The company was unable to provide any details of the consolidation, but insisted that current Office Live services would not be canceled and that new Office Live services and features are being planned. Nonetheless, Office Live partners should be wary of starting new Office Live development projects until Microsoft clearly explains its integration plans.

What Is Office Live?

Office Live consists of two sets of services:

Office Live Small Business. Originally called Office Live, this service launched in late 2006 after more than a year of beta testing. It includes a wide array of services for businesses with fewer than 10 PCs, including e-mail (based on the Hotmail back-end), domain registration, template-based Web site design, Web hosting, and services to aid e-commerce (such as a tool for placing items for sale on eBay). It also includes simple hosted applications for managing customer contacts, documents, and projects, and an online workspace (based on SharePoint technology) for employees and business partners to share documents and collaborate. In Feb. 2008, Microsoft changed the pricing structure for Office Live Small Business, offering for free many features that had previously been available only with a subscription.