Updated: July 14, 2020 (August 19, 2013)

Office Web Apps See Improvements and Faster Releases

Wes Miller analyzes and writes about Microsoft’s security, identity management, and systems management technologies. Before joining Directions on Microsoft, Wes... more

A new version of the Office Web Apps, which allows viewing and limited editing of Office documents from within a Web browser, became available in Oct. 2012 for users of SharePoint 2013, SharePoint Online, SkyDrive, and SkyDrive Pro. The apps have been repeatedly updated throughout 2013, and they may be most useful for remote workers. Changes to Office Web Apps deployment and servicing should enable more rapid Office Web App updates in the future. Consumers and SharePoint Online users can take advantage of the new Office Web Apps features immediately, but businesses hosting on-premises must upgrade to SharePoint 2013 first.

Understanding the Office Web Apps

The Office Web Apps are server-based applications that enable viewing and limited editing of Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word documents in a browser. They lack many features of the Office suite; for example, users cannot work on documents while offline. However, they can be useful for traveling workers or workers who do not have a dedicated installation of the Office desktop applications to quickly review and make small changes to documents.

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