Microsoft to start testing online Office

Microsoft should start testing an online version of Office, in a reaction to the – so far – Web based services from Google and Yahoo. The company plans to offer a "beta" or general test version of Microsoft Office Live for free to help work out any potential problems prior to a commercial release later this year.

Office Live should offers small businesses the ability to create and manage Web sites and maintain corporate e-mail accounts while working with the desktop versions of Microsoft Office such as Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and Outlook e-mail.