Microsoft said on Tuesday that they would launch a subscription based productivity and security suite known as Equipt. The suite will be sold at nearly 700 Circuit City stores in the U.S. starting mid-July 2008 and retail for $69.99.
Microsoft offers a subscription based service to ensure users are properly Equipt. (IMG:J.Anderson)
Initially code-named “Albany,” Microsoft Equipt offers Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It comes with Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery and Office Live Workspace, Microsoft’s answer to Google Doc’s. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions.
In April, Bryson Gordon, group product manager for Microsoft Office, gave a Press Pass interview about “Albany” and explained why the service was created. “We asked consumers what they needed and wanted most on their PC, and the overwhelming response was that they primarily want productivity and security software. Consumers also expressed frustration at having to spend time and effort installing different types of software, keeping current on new versions and getting their computers set up. We’re just making it really convenient and painless for consumers to get up and running in a few mouse-clicks with the best-in-class Microsoft Office suite that they love and software and services they’ve told us are indispensable to getting the most out of their PC, while staying up-to-date with the latest versions of their software without having to purchase subsequent versions,” he said.
He also added that “Albany” was an example of Microsoft’s “software plus services” plan, which exists in part to deal with SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) vendors like Google.
More information is here:http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/office/factsheets/EquiptFS.doc
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