Microsoft to relaunch BPOS as Office 365 next year

BPOS users will have 12 months to switch over to the new service, which promises "next generation of productivity" and includes cloud-based editions of Microsoft Office and Lync

Microsoft will transition BPOS customers to the 365 brand from next year

Microsoft is to phase out and replace its software-as-a-service (SaaS) Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) next year.

The software giant announced the arrival of the suite’s replacement, Microsoft Office 365, yesterday and its availability for beta testing.

The official rollout date for the paid-for product has not yet been confirmed. However, a post on Microsoft’s website states that BPOS users will have 12 months from its launch to migrate over to the new service.

It states: “For any major service update, customers will have up to 12 months from the availability of the service update to make the transition."

"Starting early next year, Microsoft will reach out to all customers to schedule the customer transition to Office 365," it added.

Microsoft partner BT Engage IT has pledged its support in helping the vendor transfer customers, by announcing plans to roll out a range of complementary packaged services.

Martin Balaam, managing director of BT Engage IT, said: “We feel confident that our comprehensive range of services will provide organisations that subscribe to Office 365 with a proven approach to transition into the next generation of productivity.”

Like BPOS, Office 365 features online versions of Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint. It will also contain cloud-based editions of Microsoft Office and Lync, which the vendor claims will be compatible with most internet browsers, smartphones and desktop applications.

The vendor has announced pricing details for small business and enterprise versions of Office 365, and confirmed plans to launch an edition aimed at education users in 2011.

The small business version is for companies with fewer than 25 people. It will be free for the first 30 days of use, and then $6 per user per month thereafter.

The enterprise version will feature several different pricing plans, revealed Microsoft, depending on the number and nature of the online services companies opt for. Accordingly, the price will vary from between $2 and $25 per month per user.

Kurt DelBene, president of Microsoft’s office division, said the new suite combines everything Microsoft knows about business productivity in a single cloud service.
He said: “People can focus on their business, while we and our partners take care of the technology.”