Microsoft® Office 365™, an online office productivity suite, rivals Google Apps™ and Zoho Docs.  PCWorld compared the three online platforms on:  office tools, file storage, formatting consistency, how they work on mobile devices and web browsers, and cost.

All platforms provide: word processing, spreadsheet, presentation tools, email client, online file storage, real-time sharing and collaboration, some cross-platform availability. PCWorld explains the features, and which platform is best for users, based on preference.

For office apps, and files and storage, Office 365™ was the winner. For sharing and collaboration, Google Apps™ was tops.  Overall, PC World recognized Microsoft® Office 365™ as “Best of 2011,” “Business Ready,” and gave it 4.5 star rating.

Office 365™ in Review
Office 365™ is a relaunch of Microsoft’s® Business Productivity Online Suite® (BPOS).  It is the upgrade to the 2010 versions of Exchange®, SharePoint®, Office Communications Online® and Live Meeting® – the last two of which have become one and are now known as Lync®.  There is additional Office software online. Online web apps are available for a small extra cost, while subscribing fully to Microsoft® Office® costs a bit more (see pricing plans below).

U.K.’s Guardian reports, “Despite cynics referring to this as a glorified rebranding exercise, the inclusion of the most commonly used office software in the world certainly adds a massive edge.  Furthermore, the increase in options in SharePoint ®2010 and Outlook® Web access 2010 is considerable.”

Pros:  Excellent file fidelity with desktop Office files, look and feel consistent with Office®, generous default storage and attachment size

Cons: Limited sharing and collaboration options, poor mobile performance aside from Windows® Phone 7

Bottom Line:  Familiar look and feel, and “top-notch” integration with the desktop Microsoft® Office.  It offers additional tools that make it a leading choice for organizations seeking an online productivity suite.

It is not the cheapest, but offers the most value.  Office 365™ pricing plans are similar to Google Apps™ and Zoho Docs. 

Mac User’s Testimony of Office 365
Read a Mac® user’s personal account of signing up for Office 365™.  He visually walks readers through his troubles to contentment with the Windows®-based platform.