Microsoft launched its much awaited Microsoft Office 365 cloud-based productivity solution in India. Enabling easy access to business productivity solutions, Microsoft Office 365 is commercially available in India at very attractive prices starting $2 per user per month. Launch of Microsoft Office 365 is one of the Microsoft’s latest cloud services strategy of taking entire concept of cloud computing to next level.

Office 365 suite will comprise Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email and other software which can be used by enterprises on basis of a pay-per-use model. Providing enterprise class productivity with flexible usage and payment terms, Office 365 suite delivers streamlined communication with high availability, comprehensive security and simplified IT management, says the Mr. Sanket Akerkar, MD of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft Office 365 comes with updated platform, new infrastructure investments, finally backed SLA and different packages based upon the customer organization requirements. For small businesses, Office 365 provides services for approximately $6 per user per month, and this plan includes Office Web Apps, SharePoint Online Exchange Online, and Lync Online. While for large businesses, Office 365 will handle a variety of scenarios and plans start from s $2 for basic e-mail to $27 per user per month. Plan for large organizations include Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online, an option to get the full power of Office Professional Plus desktop software and Office Web Apps.

Google Apps, Google’s online applications seems to face tough competition with Microsoft’s Cloud computing segment, which has many interesting features. Microsoft is expecting its Office 365 will provide ample growth opportunities for its ecosystem partners in Indian in near future, so let us wait and watch, if Microsoft’s cloud segment will take over Google Apps in real time.