Microsoft's cloud-based Office suite, Office 365, was first announced back in October 2010. Following a limited beta test conducted with a few select businesses, Microsoft has now opened up the beta program to the public. Individuals that are interested in participating may visit the Office 365 webpage.
Office 365 is a subscription service that combines Office Web apps with familiar web-enabled tools, such as SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync. The service offers users email and calendaring services, collaboration on Office documents and websites, conferencing and instant messaging with colleagues, and the ability to access these services from almost any device or browser. Microsoft also offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and data protection services including Microsoft's corporate antivirus solution, ForeFront Client Security.
