The tech giant Microsoft is ready to launch a beta version of its Office Live service. Following leaked information about the integrated email service within Office Live, it seems the launch is imminent. Under the name Office Live Mail, this email service allows users to read and receive emails from any internet-connected computer, as long as they access the service through a standard web browser or via Microsoft Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2003.
This information was revealed on LiveSide.net (http://www.liveside.net), a blog that closely follows Microsoft’s plans to provide web services similar to Office Live. All bloggers on LiveSide.net are either selected by Microsoft to test the beta version or are among the most valuable professionals (MVPs). The MVP award is given by Microsoft to individuals who contribute significantly to the community through various product groups.
Two weeks ago, Microsoft announced that Office Live would provide a completely free website for business customers to try, including a domain name, hosting, business applications, and online email. With the development of Office Live Mail, LiveSide.net predicts that the beta version of Office Live will be available to testers in just a few weeks. If you’re interested, you can sign up for the trial at: http://www.microsoft.com/office/officelive/default.mspx.
In addition to convenient email access, Office Live Mail offers users multiple free email accounts (250MB storage) or paid options (2GB). Users can also manage their POP (Post Office Protocol) accounts through this service. Furthermore, Office Live Mail allows you to save email messages to a local computer to free up memory space and to read messages even when offline.
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