Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint Hit the Cloud

Microsoft is heading deeper into the cloud with a new suite of online business applications that will be available to individual subscribers for a monthly fee.

The offering, dubbed Microsoft Online Services (MOS), is being targeted to those customers who might be more tied to their BlackBerry than their workplace PC. For $3 per month, a user can get access to Microsoft's new Deskless Worker Suite, which includes Web-based access to Exchange and SharePoint.

Exchange subscribers will get e-mail, calendar, address book, anti-virus and anti-spam filters, and company e-mail access via Outlook Web Access Light, Microsoft said. Those with a SharePoint subscription will have access to SharePoint portal and team sites and search functionality.

Users can subscribe to the "deskless" versions Exchange and SharePoint together or separately, Microsoft said.

Microsoft is also offering a productivity suite for $15 per month, which includes Exchange Online, Office SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online for instant messaging, and Office Live Meeting for videoconferencing.

Eight Microsoft customers are currently participating in a beta of MOS, while another four customers - including Nokia - are using MOS for messaging and collaboration, according to Microsoft.

U.S.-based companies can sign up for the beta at www.mosbeta.com.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that it would offer a subscription-based version of Office by late July. A one-year subscription will cost $69.99, and each subscription can be activated on three home computers.

Microsoft will hold a press conference on the new services at 11:30 am Eastern, so stay tuned for more details.