Microsoft goes cloud-heavy with new Office

Microsoft® took a bold step deeper into the cloud this week with the introduction of the latest version of its Office 365™ productivity suite, which brings to the table new capabilities for social and touchscreen interaction not seen in previous iterations of the software.

Introduced by CEO Steve Ballmer at a press event in San Francisco, the latest Office comes with all the familiar applications, including Word, Powerpoint®, Outlook®, Excel® and OneNote®. The new software is optimized for Microsoft's Windows® 8 and RT, but will be compatible with Windows 7 as well.

Microsoft announced a handful of cloud-specific features available for the new Office, including SkyDrive®, which enables users to automatically save their content and then it access from any tablet computer, smartphone or traditional PC. The software's Roaming feature allows users to save their personalized settings across devices as well.

The new Office 365 also features a number of touch capabilities for users running the program on tablets or touch-enabled PCs. Touch has been a major focus of Microsoft this year, with the launch of Windows 8 slated for later this fall. This is understandable, given the current popularity of the tablet market, of which Microsoft and others are desperately trying to grab a bigger share.