Inside Microsoft Office Live beta

So you thought that Microsoft had already cornered the market on digital tools for the office? The company has certainly bulk-licensed its software to big institutions for decades, while fending off anti-trust courts. Now Microsoft hopes to serve small startups and one-man bands. To that end, the beta version of Microsoft Office Live is giving away tools to help companies maintain a Web presence and manage operations via the Internet. The product comes in three flavours, and our slide show gives you a taste of the features on offer. Read our preview for more details.

At the moment, only US residents can participate in the Office Live beta program, so the service previewed here is optimised for US businesses. A Microsoft UK spokesperson said that the company will announce its international strategy for Office Live later this year.