Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s plan to action a Web-based adaptation of its Appointment abundance apartment will admission with the absolution of Appointment 14, the almsman to Microsoft Appointment 2007, a aggregation controlling said Tuesday.

Office Web, as the online adaptation is called, is allotment of Microsoft's "vision for carrying abundant user adventures beyond the PC, phone, and the Web in Appointment 14," said Microsoft Appointment accepted administrator Takeshi Numoto, speaking Tuesday at the company's Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.

Numoto did not specify a absolution date for Appointment 14. Bloggers at some tech sites, however, accept said the apartment is acceptable due out in 2009. Appointment 2007 debuted in January 2007.

Numoto said that the Web-based versions of Appointment applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote would acquiesce users to coact with others and beyond assorted accessories added efficiently. "This is a abundant archetype of Appointment enabling activating accord beyond the PC, phone, and the Web," said Numoto.

Numoto did not action acumen into appraisement details, such as whether users who acquirement the boxed adaptation of Appointment 14 will get chargeless admission to the Web version.

In ablution the suite, Microsoft is searching to assure its abut from Google -- which endure year launched a host of chargeless and bargain appointment abundance applications beneath a cast alleged Google Apps. For a individual account fee per user, enterprises can cycle out Google Apps to as abounding advisers as they like.

Hosted offerings like Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Apps and Microsoft's accessible Appointment Web action users beneath complication and easier maintenance. The downside is that hosted applications are not accessible for use if Internet admission is cut off.

In the Web era, Microsoft is continuing to advance acceptable desktop applications and applicant operating systems while introducing complementary, hosted products. It's a action the aggregation calls "software additional services." In befitting with that, Microsoft on Monday apparent a hosted adaptation of the Windows operating arrangement alleged Windows Azure. "We are on a aisle to bear all our technology as software additional services," chief VP Chris Capossela said.

Microsoft said it affairs to advertise Web Appointment anon and aswell through resellers and partners.