Office 365 for Business Deemed Cool but Complex

Microsoft rolled out the last stage of the newest version of Office 365 yesterday for businesses and as expected it’s a confusing affair, with various versions and price points (There’s Office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 Midsize Business and Office 365 Small Business Premium). Yet Microsoft has gone to great lengths to make cloud- and subscription-based Office accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Office 365 is also now available to consumers with its Home Premium version.

The stand-out features that make the new Office 365 really new are smoother integration with Microsoft’s online storage service, SkyDrive, as well as a new feature called On Demand that allows users to use Office docs on any computer, even ones that do not have Office installed.

Here are some Office 365 reviews, FAQs and warnings about version complexity and pricing from around the Web.

Microsoft’s Office 365: Business Users’ Top Questions (and Answers)

Microsoft conducted a launch Webcast about the rollout yesterday. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley pulled some of the audience’s most pressing questions and Microsoft-provided answers from the Webcast. (ZDNet)

Decoded: Microsoft’s Puzzling Office 365 Rollout

Office 365 is bogged down by a daunting number of different subscription plans, now offering 10 different versions. Here PCWorld explains the different Office 365 options and prices and warns about some flaws. (PCWorld)

Microsoft Office Shines Online

The Boston Globe’s Hiawatha Bray touts Office 365’s skillful integration with the Web and that value to be gleaned from subscription-based pricing model. (The Boston Globe)

Living with Office 365: Here’s What I Love — and Hate

The new versions of Office 365 hassome elegant features, a few baffling implementations, a couple technical hiccups, and a host of really neat features primarily for seriously heavy Office users. It’s a compelling vision. But does it actually work? Here’s what Nancy Gohring of CITEworld found out. (CITEworld)

Why Microsoft Is Pushing Office Subscriptions

The launch of new and revised Office 365 software-by-subscription plans for businesses shows that Microsoft realizes its current licensing revenue is threatened by cost-cutting customers, an analyst said. (Computerworld)

Office 365 For Business Is Here. Good Luck Figuring Out What It’ll Cost You

Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based office suite, is moving the turf war against Google Docs to the business world with today’s announcement of business-ready subscriptions. But you’ll need a spreadsheet to figure out which of six different options you’ll need – not to mention what it’ll cost. (ReadWrite.com)