A simple interface (shown above) gives businesses administrative control over their Office 365 user accounts. (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — In what some anticipate will challenge Google’s suite of online productivity tools , Microsoft ( www.microsoft.com ) is bringing together its business and collaboration offerings under the new Microsoft Office 365 brand, which combines the strengths of Office desktop software and Office Web Apps, together with SharePoint, Exchange and recently released unified communications offering Lync Online . According to Microsoft’s announcement this week, Office 365 will replace Office Live Small Business, Live@edu, and the company’s subscription-based messaging and collaboration product known as Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite or BPOS

A graphic from Microsoft illustrating features of the business productivity online suite (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The State of Minnesota’s Office of Enterprise Technology ( www.oet.state.mn.us ) announced Monday it has signed an agreement to use Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite ( www.microsoft.com ) to deliver its unified communications and collaborations services. The cost effectiveness of managing and delivering core business applications through the cloud was a significant factor in the decision, according to Minnesota’s state chief information officer Gopal Khanna. “As states battle growing deficits, they are continually being asked to do more with less,” said Khanna in a statement.

Click here to RSVP to WHIR Events: Boston – June 17, 2010 Denver – Aug 26, 2010 Phoenix – Sept 23, 2010 Five Most Recent Posts News: Q&A: Jonna Murnick, Consonus Technologies News: Armorize to Launch Alarm Service for Zero Day Threats Hidden in Sites and Online Ads News: E-Shelter to Build 118K Square Foot Data Center in Zurich News: Microsoft Wins 18,000-Seat Communications Contract with University of Arizona (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Laying the groundwork for a new cloud-computing approach to higher education IT, the University of Arizona ( www.arizona.edu ) has chosen the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite to provide 18,000 faculty and staff members with next-generation communications tools to greatly enhance collaboration on the campus.