News: Microsoft To Trial Ad-Supported Works Package

Microsoft has announced that it will be trialling a free (albeit ad-supported) version of its Works office package, due to debut with version 9.0, which should be launched by the end of the year. Seeing as there is more and more free or open source software out there which can do similar things to MS Office software, it should be interesting to see whether this proves a viable strategy for the company. The idea of adverts being displayed while working on documents doesn't really appeal to me. - jammin *News Editor*

"Microsoft has not said which PC makers it is working with on the project who will pre-install the ad-supported copies of Works. The software company said the trial would run until mid-2008 and was being run to find out if it can generate enough cash to support such a service. The usual retail price of Works in the US is $39.99 (£20). Microsoft has faced increasing competition in recent years as rivals produce free versions of business software that can be downloaded or used online."