
Microsoft is exploring <A HREF="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2160426,00.asp">new business models for Office</A> in the emerging world, which includes expanding its pay-as-you-go pricing for Office 2003 in South Africa and Romania. The software maker announced a new offering, known as Microsoft Office Prepaid, for Office 2007 in those two developing countries. It will be priced at $28.54 for a three-month subscription for Microsoft Office 2007, while first-time users will get an extra three months free, Reuters reported.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the program was not an indication that the software giant was laying the groundwork for the rollout of Office as a service under Microsoft's software-plus-services vision. Still, the spokesperson did not rule out the 2007 Office Prepaid pilot as a forerunner to an Office service.