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Cloud-based document collaboration solutions specialist Expresso Corporation announced the launch and immediate availability of its eXpresso platform for Microsoft Office, now featuring full collaborative support for both Word and PowerPoint, in addition to its existing Excel support. The expanded capability allows multiple users of Microsoft Office documents to share and simultaneously edit text and presentation files while preserving file formatting, regardless of the software version in use on the desktop.
The platform preserves document formatting even across multiple versions of Office, allowing users of Office 2003 and 2007 to collaborate with Office 2010 users. While online in eXpresso, users can create and edit Word and PowerPoint documents in their browser. When files are locked, eXpresso’s integrated chat function allows users to communicate about the status of file usage. eXpresso also supports off-line desktop-based editing through the small, downloadable eXpresso Add-in that enables single-click sharing of documents back to the cloud.
“Documents are the lifeblood of every business and Microsoft’s Office productivity suite is the de facto standard with 550 million suites installed worldwide,” said eXpresso CEO George Langan. “With eXpresso’s collaborative methodologies, Office users can now take advantage of unmatched functionality and cloud collaboration with a simple, affordable solution.”
The solution also provides enhanced, granular file sharing and editing control, and users can set specific permissions for viewing and editing documents, down to specific areas or sections of the file. For example, some users may be permitted total viewing and/or editing permission, while others may only be able to view and/or view specific pages, slides or cells. This granularity makes it possible to protect document integrity or shield confidential information from non-authorized individuals, Langan said.
To use eXpresso requires an active Microsoft Office license, Internet Explorer 6.0 or later and a valid email address; eXpresso is also compatible with Firefox and Chrome browsers equipped with the Internet Explorer Tab or extension. Annual subscriptions start at $79 per user with volume pricing available. An on-premise hosted solution is also available for enterprise deployment, the company release noted. “eXpresso eliminates emailing files back and forth and the confusion this often causes over which version is the most recent or up-to-date,” Langan said. “In eXpresso, multiple users can edit the same file simultaneously; or the file can be locked for editing, depending on the user’s preference and the situation.”
This fall, the company said it would launch eXpresso for LotusLive to further extend the collaboration and file fidelity capabilities of this system in conjunction with IBM’s release of its newly redesigned Symphony 3.0 office suite. With eXpresso for LotusLive, users can simultaneously access and edit shared business documents directly from inside LotusLive; both Symphony and Microsoft Office users can access and edit those same documents with formatting and permissions remaining intact regardless of the users’ desktop software of choice. The company said this cross-platform integration helps enable businesses to leverage the new Symphony suite alongside Microsoft Office while maintaining file sharing and editing control.