Excel Web Application Announced at PDC

During today’s Professional Development Conference keynote, Ray Ozzie made an exciting announcement about a new way to view, edit, and collaborate with Excel.  If you weren’t able to watch the keynote, feel free to check out the following links: PDC Keynote Video, Official MS Press Release, and Channel 9 Video.

In case you’re in a hurry, here’s the bottom line:

• Excel is providing a web application which allows you to view, edit, and do real-time collaboration on spreadsheets in your choice of web browser – Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Safari!


• The Excel web application will be available in two channels: as a consumer service offered via Office Live and as a business offering via either hosted subscription or volume licensing.


• Any spreadsheets you author or edit online will be compatible with the Excel desktop client.

I know, I know: “Thanks for the teaser; where’s the app?”

While we will have a limited technical preview later this year, we won’t have a broadly public release for awhile.  As soon as I can share a date, and, more importantly, a way to sign up for the public release, I will post it here.