Mobile operator O2 is to offer cloud software to subscribers via their telephone bills in a move that will remove up-front costs of purchasing software.
The new packaged offering from O2 will offer core services such as mobile voice, mobile broadband and fixed line, which will be offered with Microsoft Office 365.
The Office 365 service from O2 is already available to a small number of customers participating in beta trials, with plans to offer a full service to business customers later this year.
“A key benefit of cloud computing to business is that technology ceases to be a capital expense and instead becomes an operating cost, allowing companies to pay only for what they use, reducing overall costs,” said Martin Cullen, director of Microsoft Small and Medium Businesses.
Office 365 combines Office desktop suite with cloud-based versions of Microsoft’s next-generation communications and collaboration services.
“We believe the cloud will deliver significant cost benefits to our business customers, which is a key consideration for all businesses seeking to manage costs in the current economic climate,” Alan Brown, director of Business, Telefónica Ireland, explained.
