Microsoft's cloud-enabled Office 2010 set to join battle with Google

From InfoWorld: Next month, Microsoft will release Office 2010 into an IT world that Google has been reshaping as use of its Google Apps services spread to places like the City of Los Angeles and Genentech, Inc.

With the release of Office 2010 on May 12, Microsoft will complete an effort to move its long portfolio of applications to the Cloud, offering its business and government customers a new way to deliver services to users.

But while Microsoft maintains oceans of customers who heavily use its Office suite of products, its mindshare is clearly under siege because of Google Apps.

Google moved early to make this a contest over which firm offers the best contract terms and legal protections in cloud environments. The city of Los Angeles, which may be Google's marquee government user, has been frank in disclosing details of its agreement. By the end of June, Los Angeles expects to complete a transition of some 30,000 employees to Google Apps.

In one sense, Kevin Crawford, Los Angeles assistant director of IT, is Google's de facto public sector evangelist. He doesn't market Google directly, but he answers questions from many other local government and state officials who want specifics about the city's deal with Goog

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