Remember Microsoft Works? You probably have it installed on your Windows PC right now. With the ubiquitous MS Office so dominating word processing and spreadsheet software, the low-end MS Works suite is largely forgotten. Things may be looking up for the neglected, runty sibling of MS Office. A CNET report, Online Works might be in the works, suggests that Microsoft may be considering adding a web-based Works suite free to users and supported by advertising.
This might make some degree of sense. First, Works is available, mature, reliable, and already a Microsoft property. Second, it has the features needed by most users and doesn’t have the feature bloat of the full MS Office package. That would make it easier to deliver as a web service, and simpler for its targeted users. Third, it would give users a free Microsoft productivity option with but less directly cannibalize MS Office revenue.
The article reports that Microsoft earns about $2 for every copy of Works shipped on an OEM computer, which lasts about three years. That’s not a lot of revenue to make up by offering it free with ads - one or two clicks a year might well earn the firm more. (Of course, what isn’t known is how many of those copies of Works are never, ever used.)
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