[geoff01]

Apple has unveiled details of a new “cloud computing” initiative that will see it put many of its software and services online, taking on the might of Google in the process.

The announcement of the public test version of iWork.com came at the Apple Macworld expo in San Francisco. The service, which will rival Google's "Docs" application, is free but will cost money when Apple has finished it.

“Cloud computing” refers to the idea of software and services, such as photo sharing and word processing, living online, stored on servers “in the cloud” rather than on individual home computers. It means the data is accessible on almost any device with an internet connection, and that friends or colleagues will be able to work collaboratively on the same documents simultaneously.

Apple’s plans build and update its existing iWork suite of programmes, which features presentation, word-processing and spreadsheet software. The company also updated its iLife suite, which is used to edit photos, movies, web design and music.

The move into cloud computing is a shrwed one for Apple because it enables many of its products and services to run on any machine, not just Macs, exposing a wider audience to Apple’s range of software and hardware.

The strategy, however, could also potentially spark a cloud computing race, as Google already offers many services online, for free, and Microsoft has also signalled its intention to move into cloud computing with the launch of its own development platform for cloud services, dubbed Azure.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencean...ing-plans.html