The recent history of the Internet has seen enormous changes to the old models of how people publish and consume information on the Web. Instead of simply viewing information on static Web pages, users now publish their own content through blogs and wikis. Instead of visiting many different sites for information, users now combine data, content, and applications from different sources to create their own user experiences and applications. Users are taking these technologies into their own hands to form rich online communities where they can share knowledge and work collaboratively.

These new technologies, new application design patterns, and new business models—commonly and collectively referred to as Web 2.0—are transforming the shape of both public Internet and private intranet applications. They represent a significant opportunity for businesses that can embrace the changes and harness the creativity of their employees, partners, and extended customer communities and the collective value of their knowledge and intelligence.

Of course, with this new power and freedom come significant challenges. Integral to the power of Web 2.0 technologies is the ability for users to create their own applications according to their own needs and preferences. This creative activity is done “at the edge of the network”—that is, the users themselves grow and develop these applications, rather than relying on developers at a central IT department. Therefore, to get maximum value from these applications and at the same time avoid disruption and security lapses, enterprises must strike a balance between empowering their users on the one hand and centrally managing their IT and data assets on the other.

This white paper explores how the 2007 Office system, through a set of programs, servers, services, and tools, delivers a platform that allows enterprises to adopt and benefit from this sort of Web 2.0 evolution without unnatural disruption. It demonstrates how the 2007 Office system enables rich business solutions that embody the following set of Web 2.0 characteristics:

• Rich user experience
• Data-driven architecture
• User-driven business applications
• User participation
• Collective intelligence
• Low cost deployment and management

It also describes the platform technology investments in the 2007 Office system that allow IT professionals and developers to deliver a new breed of flexible and role-based office business applications. The paper closes with a brief look into the future and new potential business models for organizations to consider.

This white paper is in three parts. Part 1 (Evolution, Elements and Microsoft 2007 Office) traces the evolution of Web 2.0, identifies its elements and talks about how the Microsoft 2007 Office System leverages Web 2.0 to help create a rich user experience. Part 2 (Data- and User-Driven Applications) talks about how enterprises can use the Microsoft 2007 Office System for data and user-driven applications. Part 3 (Future Directions) spells out future directions.