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After reading this blog post by ZD Net UK's David Meyer a few minutes ago and doing further research, it does seem indeed that UK web hosting company Fasthosts is offering MS Office via subscription.

It isn't really true SaaS; PC Advisor UK reports that users will have to download the whole suite of products but does require users to keep PCs connected to the Internet in order to use the products. Fasthosts is working on the ability to allow offline MS Office usage in this manner.

The fee for the subscription is apparently just under 6 British pounds per month -- a heckuva lot less than buying a full license.

TechRadar also reports that the version will stay current and quotes Fasthosts' CTO:

“[It’s] an excellent way to obtain the very latest versions of the software we all need, affordably, on a pay-as-you-go basis,” says Mark Jeffries, CTO of Fasthosts. “Its low monthly cost and easy installation will suit a great many home and business users.”

This appears to be a new thing for MS Office and it will be fascinating to see if other partners follow suit if Fasthosts' initiative gets good response.

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