Software giant Microsoft  is pushing itself into 'cloud' computing as it launches a revamped online version of its hugely profitable Office software suite.

Outlook email, Excel spreadsheets and SharePoint collaboration tools are all being pushed onto an online format so that customers can use them on a variety of devices on the move. The goal is to push back against Google which also wants to get corporate customers to use cheap, web-only alternatives, which remove the need for companies to spend time on installing software or managing servers.

Microsoft has offered online versions of some Office programs for its corporate customers for several years, and last year rolled out free versions for individual home users. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer is set to present an overhauled and updated set of offerings dubbed Office 365 later today.