Microsoft expands Office 'pay-as-you-go' rental program

Microsoft is extending its Office "rental" program to five more markets before the end of 2007.

Via the pay-as-you-go program, users can choose three- or six-month subscriptions to Office Professional 2007 and pay a monthly fee to use the product. Users may renew the subscriptions at any time. If they don't renew, Office goes into reduced functionality mode, which allows users to continue to view and print files. Users cannot create or save new files or modify existing ones in this mode.

Microsoft began testing Office under pay-as-you-go scheme in late 2006, starting with Office 2003, in South Africa, Mexico and Romania. In 2007, Microsoft cut Mexico from the list of participating countries and began offering Office 2007, rather than the older Office 2003, product via the Prepaid Edition  subscription program.