Corel plans on Tuesday to formally unveil a public beta of its WordPerfect Lightning productivity application, designed to serve as a key component of its online services model.
WordPerfect Lightning beta, a free, downloadable word-processing and note-taking software application, aims to provide a new distribution and online services model for Corel WordPerfect Office.
The WordPerfect beta builds on Corel's earlier efforts to create a hybrid platform that combines desktop and web applications, such as its modular components. The modular Corel components are designed to work from an online environment, while the platform remains on the desktop.
Like the modular components, WordPerfect Lightning beta aims to offer a tightly integrated productivity platform comprised of both online and desktop components. WordPerfect Lightning offers free access to such premium online services as collaboration and data storage.
"By blending desktop and web applications in WordPerfect Lightning, Corel is taking a truly hybrid approach to computing," Richard Carriere, Corel's general manager for office productivity, said in a statement.
The software features four components: Navigator, the Viewer, Lightning Notes window and Connector.
Navigator serves as a central repository for organising content, while the Viewer acts as a reading tool to view such documents in Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or WordPerfect file formats.
Lightning Notes window is designed as a lightweight word processor and note-taking utility. And Connector, which is powered by Joyent, is a suite of web-based applications, such as email, calendars and address books.
Talkback
I have always thought it would be wise to make apps available on the net and users access them from their PC's rather than have them installed on local systems. It should be cheaper than buying, would help the environment, and should cut down on hacking, security problems, etc. Assuming the sofware is secure to start with. Choice should be with the user and not have any company force you to accept something you don't want or don't plan to utilize.