Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it plans to launch a set of Web services next month aimed at helping small companies manage business contacts, calendars and online communications.

After months of testing, the world’s largest software maker plans to launch Microsoft Office Live in the U.S. on November 15, the same day it will roll out a test, or beta, version in France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

In a change from the test product it released in February, Office Live will also include a feature to allow small business owners to buy advertisements, tied to certain keywords, to appear alongside Microsoft’s Live Search results.

Source: Yahoo