Microsoft has detected a new piece of malware targeting Apple OS X computers that exploits a vulnerability in the Office productivity suite patched nearly three years ago.

Microsoft has demonstrated support for the Open Document Format (ODF) 1.2 standard in a technical preview of the forthcoming Office 15 productivity suite, and plans to release a beta version with the feature late this summer.

Enterprise social networking vendor Yammer said Wednesday it has purchased OneDrum, maker of software that allows users to work on Microsoft Office documents and other files collaboratively. Terms were not disclosed.

Microsoft has lowered the prices of some editions of the Office 365 cloud collaboration and communication suite, which was launched about eight months ago and competes directly with Google Apps and other similar products.

OnLive, a company that recently began offering hosted Windows and Office software remotely from its servers to iPad and Android tablet users, is in violation of Microsoft licensing rules, according to a Microsoft official.

At a time when Cloud computing services for productivity tools are gaining steam, you would think that desktop software like Office 2010 would be on a downslide.

When Ben Fried left his post as IT managing director at Morgan Stanley and took over as Google's CIO in May 2008, he knew what he was getting into: supporting a user base full of technology experts and computer industry stars, like co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, CEO Eric Schmidt and Vice President Vint Cerf. In a recent interview with IDG News Service, Fried spoke candidly about his job and shared tips and advice for fellow CIOs, including the urgent need for tablet device strategies. An edited transcript of the interview follows.