Microsoft Demos InfoPath Server

For a moment, Microsoft lifted the tarp that shrouds Office 12 in secrecy at its Worldwide Partner Conference on Friday. Microsoft information worker vice president Chris Capossela demonstrated what Microsoft Watch believes to be the upcoming InfoPath Forms Server.

During the demonstration, Capossela showed attendees how Office users can use the software to deliver server-based forms using a Web browser -- without a client being installed.

The InfoPath server confirms previous reports that Office 12 will ship with an array of new server products including Excel and Visio servers.

Another tidbit of information Microsoft has announced about Office 12 is its adoption of a new document format it calls Microsoft Office Open XML.

The format is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology that replaces the existing Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats.

Although it is proprietary, Office Open XML is fully-documented and royalty free.