Google Office

[Smartweb]

I’m writing this in Microsoft Word 2003 right now hoping that Google may be about to launch a better way for me to write and manage future documents. Everyone who’s familiar with gmail, picture a modified gmail that instead of email handles office documents (not ms office, but word processing, spreadsheet, etc.). Think about its potential. You could share your 2.5 gigabytes of storage you have for gmail with your online document storage, which would have a web-based method for editing the documents and would also have the potential to be accessed via ftp or a similar technology so that you could use normal desktop applications to edit your documents, but they would be stored online. You could go to any computer with internet access in the world and have access to all your documents. It would be nice to have a Google Office desktop application that accessed this online storage, but just the idea of a gmail-like document manager makes me drool.

[Xitech]

Does this exist?!?!

[Smartweb]

Not yet, rumor has it that Google is developing it right now.

[Tebow2000]

where did u get this from? that would be cool, but I really don't think it would change the face of time.. Google isn't a word processing company, it started off as a simple search engine which has evolved into a few other branches, but is still the same...Why would they take such a big jump?

[Smartweb]

Google is far from just a search company anymore. Click More on their homepage. It makes sense that they would make an online document store that's just like gmail. If you look at the way Google is going, they're really expanding into software. That's why Microsoft is so worried. Hoards of Microsoft employees have been moving to Google. And I hope you don't think that's because of search.

[richh0323]

Google is now distributing Sun's Open Office, I found the article and thought I would post it here for all to read. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Google Inc., the world's most-used Internet search engine, and Sun Microsystems are joining forces to offer online word processing and spreadsheet functions in a direct challenge to Microsoft Corp.'s dominance. Google will distribute Sun's free OpenOffice.org software for personal computers, the companies said Tuesday at a press conference in Google's home town of Mountain View, Calif. Some downloaded Sun programs also will include Google's toolbar. The alliance may present one of the strongest competitors to Microsoft's Office word processing and spreadsheet products, which generated $11 billion in sales last fiscal year. Google is using Sun to accelerate its battle with Microsoft, adding a missing piece to its growing list of features that includes the Google toolbar, e-mail and desktop search. "This really should be seen as competition heating up between Google and Microsoft, with Sun providing the ammunition," said Michael Cohen, a San Diego-based analyst for Pacific American Securities. The companies didn't say how Google will deliver the programs, or whether or when they will be available on Google's sites. "We need the benefit of their brand," said Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's president. "They need the benefit of our technology." Google will pay Sun each time a customer downloads Sun's Java desktop software with the Google toolbar, Schwartz said. "This is the thin edge of a large, powerful wedge," said Michael Dortch, an analyst for technology consultants Robert Frances Group. "Sun and Google pulled back the corner of the entrance flap to what could turn out to be a huge tent." The announcement reunites Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt with Sun CEO Scott McNealy. Schmidt worked for Sun from 1983 to 1997 in various posts, including chief technical officer. The alliance comes 18 months after McNealy and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer patched a feud and agreed to make their products more compatible. Microsoft also agreed to pay Sun almost $2 billion to settle legal disputes. At Google, Schmidt is pushing further into Microsoft's territory. The company has moved beyond Internet search, where it leads Microsoft and Yahoo! Inc., into desktop search, allowing users to plow through all files on their PCs. About 78 million individual users visit Google sites each month, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. The Google toolbar, which sits on the desktop and links users to Web sites, e-mail and other products, is a linchpin in the company's challenge to Microsoft. Google could add "tens of millions" of customers through Sun's downloads, Schmidt said. That will help Google "monetize" its toolbar by selling more advertising, Schmidt said. He wouldn't say if Google's toolbar would link to OpenOffice.org. OpenOffice.org is an open-source product that is compatible with all major office products. It is free to download, use and distribute. Sun started the community in 2000 and is now its primary source for code. As well as a rival product to Microsoft's Word and Excel, it has a "presentation manager" program to compete with PowerPoint. Sun and Google are betting that users will soon demand that they gain access to their files from anywhere, just like Internet e-mail, Dortch said. "For Sun, a partnership with Google lends a lot of credibility," Dortch said. Sun released its latest paid version of the OpenOffice.org program, called StarOffice 8, on Sept. 27. Sun charges for that version because the company has to pay fees for items such as fonts, clip art and spell-checker. The company touted it as being able to work with Excel, Word or PowerPoint. The StarOffice suite is cheaper than Microsoft's Office, retailing for $99.95 and offered for download on the Web $69.95. Business customers are charged $35 a user. A Microsoft Office Basic suite starts at $149, according to the Web site of Dell Inc., the world's largest maker of PCs. Microsoft Office represents 28 percent of the company's sales. The unit provided $7.92 billion in profit, or 54 percent of the company's profit in the year ended June 30.