Google Docs & Spreadsheet Challenge Microsoft Office

copyright Adage.com
by Gavin O'Malley
published October 11, 2006

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Amid all the commotion over GoogTube this week, Google has quietly made a move to challenge another tech giant's territory by bundling its free word-processing and spreadsheet services. Any improvements to Google's web-based applications threaten the monopoly that Microsoft holds in the space with its costly Office software.

Fewer functions
The new Google Docs & Spreadsheets service doesn't offer as many functions as Microsoft's word processor and spreadsheet programs. Rather, it's being positioned as a simple -- and free -- alternative for nonprofessional computing tasks.

Google has already rolled out a host of free online services that compete against Microsoft's software, which it licenses to businesses and sells to consumers for approximately $400. Earlier this year, Google bought Writely, a web-based word-processing service and launched its own spreadsheet product.

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