Google's New Challenge to Microsoft supremacy

The question is: Is Google challenging Microsoft's supremacy in the office arena? Could be. Just recently, Google launched a web-based spreadsheet program that allows users to simultaneously edit data while conducting an "in-document" chat. Google Spreadsheets supports the import and export of documents in the .xls format used in Excel and the .csv (comma-separated values) format. FYI...Although Microsoft has launched a Web-based office-style system, the spreadsheet portion of Microsoft Office is not on the Web yet.

The launch is further proof that Google is eyeing Microsoft's Office stronghold, but should Microsoft really be worried? In March, Google acquired Writely, a collaborative word processor that runs in a browser. The company hasn't made clear its plans for that product, and it remains in the beta stage of testing. Still, as the pieces come together, there's little doubt that Google is quietly providing Web-based versions of the Office applications upon which Microsoft has built an empire.

Is this new spreadsheet a serious challenge to Microsoft? Probably not. After all, the major users of spreadsheets are companies and organizations. And do you think they would store their spreadsheet data on a publicly-accessed server owned by a company that they have no contract with. Also, the Google spreadsheet does not have the in-depth capabilities contained in Excel, according to reviewers.

Google just keeps on innovating so it will be interesting to watch their growth in the office arena.