There’s no need for further speculation: Today at the Web 2.0 Expo Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed (here also) that Google will soon launch a PowerPoint clone, completing their basic office suite (they already have Word and Excel covered). Expect these services to be combines with Gmail, Google Calendar, GTalk and other services under a single brand for small businesses.
Schmidt also said that they’re office suite isn’t a threat to Microsoft. That, of course, is complete spin.
What Schmidt didn’t say is whether Google will build or buy this. They acquired Writely, and (mostly) built their spreadsheet application. The smart money is saying this is a build, not a buy.
Update: Google has also announced the acquisition of Tonic Systems to power the presentations product. So much for the smart money being on a build, not a buy, and so much for concerns about yet one more disparate platform to integrate into Docs & Spreadsheets. Launch is planned for this summer.
Update: More information from a reader:
In November 2006, I saw this product being used in meetings at Google…It’s been in development for quite some time now, although it was still very bare-bones then. It sounds like their recent acquisition of Tonic was made for some essential technology component (probably “Download as PowerPoint” or something) — Tonic won’t be in charge of building the core product- that one should mainly be ready and in testing now.
See all
Post
Great!
Google has done it again!
I wonder what is next ?
Google have apparently purchased a company called Tonic Systems, who provide ‘world leading Java PowerPoint automation products’ according to Google cache info:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com.....cting.html
http://www.tonicsystems.com/
He says it won’t be a threat to Microsoft, and I agree with him. However, I know he means differently… so I’m going to have to disagree with him.
Man, why so complicated?
The office products are interesting to me b/c they have very little to do with Google’s 2 stated goals: search and advertising. Office tools are portal items to make the brand more sticky, a problem Google doesn’t have right now. In an enterprise space, they could charge for them, but that is a different ball of yarn then anything they’ve done until now.
“Google has done it again!”
Google has done what again? They haven’t launched anything yet, I would hold your horses before congratulating them…
I’m thinking Google Office Professional 2007 Small Business Edition, or wait, that was Mickeysoft with the really long product names..
Like Eu said.. What’s next.. maybe:
Google Flowchart (Mickeysoft Visio)
Google Database (Mickeysoft Access)
hm. either way, I’m all for Google apps.. even if I don’t use them they create a playing field in the market that will result in people realizing there’s more than just Microsoft and may result in people fanning out to other products.. or perhaps this is just wishful thinking
Too bad for Zenter…
How do we know that this is an office suite completed? If you compare 1-1 then yes I guess but I don’t understand how anything is complete.
Competition is good and will give us better products from both Microsoft and Google. I would assume office’s biggest competitor right now is open office as its making some large inroads.
Google is the new WalMart of software, in that a bunch of startups build cool products (calenders, start pages, blog search etc., etc, etc………), then in comes the Giant G and wipes them out.
The consumer benefits because they build great products but the smaller providers get squeezed.
What would they even buy? I have yet seen a reliable and decent web-based powerpoint.
The cop out is for one of you people to show me some link to some lame Flash-based animator that you get to “share” and what not. I don’t want to share, I want to make a powerpoint or better yet a keynote.
Alaska - that’s debatable, but another issue is, does Google really want one more new platform to try to integrate into writely, jot, etc.
“along came the google and wiped the startups out”
Alaska, how about this one: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006.....fice-race/
it’s still a ’sign up and use when we open!’ thing.. but it aint flash
This is a buy/build, by the looks of things.
See my post, first trackback above. They have bought Tonic Systems, which has some sort of product in this area, but definitely not as consumer facing and ready to go as Writley.
Would that Presently leak be indicative of an internal dev build? They have enough engineering resources, they surely can churn something out.
They built their spreadsheet, but didn’t they purchase an Israeli company (two guys, forget the applications name)?
I use the Google Docs alot, but for presentations I use Keynote. There’s nothing like Keynote. Presentations are more than just some bullets that people repeat. At least good presentations.
Im with Alaska on this, this needs to be a robust product for a power using business community or its going to be a joke. I use google docs, and I like thier stuff, but for heavy number crunching I still use excel/access because the web based app’s cant do the job.
So like PPT, to be a serious contender for the business crowd it needs to have the same utility, if they can couple thier obvious value propositions as well as meet the needs of business users I can see them doing well. Otherwise it’ll be the same, use google docs for light, easy stuff and use MS for the heavy lifting when you need a real app.
I love the web but I also love my desktop, and somehow I see MS better positioned than Google to deliver something that blends the two. Someone cares to explain why I could be dead wrong?
BTW I agree with #2 and #4
Google will buy 37signals, you heard it hear first. =P
How long will it be before Google becomes the target of an anti-trust lawsuit, filed by Microsoft?
Hmm…just received email from the ‘Google Enterprise Team Team’ about their Google @ Work seminars
Regarding the suite in general, user habits are a bitch - I wonder how well they can penetrate the small to mid sizers…Dealing with this market for a couple of years now and to paint with an ultra-wide ass paint brush, 40+ yr olds will not go for it at all, they are comfy with MS PP/Word/Outlook/etc. as through the fog they see the silverlight
The Mark Zuckerberg’esque crowd might go for it and host ALL thier documents in the ‘cloud’
@Michael Vu:
37signals in cahoots with Jeff Bezos and Amazon. I would not be surprised if Amazon one day decides to jump into the ring and start innovating more so than their little web 2.0 trick ponies. Multiple Amazon-based startups in Santa Cruz have been spamming craigslist over the past months looking for talent.
Awesome… Google has done it again…
“Schmidt also said that they’re office suite” –> “Schmidt also said that their office suite”
Glad to see someone else knows their grammar… there/their/they’re
Adding to “Rian Orie” wish list from Google,
Google Media Player,
Google Project
..
Google O/S
17 above “Im with Alaska on this, this needs to be a robust product for a power using business community or its going to be a joke. ”
on day 1 ? no, I think this needs to cover the core features of presentation software, with a nice set of easy collaboration features, controllable sharing, and integrated nicely with google docs.
Keeping head to head in a feature race with desktop preso software is dumb.
its a buy..they aquired Tonic Systems to work on that part
It burns my eyes to see you spell “they’re” like that, man. You have a law degree, co-authored a book, etc. What gives?
Till today Desktop application is always better than web based. Which even Google accepts directly or indirectly saying as “basic office suite”. Their real challenge is on integration as mike says.
http://www.suggestusability.com
Hi Mike,
They bought Tonic as a catalyst to this announcement:
http://www.tonicsystems.com/
Build. The details were revealed a couple of months back. Besides, the Writely developers must have done *something* since they were acquired and got a new lick of CSS.
Bad investment Y-Combinator….Zenter is about to be Kiko’ed
Rob - nope. Buy. see Eric’s comment and the update above.
This sounds like a nice addition, but as someone noted above, wasn’t there some app called “presently” that was supposed to fill this need and be released soon? I could’ve sworn I read that here.
Anyway, can we please have an API release for Docs?
I’m waiting for the web-enabled database application.
And Google Docs, btw, is NOT ready for prime time. I was using it last night to work on a SIMPLE budget spreadsheet and would sometimes have to wait like 20 SECONDS to insert a row or wait for a stupid formula to calculate. ANNOYING.
If they can fix some of their server issues, then I’ll start more seriously considering it.
And by the way, they were saying this was nearly launched way back in the beginning of February.
@MistOne
Correction, that should read:
“Along came the Google and wiped the dinosaurs [ Microsoft ] out.”
“Multiple Amazon-based startups in Santa Cruz have been spamming craigslist over the past months looking for talent.”
More SC startups? OK, we haven’t been spamming Craigslist, but AmazonWS is the power behind SteamStreet, and we’re based in wonderful Santa Cruz, CA.
I’ve yet to really be impressed with the Google online office tools. The spreadsheet is fine for simple things, but I tried to put together a fairly complicated budget spreadsheet, and finally gave up after getting constant errors and delays. I’m sure it will get better over time, but I don’t seen any threat for a while.
I think I’d much rather see an Apollo based application… something with better client-side integration (ie. printing, files), with links to the web.
Hello,
I am developer of new web-app that does like Microsoft Power Point. Can please you tell me if you like buy my product. Very cheap, easy integrate in your large application. Email me please. Thank you.
- Boris.
I saw microsoft newest map technology. It’s got little better and more improvement
Google Innovators? Not so much. Purchasers of innovation, more like it.
Comparing Google as a threat to Microsoft’s Office suite is like comparing Microsoft as a threat to Google’s search business.
Both companies are big enough and smart enough to try, but don’t confuse trying and succeeding.
In the interest of decent journalism, it might be wise to point out that the difference between ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’ is not a particularly difficult concept.
“Schmidt also said that they’re office suite isn’t a threat to Microsoft.”
Great.
Hmm… in-house dev was revealed in Feb (http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/02/google-presently.html). A change of direction.
This office suite has the potential to do for Google what Skype has done for Ebay. Nuffin.
I was watching some talking head on CNBC preaching that Google needs to focus on what their business actually is…search. Everything else is a distraction that could eventually lead to their downfall.
I guess time will tell.
I personally use OpenOffice and I think it is great…you would have to be crazy to buy MS Office…what a total waste of money. I did use Google’s stuff while it was in beta/labs and it was horrible. Caused me a lot of headaches. Have not been back since.
Why is Google so interested in trying to say they aren’t going to be competitive with Microsoft? Though, I must say that I’ve run into problems trying to convert people from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice - mainly related to legacy document translation and an unwillingness to learn a new interface.
two things.
1. looking forward to google’s powerpoint (although i hope it looks more like they sniny keynote)
2. “along came the google and wiped the startups out”
i think some of these startups like having googlebucks thrown at em. going from bootstrapping to googleglory is probably a dream of many.
Google may get the Windows users on board, but Mac users already have a great presentation app. It’s called KeyNote and it’s awesome. I’ve been using my Mac more just because of it (I use Linux 99% of the time).
@29… I agree; “they’re” was all I saw when I read this. =P