Online office suite Zoho will launch offline functionality for Zoho Writer this morning, and other applications in their suite will follow shortly.
The offline functionality was built on Google Gears, an open source project launched by Google in May 2007. Users will need to install a browser plugin to take advantage of the functionality. After that, an option will appear in the navigation bar to “Go Offline.” The feature works with Internet Explorer v.6 and higher, and with Firefox (including Mac) v1.5 and higher.
For now they are offering read-only functionality offline. Read-write functionality will appear in 3-4 weeks, the company says. Zoho will also begin to roll out offline functionality for their spreadsheet, presentation and other applications in the coming weaks.
Zoho, which competes head-on with Google Docs & Spreadsheets, managed to launch offline functionality on their product before Google did. The fact that they are using Google software to do this makes the story somewhat ironic.
An overview video of the feature is below.
Going offline seems to be the trend of the season..Michael, I also think you should review Webaroo. It is another cool offline product like Google Gears. I am not sure if you have reported on that..
is the spell checker working then…in “3-4 weaks”
this is a great feature. Google are a little all over the place. Small nimble competitors should be able to provide better features and products. The problem is for them to keep ahead as Google will most probably copy these features as soon as they are out.
It does however show that Google is becoming (has become) a bit like a MSFT and no longer on the bleeding edge. Maybe Google needs to allow others to innovate and provide a platform for them to do this?
Wait, isn’t that Yahoo’s strategy?
I couldn’t agree with Zorba more. What has happened to Google in the past few years? Has the term innovation been redefined to mean acquisitions? Although looking like it had the potential to be so much more, really just technologically leads in searching.
@Zobra, Blake
Actually, I can’t agree with you. Google is still innovating. They launched Google Gears, they’re doing Google Reader. They are doing awesome (and innovative) things in Web Search, even though it isn’t always visible if you don’t look for it.
Whatever comes out of the “Google Health” initiative, it looks innovative from what we saw so far.
But, and that’s correct, Google doesn’t push out as many new products as before. They’re consolidating their work. But that was forseeable and announced more than a year ago.
Just because they’re doing online office doesn’t mean that they aren’t innovative at all any more.
And, Zobra:
Why should they let others innovate, and what kind of platform should they provide? Google Gears as a platform? Sorry, but that’s dumb.
And how do they behave like MSFT? This is dumb, too.
Sorry, dudes. A little bit less double standard for Google, please!
Hi Michael,
Zoho is making all kind of moves in the market. It seems to me they have adopted a windshield approach to technology. They are moving fast all over the place demonstrating they can be in Google Gears, Facebook, and online by themselves.
Technical capability is not a problem in this company. However:
ARE THEY FOLLOWING A STRATEGIC DIRECTION?
Michael, your father, my father and most parents advise to Zoho.
Choose only one option and be the best instead of diluting yourself.
Don’t you think?
Mario Ruiz
@ http://www.oursheet.com
Mario,
When I visit your OurSheet site, this comes up:
Reported Attack Site!
This web site at http://www.oursheet.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.
Attack sites try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system.
hmmmm..
Great move Zoho- My proffered Online Office Service. It seems Thinkfree still believes in their applet for offline operations.
Mario:
Yes, there is a strategic direction. You’ll hear more about this in couple of weeks.
Mario: I agree. Zoho is operating by some engineer’s view of what the market needs. Simple 80/20 rule, and they target the 20. When this matters to the 80, Google will eat their lunch.
I have some great friends from India, but when I see a silly comment or product, there is always an Indian name beside it (leading to some stupid nonsensical blog). Got to give them credit for being out in force. It is like a desperate guy that needs to get laid and whose goal is betrayed by execution.
Raju: Are you claiming a Google investment or acquisition?
Good move by Zoho… now they just need to spend some time and money to get a new logo! It looks like it is from the mid-90’s …and I don’t think matches the innovation of the product. Going to their homepage (which could also use a major overhaul as far as design and layout go), I am immediately turned off as it looks like it has been created by amateurs.
Alex … weaks is spelled properly. What you’re looking for is a usage checker.
Snark:
I am saying two weeks from now you’ll see our business model unfold. There is a structure behind all these chaos. We have a vision and we are executing towards it.
@9: dude, that is completely disgraceful AND unwarranted.
I have been using Zoho already for some time. It’s definitely better than google docs and spreadsheets. And Zoho offers whole spectrum of office productivity products.
Offline feature is a commendable addition.
Rajesh Shakya
http://www.rajeshshakya.com
“…managed to launch offline functionality on their product before Google did.”
Completely unsurprising. This is not Google’s’ bread and butter.
Any idea how large the development team is for Zoho?
Yawn! Where are we toto? This is completely useless metoo tech. Good luck eeking out a profit on this product suite.
“And Zoho offers whole spectrum of office productivity products.”
So does microsoft, ever hear of them? They pretty much own the market. Again, useless metoo tech that will never earn a following.
#9 – that is an ugly and ridiculous comment.
Yeah geez #9… I work with people in India every day and to blanket them all with such an ignorant statement is asinine. That’s as absurd as saying every time I see a German post they link to a Nazi site or every time an American posts I go to a McDonald’s link.
So when are you going to start addressing their business plan in your posting Arrington. You were there for the last bubble burst, and you act as if this is your first time around the whirlygig. You could be a bit more critical in your assessment, such as “while it is a cool web 2.0 feature, I see no possible way someone would pay for this service. In addition, the market is so overwrought with these……”.
jccodez,
Perhaps it would help to know that Zoho is part of a profitable, never-venture-backed company called AdventNet, in business for 11 years, through the previous boom and bust. So I would like to think we know a thing or two about business models ….
Sridhar
[deleted]
Zoho is owned by AdventNet. I’ll be interested to see if they make their deadline, as my experience says they are usually at least 1 mo. late. But with Zoho being such a public product (compared to their enterprise level products) perhaps they will…
Google Gears is well-suited for any content creation application – be it an office suite like Zoho or photo editing software. I’d love to see it used more widely so this is great news!
I’ve written a script and bookmarklet that lets you save the content of a textarea that you are editing on any web site into Google Gears so as to prevent losing that precious blog post if you accidentally close the browser tab or lose your Internet connection. It’s dubbed GearSaver (http://dready.o...projects/gears/)
I was a Writely user and have to say that the Google apps are what I use most of the day and I work at a minimum of 3 computers at work, laptop/desktop at home and two at my folks. I’ve once started something at 9am and finished the text at 11pm finally and figured that I used 9 different computers to write this.
Offline capabilities would be amazing if all you have to do is send it when back online.
Gmail is excellent (especially having my domain name address on it), the calendar is extremely useful when sharing with other people and the Writely…. we cant live without it for collaborative work.
I feel bad for Zoho because when I asked someone at work if they wanted to try it, the answer is why bother, Google will have it soon enough.
As for calling it irony that Zoho is using Google’s open source browser plugin … nah, its called open source.
If you use a particular license for a project, you know that someone can use it to their end. So no surprise, no irony.
I’ve been impressed with Zoho’s products so far. It will be interesting to see if bringing offline functionality to their apps can increase their popularity and give them a chance to compete with Google in this area.
Zoho is better than google docs and spreadsheets.