Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Reviews

    The (word) war in the clouds

    By
    Eric Lundquist
    -
    October 2, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The word processing battle for the hearts and minds of computer users has moved from the personal computer to the cloud. This had to happen. Microsoft is the big gorilla in the word processing (and associated office applications) business, but they have continually addressed their need to sell more office applications by adding more features in each version and pretending that the real user need for easy collaboration, defined access and simple output might just go away over time.

      Of course, collaboration, access and output are really the only three items users care about for most word processing applications. Now that Google, IBM, Adobe and a bunch of smaller companies are challenging Microsoft in the cloud wars, it is time for a handicapping.

      Microsoft. Stuck between a profitable hard place and an Internet rock. They could give away the product but that will pillage the bottom line. They can try to sell ads (like Google) against the office applications, but that will never pass business muster. If ten is word processing in the cloud nirvana, Microsoft is stuck with a 4.

      Google. Google loves search and everything else is secondary. The shared documents work well, although items like word wrap and output options are limited. Give them a 5.

      Adobe. Adobe bought buzzword and brings a legacy of word processing expertise that can’t be matched. They could be the one to watch here as they know more about presentation and document output than anyone else. Give them a 5 with a possible quick move up.

      IBM. The biggest roadblock to companies adopting the office application cloud are worries about regulatory compliance and document security and management. IBM has some strong cards to play in this area and is also has the Lotus legacy history about balancing online and offline application interplay. I’d give them a 6 in capabilities.

      All the little guys. Better get bought by a big guy to survive in this lake.

      Avatar
      Eric Lundquist
      Since 1996, Eric Lundquist has been Editor in Chief of eWEEK, which includes domestic, international and online editions. As eWEEK's EIC, Lundquist oversees a staff of nearly 40 editors, reporters and Labs analysts covering product, services and companies in the high-technology community. He is a frequent speaker at industry gatherings and user events and sits on numerous advisory boards. Eric writes the popular weekly column, 'Up Front,' and he is a confidant of eWEEK's Spencer F. Katt gossip columnist.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×