eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Microsoft is mulling putting Microsoft Works online in an attempt to compete with Google, says Reuters, but that’s actually old news. According to Microsoft’s annual 10-K filing, Microsoft is not only worried about Google, but also:
Should Microsoft be worried that an online version of Works would cannibalize sales of desktop apps? I don’t understand how that could happen. There’s just no way I would use an online word processor without some kind of backup on my hard drive (for when I’m in a Wi-Fi dead zone). And there are always documents you don’t want to put on the Web. Besides, it’s my understanding that Microsoft derives most of its Office revenue from enterprise sales. I don’t see that wellspring drying up any time soon.
Bottom line: If Microsoft doesn’t put Office online, then it’ll miss out on serving users who will have no other choice than to use the companies named above.