Google to Release Spreadsheet Software

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) is reporting that Google plans to release an online spreadsheet application tomorrow to a limited audience. The implications for the war between Microsoft and Google could be tremendous. Google has already bought an online word processing application - Writely, and its release of Google Calendar could be extended to feature more PIM functions. The possibilities for collaboration in the work place would be outstanding as well. A team could discuss the spreadsheet while keeping history of the chats through GTalk and GMail and keeping everything in line with Google Calendar.

And if this ‘office suite’ ends up being free…

Microsoft may feel some pain, certainly on the Microsoft Works front.

That said, Microsoft Office looks very good and will set the standard even higher for desktop productivity. It won’t be going anywhere - I predict that Google will come to dominate the online office market, where ease of access to data and collaborative functions are most important. Microsoft won’t lose too much of their share.

It will be fun to watch, and beneficial to us consumers.