Posts tagged Office
Google Is Prepping A Sneak Attack On Microsoft Office
May 17th
Google’s alternative to Microsoft Office, Google Apps, has always suffered from the fact that it offers a sort of “good enough” compatibility — fine for most basic document and spreadsheet tasks, but not enough to match certain Office features.
Now Google is preparing to use technology from a recent acquisition, QuickOffice, to close that gap.
In recent weeks, Google sources have told me that Google has been internally testing, or “dogfooding,” QuickOffice, which began life as a standalone productivity app that offers better compatibility with Office than Google’s own Apps. Now, however, Google is testing QuickOffice as a cloud-based service in its own Chrome browser.
(Google already provides QuickOffice as part of its Google Apps subscription, specifically as an app for customers with Android tablets or iPads.)
Why QuickOffice?
QuickOffice uses the same .DOCX file format that Office does, allowing users to quickly edit and share the same files as Office users. QuickOffice compatibility probably means that more businesses and users will see Google Apps as a viable alternative to Office, wounding Microsoft’s Office cash cow.
Google sources also say they’re confident that Microsoft won’t be able to block QuickOffice with licensing issues or other legal threats. Eventually, these individuals say, QuickOffice will become the foundation of Google Apps, although that’s still a ways off.
The target, Google sources said, isn’t the full PC-based version of Office itself – although that might be a bit of spin. Instead, Google claims to think of QuickOffice as a competitor to Microsoft’s own Web-based versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel – which often deliberately fall short of full Office functionality. For now, that means running QuickOffice as a browser app, probably using Google’s Native Client technology, until Google’s engineers can integrate it directly with Apps.
It’s another example of the growing tension between Microsoft and Google, evidenced by the Microsoft’s “rule-breaking” YouTube Windows Phone app and its use of an open API to talk to Google+ users via its Outlook.com Web site.
Google chief executive Larry Page, for example, used his Google I/O keynote to call out Microsoft’s behavior as “really sad,” and said that Microsoft took advantage of the open API. “Being negative is not how we make progress,” Page said. “And most important things are not zero-sum. There’s a lot of opportunity out there.”
Google Tipped QuickOffice Plans At Pixel Launch
Google acquired QuickOffice last year for an undisclosed sum, and the team went quiet. But we know that Google plans to add QuickOffice to the Pixel, because Google said so.
At the launch of the Pixel a few months ago, Google’s Chrome chief, Sundar Pichai, said that it would take two to three months to add QuickOffice to the Pixel, but that it would be included with it. Since it wasn’t available when Google handed out thousands of Pixels to developers Wednesday, it must be coming soon.
Looking back, Pichai actually spoke quite a bit about QuickOffice’s role within Google at the Pixel launch- but the media (probably correctly) focused on the Pixel hardware itself. Pichai set the stage for the Pixel handout by emphasizing, again and again, that the Pixel represented the best Chromebook experience for developers and early adopters: “if you’re living in the cloud, this is the best experience you can use,” Pichai said then.
Microsoft Strikes… Too Soon
Microsoft clearly anticipated a QuickOffice launch at Google I/O. On May 10, it published a blog post that directly attacked the compatibility of Google Apps as well as QuickOffice. Jake Zborowski, a senior product manager at Microsoft, wrote:
Productivity software is built to help people communicate. It’s more than just the words in a document or presentation; it’s about the tone, style and format you use to convey an overall message. People often entrust important information in these documents — from board presentations to financial analyses to book reports. You should be able to trust that what you intend to communicate is what is being seen.
Zborowski’s post included several sample documents that users could download themselves for comparison’s sake, as well as a funny YouTube video that included Rob Schenider and Pete Rose, poking fun at the “gamble” that is Google Apps. In a supporting comment, Zborowski pointed out that Google doesn’t support the Open Document Format, suggesting that Microsoft is more open than Google.
Google representatives shrugged off the post, noting that the example documents relied on Office functions typical users rarely touch, such as watermarks and odd text spacing.
However, Microsoft’s post also noted that Office Web Apps can now be used within Android, leaving the Microsoft-Google competition within the Android tablet space as an app – Google’s QuickOffice – versus a cloud solution, Microsoft’s Office Web apps.
The whole point of the Pixel, according to Pichai, is to show off the power of the cloud. Microsoft, for its part, is still largely wedded to the desktop application, and the $23 billion or so that its Business Division pulls in on an annual basis. (Office 365 doesn’t live in the cloud, although it has cloud hooks in SkyDrive and its subscription delivery system.) That’s a target that Google has attacked for several years now, with dueling customer announcements from both sides marking the ebb and flow of the battle.
Micosoft may be right that Google Apps and QuickOffice don’t offer the full capabilities of Office. But they come close – and “close” has been the selling point behind Apps all along. QuickOffice looks like it could close the gap.
Image Source: Google
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Search In Pics: Matt Cutts Office, Facebook Mule & Google NYC Hidden Rooms
Apr 26th
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the Web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more. The Google Glass Easter Egg: Meet The Team: Source: Google+ Al Gore At…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
View full post on Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Ballmer’s Latest Blunder: No Office For iOS And Android Till 2014
Apr 11th
The PC market is tanking. Windows 8 is proving to be a disaster. Dell is hoping to go private. HP is flailing. But not every “personal computing” company is suffering. In the past few years, Apple has sold more than 500 million iOS devices – not licenses, devices – and is selling an additional 75 million iOS devices (iPhones and iPads, mostly), each quarter. At this rate it could be only a few years before the iOS installed base surpasses the global Windows installed base.
Yet Microsoft isn’t expected to offer Office on iPhone or iPad until late 2014, at the earliest. What is going on at Microsoft headquarters? Corporate hubris? Insufficient resources? Or yet another strategic blunder by Steve Ballmer?
Numbers Don’t Lie
The global Windows installed base is approximately 1.25 billion computers – the biggest such ecosystem in the world. But Apple’s iOS is catching up.
For the world’s biggest software maker, it seems crazy to ignore the giant and fast-growing iOS market. Microsoft should be aggressively monetizing iOS devices. Instead, Microsoft appears determined to look the other way.
Steve Ballmer’s obsession with Windows – growing Windows, enhancing Windows, extending Windows, promoting Windows, licensing Windows, selling Windows, profiting from Windows – may well cost Microsoft its place as the leader in consumer software.
And then there’s Android, which is is technically even larger than Apple’s iOS, with an estimated 750 million devices. But Microsoft won’t have Office ready for Android, either, until 2014. In Microsoft’s defense, the Android market is highly fragmented, making it much harder for Ballmer (or anyone else) to mass market Android software. But combine iOS and Android and they’re already larger than Windows. So what the heck is Microsoft thinking?
Why The Delay?
Apple sells some 20 million new iPads every single quarter. Microsoft Office is not available on a single one. Nor is there a version of Office for iPhone. Well-connected Microsoft expert Mary Jo Foley says that Microsoft’s two-year roadmap reveals Office for iOS is still nearly two years away.
According to Foley, Microsoft’s roadmap for Office goes like this:
- Incorporate the “Blue” Metro-style design to the core Office suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. (Note: The referenced roadmap does not include Outlook.)
- Make each Office app, e.g. Word and Excel, more touch-centric and optimize these for Windows 8 and Windows RT.
- Update Office for Mac.
- Update Office for Windows Phone.
- Make a version of Office for “LSX” – large screen experience – displays.
- Update Office for RT-based (ARM) desktops.
Which brings us to Fall 2014.
At which point, assuming everything goes to plan, Microsoft is scheduled to release a version of Office for iOS and Android. (Even then, Foley says the roadmap doesn’t specifically reference the iPad is not specifically mentioned. Let’s hope this is a mere oversight.)
Conspiracy Theories
It seems bizarre that Microsoft would cling to a contracting PC ecosystem and shun the massive and growing installed base of iOS and Android devices. Why would Ballmer and Microsoft wait until Fall 2014 to tap into a market that could add hundreds of millions of dollars to the company’s bottom line? There are several theories:
1. Apple’s 30% cut: To sell software for iPhone or iPad you must go through Apple’s App Store. Apple takes a 30% commission on every sale. Microsoft is loathe to hand over this rather substantial cut. Indeed, Microsoft’s quarterly corporate profit margin is about 30%. The company may be hoping to negotiate better terms.
2. Channel margins: This theory suggests that Microsoft is concerned that if it were to offer Office for iOS, its price would need to be far lower than Office sold through traditional channels. Apple’s own iWork productivity suite costs less than $10 per app, while Microsoft’s Office pricing is frustratingly hard to figure out – though much more than $10 per app. Lowered Office pricing for iOS and Android could foment a revolt from the makers of desktops and laptops, such as Dell or Lenovo, over the prices Microsoft charges them for pre-loaded versions of Office. Bottom line: Microsoft does not want to threaten its lucrative Office suite profits.
3. Touch is hard: Considering the lack of buyer excitement over Windows 8, which offered a radical redesign of Windows to promote touchscreen use, it may be that Microsoft is finding that building a pure-touch version of Office is more difficult than expected.
4. Surface needs time: A theory put forward this week by Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrott suggests that by delaying the launch of Office for iOS, Microsoft is buying time to grow sales of Windows 8 and Surface tablets.
My theory is that given the obvious internal debate over the pros and cons of Office on iPad inside Microsoft, a deal was struck: Yes, the Office team could agnostically support non-Windows platforms with the Office 2013 wave of products. But it needed to wait until Windows 8/RT was firmly established in the market.
Good luck with that.
Ballmer’s Bad Decision
Ultimately, there is a simple, unavoidable rebuttal to each of these theories, to every possible reason for delaying Office on iOS and Android. It does not matter.
Just as the computing market shifted from mainframes to minis, from minis to desktops and from desktops to laptops, it is now being dominated by smartphones and tablets. There was a time when Apple needed Office to be on the Mac. That time is past. Now, Microsoft needs Office to be Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.
And sooner would be better than later.
Note: Microsoft’s media relations has said the company has “no information to share” regarding the next series of Office updates.
Steve Ballmer image by Fredric Paul.
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The Benefits of Office Face Time Aren’t a Myth
Mar 27th
In the frenzy to defend telecommuter rights, the traditional office environment has taken quite a lashing. Maybe it’s important to think about how bringing employees back into the office and out of their pajamas can actually help, not harm, them.
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Microsoft Cuts Windows, Office Prices For Manufacturers – Is Windows 8 In Trouble?
Mar 7th
Unable to light a fire under Windows 8, Microsoft is holding a fire sale instead.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft is offering significant additional discounts on both Windows 8 and Microsoft Office to PC makers that will include the software in small laptops that include touchscreens.
Specifically, the Journal reported that Microsoft was offering computer makers a package of Office and Windows 8 for $30, when the normal discounted price of the bundle is $120. It’s important to note that even the normal $120 figure already represents a substantial savings over what consumers could expect to pay if they purchased both products at retail; at least $140 for Office and $200 for a Windows 8 upgrade, for a total of about $340. Microsoft representatives declined to comment.
(Microsoft also reportedly honored an accidental “discount” that UK residents discovered, where an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, normally £189.99, was “mistakenly” offered for £44.99.)
In other words, PC makers are paying roughly 10% of the retail cost of Windows 8 and Office to include the Microsoft programs with their products. Note that the discounts apply to laptops with screen sizes of less than 10.8 inches, which have traditionally cost anywhere from $299 to $499 - iPad territory. The idea, apparently, is that slashing costs will spur PC makers to invest more heavily in small-form-factor Windows 8 laptops, and/or allow them to lower their retail prices. Either way, the Windows world wins.
Why Is Microsoft Cutting Prices Now?
Why is this happening now? Most likely because Windows 8 sales are sputtering.
Using the Net Applications data that Microsoft prefers, in part because Microsoft feels that it more accurately reports real-world usage, the most recent numbers show Windows 8′s desktop operating system market share nudging past Mac OS X 10.8. That’s expected, given the relatively high percentages of Windows PCs in the market.
But NetApplications’ data also shows Windows 8 sales growth seemingly, possibly, maybe, flattening out a few months after its October launch. In November, NetApps claimed that Windows 8 had 1.09% of the market; in December, 1.72%; January, 2.26%; and in February, 2.67%. Zoomed in, the graph looks like this:
Is that a peak forming on Windows 8′s growth curve, or does the line still indicate signs of healthy growth? Linux blogger (and my former colleague) Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols sliced the numbers a different way, showing that Windows 8 is falling behind Windows Vista, as a month-by-month comparison of the launch shipments shows.
Windows 8 vs. Windows Vista
The parallels do look similar. Early reviews of Microsoft Vista describe it as an operating system that was nice to have, not a must-have; some, like PC World, called Windows Vista “fun to use”. (Doh!) Only Stephen Manes of Forbes called it like history did: “Vista is at best mildly annoying and at worst makes you want to rush to Redmond, Wash. and rip somebody’s liver out.” (Manes has since authored a book about ballet.)
The point is that as professional observers work to see both the positives and the negatives in a major revision of Windows revision, customer reaction is frequently less nuanced. And once the public collectively decides on the worth of a product, the conventional wisdom can be hard to overcome.
Windows 8 still has some momentum behind it, partly driven by the Microsoft spin machine and multimillion-dollar ad campaigns for the Surface tablet and Internet Explorer. And Microsoft has made no secret of the fact that if consumers are going to buy a Windows 8 tablet, they really should get a touchscreen.
So what’s really happening here? Is Windows 8 already a bust? The market share trends charted by Net Applications offer clues, but it’s too soon to tell for sure whether or not that little “hump” is a bump, a step or nothing much at all. But the latest discounts indicate that Microsoft is worried enough to sacrifice its margins to juice sales of smaller Windows 8 devices. Will it be enough to make a difference?
Image Source: Flickr/Ambernectar 13
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Microsoft Reverses Itself, Stops Bullying Office 2013 Users On Program Transfers
Mar 6th
After weeks of heated customer backlash, Microsoft has reversed its bullying policy that would have locked most Office 2013 users into using the software on one, and only one, computer.
Under the original policy, customers could only transfer Office 365 installations to a new computer if their old one failed while under warranty. So any crash outside of that window would mean that potential buyers couldn’t re-install the software on a new machine. In a February 19 blog post, Microsoft made this restriction painfully clear with a nice chart that provoked some, shall we say, less-than-polite comments.
(See also Microsoft Bullies Users Into Office 365 Services)
In a post published on the Office Blog this morning, Microsoft announced the reversal, stating:
You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than one time every 90 days (except due to hardware failure, in which case you may transfer sooner). If you transfer the software to another computer, that other computer becomes the “licensed computer.”
“These transferability options are equivalent to those found in the Office 2010 retail license terms,” writes Jevon Fark of the Office Team. The new license terms apply to Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013, and Office Professional 2013.
(See also Microsoft: Buy Office 365, Not Office 2013. Or You’ll Get Left Behind)
For full clarity, here is an outline of the revised terms as laid about by Microsoft:
- You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement before the transfer.
- Any time you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer and you may not retain any copies.
While it’s certainly nice to see a company listen to its customers’ complaints, it shouldn’t take widespread hatred of a new policy and two weeks of deliberation for an outfit like Microsoft to see the light. The bad news here is the damage may already have been done, especially if some potential buyers have sworn off the lock-in license terms of Office and jumped ship entirely. This appears to be Microsoft’s plea to keep them onboard.
Lead image via user imagemaker on Shutterstock
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Office 365 For Business Is Here. Good Luck Figuring Out What It’ll Cost You
Feb 27th
Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based office suite, is moving the turf war against Google Docs to the business world with today’s announcement of business-ready subscriptions. But you’ll need a spreadsheet to figure out which of six different options you’ll need – not to mention what it’ll cost.
It’s easier to first explain what the different subscription options have in common. All but two – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1 – include desktop versions of Access, Excel, InfoPath, Lync, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, SkyDrivePro and Word. Similarly, each user has the capability to use the service on a total of five PCs or Macs, except for – again – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1.
The differentiator, it seems, lies in the number of users you’d like to authorize. According to Microsoft’s pricing page, here are the maximum number of users you can sign up for various Office 365 for Business options:
- Office 365 Small Business and Small Business Premium: 25 users
- Office 365 MidSize Business: 300 users
- Office 365 Enterprise E1 and E3: Unlimited users
The Small Business option offers no desktop applications to install and no mobile app options. Nor does the Enterprise E1 option, though it serves an unlimited number of users, while the Small Business plan is limited to just 25.
I told you it was confusing.
Pricing shakes down to users per month (or sometimes per year, just to keep it nice and complicated).
- Office 365 Small Business: $6/user/month (or $60/user/year)
- Office 365 Small Business Premium: $15/user/month (or $150/user/year)
- Office 365 Enterprise E1: $8/user/month
- Office 365 MidSize Business: $15/user/month
- Office 365 Enterprise E3: $20/user/month
If you’re at all interested in an Office 365 option for your workplace, I’d recommend you get out a spreadsheet and start figuring out what plan works best for you. (Though the desktop version of Excel won’t be available to you if you’re using Office 365 Small Business or Enterprise E1!) Microsoft seems to have crafted a sweet spot for mid-sized businesses, but your mileage will of course vary.
Image courtesy of Microsoft
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Office 365 For Business Is Here. Good Luck Figuring Out Its Pricing
Feb 27th
Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based office suite, is moving the turf war against Google Docs to the business world with today’s announcement of business-ready subscriptions. But good luck trying to figure out the options you need.
It’s easier to first explain what the different subscription options have in common. All of the offerings but two – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1 – include desktop versions of Access, Excel, InfoPath, Lync, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, SkyDrivePro and Word. Similarly, each user has the capability to use the service on a total of five PCs or Macs, except for – again – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1.
The differentiator, it seems, comes with the number of users you want to use. According to Microsoft’s pricing page, here are the target user numbers for the Office 365 for Business options:
- Office 365 Small Business Premium: 25 users
- Office 365 MidSize Business: 300 users
- Office 365 Enterprise E3: Unlimited users
The Small Business option offers no desktop applications to install, and no mobile app options. Nor does the Enterprise E1 option, though it is available for unlimited users, while the Small Business plan is limited to 25 users.
Yeah, told you it was confusing.
Pricing shakes down to users per month (or sometimes per year, just to keep it nice and complicated).
- Office 365 Small Business: $6 user/month (or $60 user/year)
- Office 365 Small Business Premium: $15 user/month (or $150 user/year)
- Office 365 Enterprise E1: $8 user/month
- Office 365 MidSize Business: $15 user/month
- Office 365 Enterprise E3: $20 user/month
If you are at all interested in an Office 365 option for your workplace, it is recommended you get out a spreadsheet and start figuring out what plan works best for you. The sweet-spot seems to be for the mid-sized businesses, but your mileage will of course vary.
Image courtesy of Microsoft.
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Spreadsheet Needed To Figure Out Office 365 For Business Pricing
Feb 27th
Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based office suite, is moving the turf war against Google Docs to the business world with today’s announcement of business-ready subscriptions. But good luck trying to figure out the options you need.
It’s easier to first explain what the different subscription options have in common. All of the offerings but two – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1 – include desktop versions of Access, Excel, InfoPath, Lync, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, SkyDrivePro and Word. Similarly, each user has the capability to use the service on a total of five PCs or Macs, except for – again – Office 365 Small Business and Enterprise E1.
The differentiator, it seems, comes with the number of users you want to use. According to Microsoft’s pricing page, here are the target user numbers for the Office 365 for Business options:
- Office 365 Small Business Premium: 25 users
- Office 365 MidSize Business: 300 users
- Office 365 Enterprise E3: Unlimited users
The Small Business option offers no desktop applications to install, and no mobile app options. Nor does the Enterprise E1 option, though it is available for unlimited users, while the Small Business plan is limited to 25 users.
Yeah, told you it was confusing.
Pricing shakes down to users per month (or sometimes per year, just to keep it nice and complicated).
- Office 365 Small Business: $6 user/month (or $60 user/year)
- Office 365 Small Business Premium: $15 user/month (or $150 user/year)
- Office 365 Enterprise E1: $8 user/month
- Office 365 MidSize Business: $15 user/month
- Office 365 Enterprise E3: $20 user/month
If you are at all interested in an Office 365 option for your workplace, it is recommended you get out a spreadsheet and start figuring out what plan works best for you. The sweet-spot seems to be for the mid-sized businesses, but your mileage will of course vary.
Image courtesy of Microsoft.
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Office Apps Are Coming, Microsoft Says, Just Be Patient
Feb 21st
Microsoft’s Office Store still feels more like Goodwill than a Target – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to Microsoft.
If you think there are too few apps in the Office App Store, a Microsoft executive begs to differ. And as Microsoft moves closer to Office 2013′s business launch on Feb. 27, the company expects more apps to be added both by the company itself as well as third-party developers.
Following the consumer launch of Office 2013 in January, the App Store’s cupboard might have been considered somewhat bare. In total, there are about 200 apps within the Office Store, according to Richard Riley, a director at Microsoft, whose responsibilities include both SharePoint as well as the Office App Store.
Riley won’t commit to a number of apps that would be added to the Office App Store, but he promises that there will be “much more than the 200″ that are there now. “In terms of momentum and as we go through, I think in the next six months or so we’ll see that momentum pick up and carry forward,” Riley says. “I don’t feel bad where we are. I really don’t.”
(See also Microsoft: Buy Office 365, Not Office 2012. Or You’ll Get Left Behind)
Last July, Microsoft outlined the development model for Office 2013, the current version of Office - a subscription version, known as Office 365, is also available. Both Office 2013 and Office 365 replaced the familiar Microsoft Basic for Applications with a Web-based language model that essentially takes an XML file and combines it with a Web app, using familiar Web languages like CSS, HTM, and JavaScript. Since the app runs outside of Office, if it breaks, only it crashes – not Office.
While the reliance on Web languages might have made a bit difficult for traditional Office developers, the approach theoretically opened up Office to a vast number of Web developers who may have never developed for Office before.
Microsoft’s Attempts To Jumpstart Office App Development
“Historically, if you wanted to build something for Office, like if you wanted to build an an add-in for Word, you would have to have all of the Visual Studio add-ins for that have to understand C++, have to understand .NET wrapper code – there was a learning curve there,” Riley says. “Like most developers these days, if it was different; you had to go spend time and figure out how to use it. That barrier no longer exists. If you understand how to write for the cloud app model, if you understand how to write Javascript and HTML, you understand REST, you can pretty much get started immediately without having to go wade through a big reference book and how to get going.”
Riley says Microsoft has been bringing existing Office developers, as well as developers new to the platform, into “jumpstart events,” where the company puts dives deep into the technology. Afterward, the developers go away, develop, and then return for an “acceleration day,” where those developers receive assistance to push those apps into the store.
“We can now credibly talk to a ton of new developers that historically would have ignored us,” Riley says. “And actually go to them with a very credible technology story, but also a really significant market opportunity… when you look at all of the Office and SharePoint licenses in existence today, there is an opportunity for a developer to make a difference, to make a ton of money off of the back of the Office or Sharepoint store.”
Riley said that he considers Microsoft to essentially be in the middle of the Office launch, where the consumer edition was released first and then businesses will be encouraged to sign on at the end of the month. “We haven’t finished launching from an app perspective,” he says.
It might be reasonable to think that Microsoft would have launched the App Store with a number of launch partners, big-name software developers whose products would instantly have added cachet to Microsoft’s rollout. Riley doesn’t agree.
No-Name Apps Are OK
“I think it depends on how you look at it,” Riley explains. “You don’t need big names to add value to a product. Would no-name graphics capability that you could get for free from the App Store, to make your Excel spreadsheet sing, and get a pat on the back from your boss, be more useful than a big-brand-name thing that wouldn’t get you the same result? So we have the quality here, and in my experience, we don’t need a laundry list of famous icons.”
Fair enough. Unfortunately, when asked to highlight some of the “no-name” apps that could make Office “sing,” Riley turns back toward the Bing apps that Microsoft had launched previously.
The hope of Microsoft’s Office 2013 model is that it can combine live data sources from the Web into Office documents, such as combining sales data from a customer relationship management database with the Bing maps web service to create a more effective sales report. Riley promises that here will be a growing number of apps within Excel that help users visualize data. And there are hopeful signs: the Microsoft Oscar plugin for Excel, an Olympics medal tracker, an ESPN fantasy-football app. Riley also makes the point that corporations will write and publish their own internal apps that general Office users will never see.
Still, Microsoft needs more. When asked, for example, if there is any app that could take advantage of the datasets hosted by the U.S. government on data.gov, Riley replies that isn’t aware of any. He then adds he would make a note to see what would be needed to make those sources available.
Of course, there’s a larger question: For all of its reach, is Microsoft’s Office simply too small a platform for those developers used to the huge installed base of iOS, Android and all of the other Web platforms? For a small app developer like Gliffy, no. Others may not see it that way, though. Opening Office to the Web allows more developers to enter Office. Only time will tell if they see it as a lucratie marketplace, or as a closet.
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