Bonum Certa Men Certa

Sidal Highlight: Another Reason Why Microsoft Fears Google (and Web Standards/ODF)

Additional key link for understanding the argument over formats

In some recent communications (unfortunately not available for public viewing) it was qucikly realised that several people do not truly understand the poker game (and poker face) involving Google and Microsoft in office suites and enterprise search.

Microsoft keeps quiet about it because it's still in the "ignore phase" (as in "ignore, laugh, then fight"), hoping not to draw people's attention to Google Apps, which for most people can render Microsoft Office obsolete. It was already argued some time ago that 80% of all Office users only make use of 20% of the program's available features. There is no scientific method for measuring this, but it makes a figure of speech at the very least. This was even mentioned a couple of days ago:

But critics say that Office has become so bloated over the years that 80 percent of customers use only 20 percent of its features.


Google stays humble and quiet, but it's gaining new customers, some of whom base their (desktop) environment on GNU/Linux. Appended in the second part of this post are several examples from the past year.

“The Burton Group's role as anti-Google Apps proxy was first spotted back in August.”Cowardly enough, Microsoft is attacking Google from proxies (this includes legal assaults, e.g. [1, 2]). The Burton Group's role as anti-Google Apps proxy was first spotted back in August. Then, the press covered what it called anti-Google Apps propaganda (early observations and links here).

Quite a few businesses appear to be using Microsoft Office and Google Apps in tandem, but this might just be a transitory phase. About half a year ago, when a Microsoft executive (or manager) was questioned about the online version of Microsoft Office, his answer was telling. It was a disappointment. Many stories in the press and even analysis in Microsoft Watch concurred. Both adoption levels and technical deficiencies were to blame.

The Reality of Google Apps



Consider the following set of articles an evidence of success which does not receive sufficient press coverage.

Can Google and Linux Topple Microsoft?

The story had a certain flair. In early March, the chief information officer of the Federal Aviation Administration, David Bowen, was reportedly considering forsaking Microsoft Windows and Office in favor of the Linux operating system and the Web-based Google Apps Premium office suite.


FAA May Ditch Microsoft's Windows Vista And Office For Google And Linux Combo

Bowen said he's in talks with the aviation safety agency's main hardware supplier, Dell Computer, to determine if it could deliver Linux-based computers capable of accessing Google Apps through a non-Microsoft browser once the FAA's XP-based computers pass their shelf life.


Three Minutes With Google's Apps Manager

This move, which puts it in direct competition with software heavyweights like Microsoft, builds on Google's first steps as an enterprise vendor years ago when it launched its first enterprise search product.


Google manager: Google Apps replaced Microsoft Office at 100,000 businesses

Google's newly released online productivity suite Google Apps has already replaced Microsoft Office at more than 100,000 small to medium enterprises and has been deployed at two of the largest companies in the world, according to the search leader's enterprise product boss.


Apps vs. Office: Google Ups the Ante

So apparently do some 100,000 small businesses and organizations that use Google's productivity and communications software. Even larger corporations, such as General Electric and Procter & Gamble , are becoming adherents.


Dumping Office for Google Apps

Google has a friend in Disney, and that could leave Microsoft screaming like a jilted lover.


Consider all of this in light of a new article:



Why Google Apps is a Serious Threat to Microsoft Office



[...]

The significant advantage is collaboration. Since I started working on a new project where we all agreed to use Google Docs from the start, I have hardly used MS Office at all - even on other projects.


In the future, this post will most likely be cited as a reminder of Google's risk to Microsoft Office, which tends to be forgotten or overlooked. Other companies offer facilities that are similar to Google's, but Google succeeds partly because of its known and respected brand.

Microsoft can try to use OOXML to break and further stifle interoperability with Google Apps, among other online office suites. Do bear this in mind.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Comparing U.E.F.I. to B.I.O.S. (Bloat and Insecurity to K.I.S.S.)
By Sami Tikkanen
New 'Slides' From Stallman Support (stallmansupport.org) Site
"In celebration of RMS's birthday, we've been playing a bit. We extracted some quotes from the various articles, comments, letters, writings, etc. and put them in the form of a slideshow in the home page."
Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
Desktop Operating System Market Share Thailand
António Campinos is Still 'The Fucking President' (in His Own Words) After a Fake 'Election' in 2022 (He Bribed All the Voters to Keep His Seat)
António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
Adrian von Bidder, homeworking & Debian unexplained deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
 
People Don't Just Kill Themselves (Same for Other Animals)
And recent reports about Boeing whistleblower John Barnett
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 18, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 18, 2024
Suicide Cluster Cover-up tactics & Debian exposed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 19/03/2024: A Society That Lost Focus and Abandoning Social Control Media
Links for the day
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE: Plagiarism & Child labour in YH4F
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
Examples of boasting about the association
Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
"I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
[Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
fake elections
Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
Windows TCO?
Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 18/03/2024: Putin Cements Power
Links for the day
Flashback 2003: Debian has always had a toxic culture
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
[Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
Catspaw With Attitude
The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
'Clown Computing' Businesses Are Waning and the Same Will Happen to 'G.A.I.' Businesses (the 'Hey Hi' Fame)
decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
Free Software Needs Watchdogs, Too
Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, March 17, 2024
Links 17/03/2024: Microsoft Windows Shoves Ads Into Third-Party Software, More Countries Explore TikTok Ban
Links for the day
Molly Russell suicide & Debian Frans Pop, Lucy Wayland, social media deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Our Plans for Spring
Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
Open Invention Network (OIN) Fails to Explain If Linux is Safe From Microsoft's Software Patent Royalties (Charges)
Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
This is totally normal, right?
USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
Not joking!
The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
Jim Zemlin Says Linux Foundation Should Combat Fraud Together With the Gates Foundation. Maybe They Should Start With Jim's Wife.
There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
Not About Linux at All!
nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
Links 17/03/2024: Abuses Against Human Rights, Tesla Settlement (and Crash)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, March 16, 2024
Under Taliban, GNU/Linux Share Nearly Doubled in Afghanistan, Windows Sank From About 90% to 68.5%
Suffice to say, we're not meaning to imply Taliban is "good"
Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
Links for the day