DocVerse looks like an awesome product, but I'm confused about how it fits into Google's strategy with Docs. Its a plugin for MS Office, that actually gives Office some of the better features of Google Docs (sharing, real-time collaboration). I thought Docs was positioned as an Office replacement.
This bullet on the DocVerse homepage says it best:
"Keep using Word, PowerPoint and Excel"
If you have to have a Google login to get to DocVerse, and if they make DocVerse-hosted Office documents available through Google Docs, then they've made the barrier to entry into Docs a hell of a lot lower. Moreover, this could work well with their other big project: Wave. There's currently no good way to get things in and out of Wave, making it much less than ideal for applications like what Pulse and SharePoint are targeting. Maybe DocVerse can somehow help with that?
Quite right, but now they have a really good first step both on the client and server ends, so this acquisition brings such a goal into the realm of feasibility, I think.
Microsoft is in a very tricky position. On one hand, if they decide to go against Docs head to head online, they will be cannibalizing their own moneymaking product(Office) for a free online version.
On the other hand, if they leave online version weak or even make it fee-based, they will let Google own this space.
I didn't think online docs had much legs. But having gone this year in school exclusively using Docs over Office, I think its got real benefits.
I used Docs to organize group study guides where as many has 40 people contributed small portions to create a master study guide. Overwhelming majority that signed up and participated received A's on the midterm and final. Just through my study guide initiative, I probably got a hundred people using Docs this semester. Best marketing ever!
Well, now that google owns DocVerse, they can steer the development efforts toward that direction - with a team that is presumably very well versed in building MS word plugins, it would be fairly easy to commit the team to building a conversion bridge that makes DocVerse-hosted offices docs available through google docs.
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[ 2.0 ms ] story [ 31.4 ms ] threadThis bullet on the DocVerse homepage says it best: "Keep using Word, PowerPoint and Excel"
I think that's the key there. If they can add the ability to edit Word docs online with high fidelity that would be really compelling.
However, DocVerse does not currently have this capability, and neither does Google Docs.
On the other hand, if they leave online version weak or even make it fee-based, they will let Google own this space.
I didn't think online docs had much legs. But having gone this year in school exclusively using Docs over Office, I think its got real benefits.
I used Docs to organize group study guides where as many has 40 people contributed small portions to create a master study guide. Overwhelming majority that signed up and participated received A's on the midterm and final. Just through my study guide initiative, I probably got a hundred people using Docs this semester. Best marketing ever!