Is Microsoft Docs really a 'Google Docs killer' and four other questions (and answers)
Microsoft unveiled today a beta version of
Microsoft Docs, its Office Web Apps technology tailored for the Facebook platform at the Facebook f8 conference on April 21. The announcement spurred a lot of questions — by me and others. Here are five questions I asked Microsoft about today’s announcement, and five answers I received via a corporate spokesperson.
Q: I see folks calling this a ‘Google Docs killer.’ To me, this is not that at all. Microsoft’s position?
A: The name expresses the value of the service – the ability for individuals to discover, create and share Microsoft Office “documents” (e.g. “docs”) that they’re already familiar with on Facebook. It’s Docs…for Facebook. Using Office, a Facebook user can easily create, view and share documents with friends and family regardless of whether they have the Office desktop software loaded on their machine. Those documents will always have the polish and finish of Office as they move easily from the cloud to the desktop to a mobile device and back. No one else provides this type of seamless experience across the PC, mobile phone and browser.
