Friday, May 29, 2009

Google's Macro Software Threat

A couple micro-tweaks suggest that Google is becoming a macro-threat to Microsoft's business software division.

The Internet giant announced Wednesday a new feature called "Google Apps Script" that allows users to customize online software with programmed functionality. Based on Javascript, a popular scripting language, the feature--known to Excel users as "macros"--will allow users to create, analyze and make changes to online spreadsheets.

Eventually, says Google, the technology will span across its online document suite. For now, however, the company is focusing on spreadsheets and inviting a handful of developers to help it work out the kinks.

The introduction of Google Apps Script is the second of two major steps this year toward making Google Spreadsheets a more serious competitor for serious business folk. Meanwhile, Microsoft ( MSFT - news - people ) is frustrating loyal business and financial users, a sector in which "speaking Excel" is an occupational prerequisite, with the take-it-or-leave-it software strategy for its newer operating systems.

With it's Office 2003 software suite, Microsoft won the hearts and minds of businesses at a time when most companies were transitioning to digital productivity tools. But in its latest--and only--offering for Vista, Office 2007, Microsoft tweaked the flow and feeling of the software's user interface, presumably to make the software easier for casual users.

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