desktop applications

Google delivered the latest salvo in its battle to wrest control from Microsoft over office productivity with its purchase of DocVerse, a Microsoft Office collaboration startup. The Wall Street Journal reported the purchase price was $25 million.

DocVerse was founded in 2007 by former Microsoft executives Shan Sinha and Alex DeNeui. The first product is a plug-in for Microsoft Office that allows users of the desktop software to collaborate on Office documents.

The pace of interactive multimedia continues to evolve with the release Tuesday of Adobe Systems' beta versions of its AIR 2 and Flash Player 10.1 software. The updates are available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The 10.1 player is also available for x86-based netbooks and, at some point in 2010, for smartphones and other mobile devices.

Cisco Systems on Tuesday discussed its Web-based software strategy at a press conference that outlined new features and functions for its WebEx conferencing service. By adding more software, including voice integration, into WebEx, Cisco is moving into Microsoft's territory.

Microsoft is both a Cisco partner and a rival in the Web-conferencing space. Recent Cisco acquisitions suggest the company is going to become more aggressive about competing with Microsoft in cloud-based services that make up its unified communications suite.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt urged developers at the company's Google I/O conference to develop browser-based applications for the Web instead of desktop programs.

He told the 4,000 attendees on Wednesday, "It's time to take advantage of the amazing opportunity that's before us" in Internet programming because "People are frustrated. They're tired of the complexity." He added, "This is the beginning of the real win of cloud computing."

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it plans to finally allow the crown jewels of its applications -- the Microsoft Office suite -- to be delivered through Web browsers.

The announcement was made at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.
Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division, said Office Web will allow users to employ lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote to create, edit and collaborate with Office documents through a Web browser.

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it plans to finally allow the crown jewels of its applications -- the Microsoft Office suite -- to be delivered through Web browsers.

The announcement was made at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.
Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division, said Office Web will allow users to employ lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote to create, edit and collaborate with Office documents through a Web browser.

The Mono project has just released Version 2.0 of its open-source implementation of Microsoft's .NET framework. Mono is both a runtime environment for applications and a kit for developers writing applications with C, as well as other Common Language Infrastructure languages developed by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA).

Though Mono's early use was mostly on Linux desktop applications, over time it has evolved into a cross-platform environment for software developers, noted Miguel de Icaza, cofounder of the GNOME project.

Yahoo officially announced its geo-social network, Fire Eagle, late Tuesday. The system has been in private beta since March with selected developers, and already hosts a raft of third-party applications.

Fire Eagle allows users to store their location data on the Web for access by any network service. For example, wireless users can upload their location and share it with family, friends or colleagues. It could make short work of finding someone in a crowded venue.

Yahoo calls Fire Eagle a "geo-aware" platform.

News that Google and Salesforce.com are forging closer ties reignited speculation that the two companies are destined for deeper collaboration -- if not a merger.

On Apr. 14, software maker Salesforce.com said it would begin distributing Google Apps, Web-based programs designed to help companies be more productive. Salesforce.com will also weave the Google technology into its own customer relationship management applications to make it a snap to jump from, say, a Google Spreadsheet program to a Salesforce customer-tracking application.

Business User Appeal