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Google Inc. has released a free online spreadsheet program that signals its intent to challenge the office software market so far dominated by Microsoft Corp. Google Spreadsheets will allow users to import and export spreadsheets in the .xls format used by Microsoft Excel and the more generic .csv (comma separated values) format, the company said late today. Through a Web browser, users in remote locations will be able to view and simultaneously edit data. The software is platform-neutral, meaning it can be accessed using a number of browsers, including the open-source Firefox, Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Apple Computer Inc.'s Safari. According to Google officials, the company is now accepting sign-ups from a limited number of beta testers. According to analysts, next-generation Web applications such as Google Spreadsheets and Writely, an online word processor acquired by Google in March, provide much of the functionality of Microsoft Office, though they are yet to prove themselves as credible replacements. Google Spreadsheets joins other Web 2.0 counterparts already in the market, such as a online product offered by a start-up called iRows, as well as AjaxXLS, which is from another start-up Ajax13. The XLS is the closest so far to having a full line up of productivity applications that can challenge Microsoft Office, say analysts.
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