Google Acquires Quickoffice, Takes a Step Ahead of Microsoft

Google has made announcements on their blog about their newest acquisition: Quickoffice. A mobile app, Quickoffice, provides Microsoft Office access to its users through their iOs and Android smartphones. This acquisition is viewed by tech analysts as a well thought-out strategy by Google to actively compete with Microsoft, as the latter is prepping for the official release of Windows 8 and a possible integration of Windows 8 and Office.

The timing of the acquisition could not have been better, as reports of a new Microsoft Office version for tablets have already been scheduled for release on November of this year. According to an unnamed source, formal announcements on the product are set to be made during the Microsoft SharePoint conference, slated on November 12 to 15, 2012 in Las Vegas. This Microsoft Office version is designed to work for iOS, Android and Windows tablets but the late release date could work well for Google, which has already cemented their Quickoffice acquisition just this Tuesday.

And given Google’s unique competitive advantages, which include its Android devices, integration with Google Apps and this latest Quickoffice buyout, it appears that Google has taken a few steps ahead in the game, at least for now.

Through statements published officially at Google’s blog, Engineering Director Alan Warren extols on the many benefits of Quickoffice as an office productivity solutions-provider. With Quickoffice’s stable user base, the search leader believes this new partnership is expected to usher in a “more seamless, intuitive and integrated experience.”

Quickoffice CEO and founder Alan Masarek is optimistic about the acquisition, saying that this will introduce a new chapter in its further development. Both Google and Quickoffice share the same vision, and this is to encourage and guarantee “anytime, anywhere productivity.” The combination of Google’s smart solutions and Quickoffice’s leading products are expected to turn this shared vision into seamless, practical and powerful results.

via google blog