Google Buys DocVerse For $25 Million, Has Microsoft Office In Sight

In an attempt to compete with Microsoft in the online file editing services market, search engine Google has purchased DocVerse, which allows Microsoft Office files to be edited online.

DocVerse, which was founded in 2007 by former Microsoft employees Shan Sinha and Alex DeNeui, was purchased by Google in a bid to strengthen its footing in online editing and collaboration tool market. 

Google will integrate DocVerse technology with its Google Docs service, which allows users to work on Microsoft files.

Commenting on the $25 million acquisition, Jonathan Rochelle, group product manager for Google Apps, said in a statement that "With DocVerse, we may experience some of the benefits of working from the Internet using traditional applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint." 

However, software giant Microsoft was not far behind in acknowledging the take over, said that the fact that Google was trying acquire solutions that helped users work on Microsoft Office files, proved that the public wanted to use Microsoft Office for creating documents and slides and again reinforces the global acceptance enjoyed by Microsoft's flagship software. 

DocVerse, which raised around $1.5 million in venture capital, apart from offering software that allowed users to edit Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files online, also allowed them to post comments on the document online and let other users see their comments.