Google foils Microsoft’s Windows 8 mobile Office plans with the purchase of Quickoffice

Google has acquired mobile productivity suite Quickoffice, a purchase that will help bridge the gap between Google’s Apps and mobile offerings.

Quickoffice is a startup with mobile apps for Android, Symbian and iOS devices. The apps let users“view, edit, sync and share” Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on their mobile device.

“Quickoffice has an established track record of enabling seamless interoperability with popular file formats, and we'll be working on bringing their powerful technology to our Apps product suite,” said Alan Warren, Engineering Director, Google.

The internet giant announced the acquisition as Microsoft is getting ready to launch its next-generation operating system, Windows 8. The availability of an official, touch-based version of Microsoft Office is expected to be one of the major selling points for tablets running the new OS.  

Windows 8 has been under the spotlight at Computex this week where major computer manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Samsung and Toshiba have unveiled brand new tablets that take advantage of Microsoft’s touch-enhanced OS.

Microsoft is also rumored to be working on versions of its Office applications for the iPhone and iPad.

When asked about the Google Quickoffice deal Clint Patterson, director of communications for Microsoft’s Office division told The New York Times, “Google Apps require compromise and don’t meet the productivity needs of most people and businesses. Google’s primary focus is advertising, so it’s not surprising that they are trying to address the limitations of Google Apps through acquisition.”