Google is taking one more step into Microsoft's territory by allowing Office users to sync and access their documents through Google—without having to leave the Office interface. The service is being called Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office, and already works with Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 (no word on the Mac versions of Office, though).
Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office used to be through DocVerse, a company that Google acquired in March of this year. DocVerse allowed Office users to edit their documents collaboratively on the Web, much like Google Docs. Office does (now) come with its own collaboration tools, but they work differently than Google and DocVerse, and some users prefer the real-time editing nature of Google's services.
Immediately following the acquisition announcement, Google rolled out a migration tool for Microsoft Exchange, showing that it was serious about going after Microsoft's customers. The reintroduction of DocVerse as Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office only furthers that goal—Google says it's meant for users who haven't yet migrated to Google Docs and prefer the Office interface.
"Once synced, documents are backed up, given a unique URL, and can be accessed from anywhere (including mobile devices) at any time through Google Docs," group product manager Shan Sinha said in a statement. "And because the files are stored in the cloud, people always have access to the current version."
Just like Google Docs, Office documents that are synced with Cloud Connect for Office can be shared and edited simultaneously among multiple users. It can be done within Office, too, so editing in a Web browser isn't necessary. Google keeps track of the revisions so that documents can be reverted if necessary.
Google says that the service is now available to "trusted testers" and for Google Apps for Business customers to preview. The company didn't give a date for when the final product will be available, but said that the product will be free to everyone (regular users included) when it launches.
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