Google ‘sort of' denies web office plan

However, various media outfits are reporting that Google co-founder Sergey Brin has poured cold water on the idea.

Speaking at the Web 2.0 conference Brin was asked when a 'Google Office,' a web-based productivity suite, would appear. He said that Google didn't have any plans to do an office suite.

He said that it was not a good idea to take a previous generation of technology and port it directly.

The Web, gives the opportunity to do new and better things than the Office package and more, he said. However, he added there were some good web-based applications popping up and that Google would do its thing, and that working with documents will become a lot more convenient than it is today.

It is strange that this comment is being seized upon to say that Google is not going to work with Sun Open Office to provide the package online No one said that Google would build its own Office, Sun was supposed to be the candidate.

No one said that it would be ported in its current form, it will be likely adapted using some kind of tool bar.

In other words Brin has neither confirmed or denied the plan, while spinning to deny it. Sun has been more forthcoming on the idea down under so it remains a ‘watch this space' idea.

More at Javaworld and also here. µ