Google are now circling around the M$ behemoth and looking for ripe opportunities. Google will be beta-ing a collaborative version of a spreadsheet application. They won't just release it to the masses, (you have to sign up for it). I think the interest will be as monstrous in size as Microsoft itself. Although not initially as rich as MS-Excel, beta features are expected to be functional.

This combined with the ODF standards now being pushed, will make for some greate innovation into this area that has stagnated in terms of simplicity and collaborative capabilities for around 2-3 years now. Microsoft have yakked a great deal about "software as a service" for sometime now... My feeling though was that people were cautious(ie Terrified of a being locked into) of any Microsoft initiative, because they alway have "their angle". And when someone proposes something genuinely open, Microsoft tend to suddenly release their own, (wait for it), "open" version, like the open Office XML.

I have to admit that I admire Microsoft for managing to continue to generate revenue from such an old cash cow. But I think a trip to the glue-factory is now coming sooner rather than later. As I ponder the crystal ball, software as a service now has to work for MS if it is to remain relevant in business application suite arena over the next few years, as Google and their bag of money start looking for market share.