Google has snapped up videoconferencing software from Swedish company Marratech that should position Google to compete directly with WebEx.
This week's Google announcements bring the company much closer to becoming the next Microsoft. Sure, to home users, Google's Web-based applications already seem comparable to Microsoft's Office suite. But business users - the salespeople and marketers who drive corporate IT purchases - rely heavily on PowerPoint slideshows and WebEx collaborative sessions to close deals. Google had no similar apps ... until now.
On Tuesday, Google chief Eric Schmidt announced a forthcoming PowerPoint-like app. Now, the WebEx-like features of Marratech's software mean the circle is nearly complete. Schmidt regularly denies his company is building a Google OS. Maybe he's telling the truth. If you go to Google for all your mission-critical applications, who cares what OS you use?
Collaborating with Marratech [Google]
