Google adds offline functionality to its Docs application

Google on Monday announced its progression in its Web-based word-processing feature, known as Google Docs. The Internet search giant announced yesterday that Google Docs that compete with Microsoft Corp.'s Office computer software will also work without an Internet connection.

Google said users of its online word processing application will be able to edit their word documents offline.

To make the Google Docs work offline, Google is planning to add Gears support to Google Docs. Launched in May 2007, Google Gears is a free, open-source multi-platform JavaScript application programming interface (API) that allows Web applications to work offline.

Uses can use Google Gears to save and then edit documents without being connected to the Internet.

"What that's going to allow a user to do, the first time they come to Docs and see the offline link, they'll install the open-source Gears extension, and all documents will automatically be synced," said Ken Norton, product manager for Google Docs. "If you lose your Internet connection, you can still open your documents and make edits."

Although, the feature initially will be available for a select number of Google Docs users, it will eventually cover the entire Docs community in coming weeks. User with any Google Gears-compatible browser, i.e. IE and Firefox for Windows users, Firefox for Mac users, and Firefox for Linux users, will be able to use Google Docs offline.

Last year in February, Google had started delivering an online suite of software that included e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and calendar management, apparently taking its boldest move to challenge software giant, Microsoft Corp.

By adding Docs to its Apps suite, the Mountain View-based company had tried to disrupt Microsoft’s efforts to convince corporate customers to buy the newest version of its market-leading Office suite, which was developed along with Microsoft’s new Vista operating system.

By adding offline functionality to its Docs application, Google has strengthened its online word processing application to compete with Microsoft Office Live.

Google also intends to implement the Google Gears technology to the Spreadsheet and Presentation module of the suite. Besides Google Docs, the other Google application Google Gears is the RSS reader, Google Reader. A few other apps such as Remember The Milk use this technology.