Google "Docs & Spreadsheets" Launches
Google just launched Docs & Spreadsheets at docs.google.com. It integrates the previously separate Writely and Spreadsheet product silos into a single control panel and admin area (the previous sites for those products redirect to docs.google).
Context & Ripple Effects
Google's June plan for a web-based spreadsheet established the spreadsheet half of its browser-based productivity effort. Bringing it together with Writely at one address turns two separate services into a single product entry point and administration experience.
First-order effects
- Writely and Spreadsheet users are redirected to docs.google.com, where Google provides one control panel and admin area for both products.
Second-order effects
- Google can present documents and spreadsheets as connected parts of one service rather than requiring users to navigate separate product silos.
Third-order effects
- The consolidation points toward web productivity software being organized as integrated suites, with the shared account and management layer becoming as important as individual document tools.
The trend: Browser-based productivity products are moving from standalone applications toward unified work suites built around a common control layer.