Google aims advertising directly at Microsoft's Office suite


Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is not only gunning for AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) in the telecom field (well, maybe), but it is also putting on another assault on an old friend in the software business -- Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT).

Google has had its Google Docs web-based office productivity solution available for a long time now -- but it may be getting serious about directly competing with Microsoft Office, one of ole softie's main cash cows that brings in billions in revenue every single year.

Google, in a move unorthodox for the company, will be directly advertising Google Docs on old media like billboards in major metros like Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and New York. The messages on these billboards will change very day so that different messages will be seen by millions of drivers and commuters every day.

So, the fight is on. Just a week after Microsoft and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) solidified a partnership years in the making (mostly to fight Google), Google is striking back by advertising that it has some great competition to the expensive Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft unveiled its "decision engine" called Bing a few months ago to try and take on Google's ubiquitous search engine. Then, Microsoft and Yahoo! joined forces. The battle lines are now drawn; it's not the battles we should look forward to.

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Last updated: February 13, 2012: 01:07 PM

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