News
Microsoft's 'Albany' Project May Take Aim at Google Docs
Microsoft appears to be working on a secret project called Albany, and while
no one knows for sure exactly what it is yet, clues indicate that the company
is looking to develop a stronger competitor to Google's free, online-hosted
Google Docs service.
According
to
reports,
word of Albany first spread last week when beta testers received e-mails from
Microsoft asking them to participate in the private beta of the product. All
About Microsoft's Mary Jo Foley reported
yesterday that while beta testers and others first speculated that Albany
would be a Software-as-Service version of Microsoft Works, now they've told
her it's more likely an update of two of Microsoft's Live products -- Office
Live OneCare and Windows Live Workspaces -- integrated with Office Home and
Student Edition.
"Microsoft is referring to the bundle of three, unnamed products/services
as a 'ValueBox,' suggesting that Albany ultimately will be sold in a box at
retail," Foley wrote. She also noted that according to a screenshot from
one of the testers, Microsoft referred to the package as "ValueBox,"
indicating that the term may, at the very least, be under consideration for
the package's final name.
While Microsoft isn't publicly commenting on Albany, its e-mail to beta testers
indicates that the project is indeed consumer-focused, Foley reported.
If the speculation is right, it would appear that Microsoft wants a stronger
challenger to the free Google Docs, although it's unclear whether Redmond would
charge for the new suite. The current retail
price for Office Home and Student Edition is $149.95.
About the Author
Becky Nagel serves as vice president of AI for 1105 Media specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She also regularly writes and reports on AI news, and is the founding editor of PureAI.com. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. She has a background in Web technology and B2B enterprise technology journalism.