Google wants Microsoft Office users to also make use of its Apps solutions, and to accompilsih that aim has acquired Docsverse, a US startup that developed solutions to enable realtime collaboration.

DocVerse is a plug-in for Microsoft Office that turns those applications into full-fledged, Web-enabled, collaboration tools.

DocVerse plugs into Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, enabling real-time sharing and simultaneous, group-editing of documents.

According to a Google blog statement, "The future of productivity applications is in the cloud. But we recognise that many people are still accustomed to desktop software. So as we continue to improve Google Docs and Google Sites as rich collaboration tools, we’re also making it easier for people to transition to the cloud, and interoperate with desktop applications like Microsoft Office."

"For example, we recently made it possible to use Google Docs to store and share any type of file that you have on your computer, not just the ones you create online. With DocVerse, people can begin to experience some of the benefits of web-based collaboration using the traditional Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint desktop applications."