Google offers online office apps

Google released a suite of web-based office applications Sunday, called Apps for Your Domain, aimed at small businesses.

The suite bundlestogether Google's previously released applications for e-mail, IM chat, scheduling and web-page creation.

All of the applications are hosted on Google's servers, but can be accessed through any domain, such as the website domain of a small business.

The suite consists of Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Page Creator, but doesn't include such core business programs as a word processor or a spreadsheet.

Those applications will likely be coming soon. Google opened registration last week for Writely, an online word processing application it acquired in March.

Registration for Writely was closed following the Google acquisition, meaning only previously registered customers could use it.

Google also recently integrated its Google spreadsheet program with Gmail and Google Calendar.

Google Apps for Your Domain will be free and supported by advertising. The company also plans to offer a paid version by the end of the year with more storage and no ads. No price for this service has been announced.

Web applications allow users to access their files from any computer with an internet connection. Because they run on an internet browser, they don't require the installation of specific software.

Also, once files are online, it's possible to collaborate with a group of people in writing and editing them.

On the other hand, the applications require an internet connection to run, and are not compatible with all browsers.

There also areconcerns with privacy, as some businesses may not like the idea of all their confidential documents residing on another company's servers.

Microsoft is also planning a suite of tools for collaborative work, called Office SharePoint 2007, scheduled for release this fall.

Google and Microsoft are by no means the only players in the online office suite game, though. Zoho is a suite of web applications, including slideshow editing and project planning, offered by California's AdventNet.