One of the two new heads of Microsoft Corp's Office software team downplayed the threat from Google Inc's Web-based word processing and spreadsheet applications, saying they are unlikely to appeal to corporate customers.
Antoine Leblond, who became co-leader of the Office group in June, said Google was the latest in a long line of challengers to the Office software suite, which includes Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Outlook e-mail and PowerPoint presentations.
"The simple argument that 'this is good enough for 90 percent of what we do' has fallen on its face over and over and over again," Leblond told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. "When it comes to mission critical things and key pieces of how people run their businesses, the threshold is higher."
Leblond and Kurt DelBene took over the Office group after Steven Sinofsky left to head up the Windows team. Leblond oversees what he calls "old school" applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, while DelBene oversees the new SharePoint Web collaboration software and other server-based programs.
Microsoft will release the long-awaited Office upgrade to business customers next week along with its new Windows Vista operating system, which has been more than five years in the making.
These products are the core of a broad product upgrade cycle aimed at restoring the software giant's growth.
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