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Google Spreadsheets Under Fire By Robin Arnfield June 8, 2006 3:15PM     "I frankly believe my data is more secure at these companies than the information I carry around on my laptop, which is apt to be lost easily," said Forrester analyst Charlene Li. "The spreadsheet offered by Google is very basic -- but, then again, most people use spreadsheets for very simple purposes, like keeping a list of names and phone numbers for a project."   Related Topics Google Microsoft Excel Office Spreadsheets Latest News Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly Barnes & Noble Nook Is Delayed Flat PC Shipments Hurt Dell's Stock Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social This week's launch of Google Spreadsheets, which is currently available to a limited set of users for testing, has stirred up a lot of controversy around the Internet. There are privacy concerns about users storing financial data on Google's servers. Just how secure are these servers, and how long will Google guarantee to maintain users' data? And there is talk of Google Spreadsheets being a direct competitor to Microsoft Excel. Those on Google's side seem to be saying that the new app is yet another "Microsoft Office killer," while many others are calling Spreadsheets a very basic piece of software that pales in comparison to Excel. One of the central features of Google Spreadsheets allows users to work together on the Web. Multiple users can view and alter the same documents at the same time, with updating taking place in real time. But Stacey Quandt, Aberdeen Group's research director of security solutions and services, is not overly impressed. "For people who care about collaboration on the Web, Google Spreadsheets may make sense, but it's not a replacement for Excel," she said. "It is a shot fired across the bow of Microsoft," she offered, "but certainly not a direct hit." Excel Challenge Kyle McNabb, a senior analyst at Forrester, said Google Spreadsheets isn't appropriate for businesses, even small ones. "Privacy concerns are clearly a main driver behind why Google's apps are not quite ready for broad enterprise use," he said. "Rather, it's part of their continued focus on consumers, finding new ways to generate advertising revenue, while learning more of what enterprises need." McNabb said that Google Spreadsheets, together with Google Mail, Google Groups, Google Calendar, and Google's recently acquired software Writely.com, will be used by some businesses. "But I believe consumers are the primary market Google has in mind right now," he said. "We are all consumers, and the more familiar and comfortable we become with applications delivered for consumers, the more apt we are in demanding our enterprise I.T. environments to adopt them for internal use," he said. "Another company, one located in Redmond, Washington, figured out this model and used it to make Windows and Office enterprise I.T. standards." (continued...) 1  |  2  |  Next Page >   Advertisement  Tech Trends 1.   New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social 2.   Salesforce Makes Business Social 3.   Cisco, Logitech Target Mainstream 4.   Could This Be the Season for Web TV? 5.   AMD Powers Top Cray Supercomputer Frugal Twitter-Only Device Offered TwitterPeek doesn't need a data plan. Average Rating: Social-Networking Security a Concern Facebook hijacking shows dangers. Average Rating: Cisco, EMC Team on Private Clouds Partner for new data-center approach. Average Rating:

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Network Security Spotlight

House Lawmakers Push Ban on Peer-to-Peer Software Stung by an embarrassing electronic leak revealing ethics investigations into dozens of lawmakers, Congress moved to prohibit federal employees from using the file-sharing software blamed for the disclosure.   GAO: Los Alamos Computer Security Has Weaknesses Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's computer network increase the risk of a classified-information breach, says the Government Accountability Office.   Computer Security Firm Fortinet Plans IPO This Week Fortinet plans to go public in an initial public offering, giving investors a chance to tap a network security provider with sales that are expected to grow. The IPO could be valued at $137.5 million or more.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking Cloud Engines has released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing device" that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely.   Apple Tablet Rumored Delayed as Publisher Gears Up There have been so many rumors of an Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is being revised with reports of a delay and that a major publisher is getting ready.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   Smartphones: A Bigger Target for Security Threats Smartphones are increasingly prevalent and adept at handling more tasks, including trading stocks, paying bills, and buying stuff online. That makes them attractive to thieves and hackers.   FBI Says Hackers Targeting Law Firms, PR Companies Hackers are targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients.

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