Google attacks Microsoft's monopoly - Advance to Go or back to Old Kent Road?

You'll almost certainly have read by now that Google are entering the operating system market with Chrome OS, and they claim that it will spell the end for malware, viruses and constant security updates that Windows users have become used to over the years. But there's already emerging scepticism that 'all' the new OS will provide is the ability to run a web browser on a netbook or notebook.

We don't think this is a limitation at all, though. Let's take a look at a few of the tools that we use for collaboration, and project management.

Project collaboration in the Cloud

The most important factor in the success of a project is communication. Specifications and designs need to be agreed and signed off, risks and issues need to be tracked, and making sure that everyone involved in the project can work together on these things is critical.

Basecamp, the project collaboration suite from 37Signals, allows us to do all this, and the best part is that there's nothing to install, no CD or lengthy download, it just works, in a browser, from anywhere. Whilst MS Project focusses on Gantt charts and resource assignments, Basecamp helps us bring people together to communicate and share information effectively - the benefits are immediate and obvious.

Office applications, anywhere

Despite the sceptics, Google almost certainly aren't worried about the inability to run Word and Excel hindering the uptake of Chrome OS - they have their excellent online application suite Google Docs already, and for the majority of users these simple and accessible tools are plenty powerful enough.

Our community management and consultancy team rely on these tools to share and collaborate on good practice documents, exchange knowledge with clients and generally organise themselves. Its essential that a community manager, for instance, can do their job from anywhere, without needing any specific software or even a full-size device.

Hotel on Mayfair

So overall, should Google be concerned that their new platform will suffer from focussing on simplicity, ease of use and reliability? Its unlikely that they will, and what is one of the first strong attacks on the Microsoft monopoly will be fascinating to watch.