There has been a good deal of speculation that Google (GOOG) is in the process of building desktop software to compete with portions of Microsoft’s (MSFT) operating system functions. Google already has its own word processing and spreadsheet software that run on server-side, web-based platforms.
According to a report at TechCrunch, Google may be ready to add a "powerpoint-like" product as well.
While none of the Google products, even taken together, is a direct threat to Microsoft Vista or any of its key components, that could change if Google pulls together enough web-based products to replace most of those available from Redmond. It may not happen overnight, but, if it happens at all, Microsoft has a problem.
Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at [email protected]. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about.