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Google Hires Spreadsheet Experts to Expand Project

Search company Google takes its online spreadsheet project one major step forward and buys iRows, and independent company that specializes in online spreadsheet services. iRows` founders, Yoah Bar-David and Itai Raz, will close the company and start working for Google`s development centers in Israel. Google launched its spreadsheet service in June, and offers users to mange multiple spreadsheets in a web-based interface. Instead of using an installed application, like Microsoft`s Excel, users are able to create spreadsheets and edit them online while sharing their work with other users simultaneously.

Google is promoting a new approach to office applications, and working with iRows` founders will drive their vision even further. Although some people speculated that when Google released their spreadsheet service, it was already a result of working with iRows` founders. The blog on iRows` site disproved such claims. The blog addresses the agreement, and calls all iRows users to backup their files. When iRows closes all data on their servers will be deleted, and users are asked to move their data to Google`s spreadsheet service. The service does not support charts yet, and unfortunately therefore there is no solution of users that want to save their chart files.

Currently there are several companies that offer online spreadsheet services, but Google is planning on taking over this market completely. We expect that a new version of the service will be available in the near future, and that the iRows deal will make its impact over the market pretty soon.