As Cloud-Based Document Editor War Heats Up, Google Makes Quickoffice Free

Even the casual observer would recognize that the cloud wars are only just beginning, but there's also a related war that has been quietly ongoing beneath the surface, and it's just now starting to gain traction in the mainstream. The tried-and-true Office suite, built-up by Microsoft, has shifted online. From Office 365 to Google Docs to Apple's iWork suite, it's clear that the future of document editing, collaboration, and spreadsheet making is online.

In order to keep pace with the competition, Google is making Quickoffice for Android and iOS available for free, for all who wish to download. The move comes just weeks after Apple announced that all iOS 7 devices would ship with the full mobile iWork suite free of charge. At this point, these office suites have become ecosystem plays rather than revenue makers, which has Microsoft shareholders a bit concerned... particularly when you consider how much revenue Office has pulled in over the years.


Quickoffice allows for Microsoft Office documents to be edited, too, and the app is tightly integrated with Google Drive for on-the-go saving and access. Plus, if you sign in to your Google Account from the new Quickoffice app for Android or iOS by September 26, 2013, you'll get an extra 10GB of Google Drive storage for two years.

Free storage and a free app? Thanks, Google!