Google re-opens online word processor service
{{date|August 21, 2006}}

According to published reports and information posted to the Writely.com website and blog, the service has re-opened its Writely account beta program.

The [[w:Writely|Writely]] beta was launched in August 2005,
and [[w:Google|Google]] acquired the Writely technology on March 9, 2006. The core Writely service provides a free online collaborative word processor which is widely viewed as an alternative and potential competitor to more traditional locally-run word processing software.

The service has claimed that thousands of people had previously registered for the service exclusively driven by word-of-mouth and the Writely blog. Shortly after being acquired by Google, the company greatly restricted the service and maintained a future customer sign up waiting list.

Writely re-opened its beta service on August 17, 2006. According to the company's blog, the timing of the re-launch was due to a positive product review on CNET combined with persistent email requests asking the service to re-open. Additionally, Writely is planning to make its service available as part of the Google Account sign-in sometime on the near future.

A number of industry sources have speculated on why Google chose to issue a press release on August 17, 2006 touting its involvement in a Star Trek convention and failed to release any information on the Writely beta re-open. While Google has proven  reticent to release and publish product information in the past, the lack of any published information for the Writely beta re-open has generated a greater than usual number of web posts and articles addressing the subject. 

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.ineedhits.com/free-tools/blog/2006/08/googles-sneaky-re-release-of-writely.aspx
|title=Google's Sneaky Re-Release of Writely
|author=Rene LeMerle
|pub=Ineedhits.com
|date=August 21, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/08/18/office-microsoft-clones-cx_rr_0821office.html
|title=Office 2.0 Redux
|author=Rachel Rosmarin
|pub=Forbes.com
|date=August 21, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20060818GoogleOpensWritelyForgetsToTellSomebody.html
|title=Google Opens Writely, Forgets To Tell Somebody
|author=Jason Lee Miller
|pub=WebProNews
|date=August 18, 2006}}

*{{source-pr|url=http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/startrek.html
|title=Google Makes Trek to Las Vegas; Lands at Creation Entertainment's 40th Anniversary Star Trek Convention
|pub=Google
|date=August 17, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-9239_7-6627472.html?tag=cnetfd.ld3
|title=Type and travel: Web-based word processors
|author=Elsa Wenzel
|pub=CNET
|date=August 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/writely-so.html
|title=Writely so
|author=Jen Mazzon
|pub=Google Blog
|date=March 9, 2006}}


[[Category:Computing]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Star Trek]]
{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}
According to published reports and information posted to the Writely.com website and blog, the service has re-opened its Writely account beta program.

The Writely beta was launched in August 2005,
and Google acquired the Writely technology on March 9, 2006. The core Writely service provides a free online collaborative word processor which is widely viewed as an alternative and potential competitor to more traditional locally-run word processing software.

The service has claimed that thousands of people had previously registered for the service exclusively driven by word-of-mouth and the Writely blog. Shortly after being acquired by Google, the company greatly restricted the service and maintained a future customer sign up waiting list.

Writely re-opened its beta service on August 17, 2006. According to the company's blog, the timing of the re-launch was due to a positive product review on CNET combined with persistent email requests asking the service to re-open. Additionally, Writely is planning to make its service available as part of the Google Account sign-in sometime on the near future.

A number of industry sources have speculated on why Google chose to issue a press release on August 17, 2006 touting its involvement in a Star Trek convention and failed to release any information on the Writely beta re-open. While Google has proven  reticent to release and publish product information in the past, the lack of any published information for the Writely beta re-open has generated a greater than usual number of web posts and articles addressing the subject. 

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Computing Economy and business United States North America Star Trek