ThinkFree “or Die” New Java-Based Office Software Application Catching Fire
By To-Wen Tseng


 There was a time when people would download all the
wanted documents, install all the needed software and
then open the documents in the associated application
in order to read, convert, or edit them. It’s not the case anymore.
ThinkFree, a Java based office development company,
has launched a new online suite, “ThinkFree Office Live,” a
Microsoft Office compatible application suite comprised of
word processing, spreadsheet and graphics presentation applications—
all accessible online.
“We’ve been working on this (program) for more than
three years. We want to provide users free access to any document
online—spread sheets; word documents…” said Edward
Coloma of ThinkFree Live Beta development team.
With this new tool, users no longer have to download documents
in various formats and corresponding editing applications.
They can view and edit all the documents within the
ThinkFree Office Live environment.
ThinkFree Office Live also allows users to create, save and
convert documents without downloading anything—a word
document can be created and saved online and then be converted
to other formats such as text or PDF, all in the integrated
ThinkFree Office Live environment.
Even better, these documents can be easily embedded into
websites or blogs for sharing, which allows small business
owners to provide their customers with a new level of document
accessibility.
A user can also choose to let other users edit his/her own
documents without confusion; the “version control” tool coming
with ThinkFree Office Live will track all the editing made
by different users. Those users who share the same document
can subscribe to the “ThinkFree Office Live notice alert.”
Whenever the document is edited, all the subscribers will receive
a notice about the update.
“It’s convenient. You don’t even have to e-mail your colleagues
you’re working with,” said Coloma. “Our philosophy
is ‘anytime, anywhere’. As long as you have Internet access,
regardless of location, you can work on your documents. And
it’s very easy to use.”
Carlos Mangandy who presents ThinkFree Inc. also said,
“Nowadays people don’t have to physically get together to
work on a project. They can be anywhere in the world and still
work together. Many of our users found that ThinkFree Office
Live is a very efficient tool.”
Currently ThinkFree Office Live, now in its beta version,
has more then 700,000 registered users. For those small business
owners who want to avoid installing huge software packages
on their computers, or save money by staying away from
large licensing fees of commercial applications, ThinkFree Office
Live may be a good alternative.		 Diversity Plus Magazine : ThinkFree Office Live 

ThinkFree also has other solutions for servers and online
work.
Los Angeles City Public Library in California and Ryder
System, a transportation-providing company based in Florida,
has adopted ThinkFree Server for their daily operation.
LA Public Library considered that the tool had “no limitations
on simultaneous users” and gave them “easier management
resulting in lower operating costs due to less IT Staff
intervention.”
Coloma pointed out that ThinkFree Office Live Beta is so
user friendly that no training is needed if a small business decides
to adopt this new tool.
“ThinkFree Live is the most Microsoft compatible software
in the market,” said Mangandy.
Coloma agreed with his colleague: “Anybody who knows
Microsoft should have no problem using ThinkFree Live.
Another benefit of ThinkFree Office Live is its platform
independency. Built for cross-platform functionality, Think-
Free Office is compatible with Windows, Macintosh, Unix
and Linux systems. Many features can be automatically installed
and upgraded over the Web, including Internet-based
file sharing and storage, as well as end-to-end security.
ThinkFree provides a ubiquitous documentation platform
to help users work in boundless environments. And the development
team of ThinkFree has an even bigger ambition
with this new tool. “We’re not stopping here. We’ll add more
collaborates (to ThinkFree Office Live) which allow users to
make their documents smarter and more convenient,” said
Coloma.

You would..
Benedict : ThinkFree Evangelist
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