Google LLC is hoping to steal more enterprise customers from Microsoft Corp. with an update to its G Suite productivity platform that’s designed to make it more compatible with Office documents.

The update, announced this morning, relates to G Suite’s commenting feature. Previously, users have been able to comment on native Google documents via Google Drive’s preview pane, without needing to open the document itself.

That capability is now being extended to Microsoft Office and other files, including regular documents, PDF files and images. The update means G Suite users can now comment on and assign tasks for any file via the preview pane, without needing to convert them to a Google Docks, Sheets or Slides file first.

Google said in a blog post the update was all about convenience for G Suite users. “When you’re collaborating with an external agency, negotiating a contract with a client or coordinating a sales agreement with a supplier, chances are you’re dealing with multiple file formats,” the company wrote in a blog post. “With this update, you can now comment on those files in Drive the way you’re used to in Google Docs.”

The Drive preview pane now lets users comment, assign tasks and mention coworkers, while other users can reply to those comments even if they’re not using G Suite themselves, Google said. “Let’s say your coworker opens a file on her Windows laptop using MS Word, she will see your comment in the file and can reply right from there,” Google’s post explained.

Google said the ability to add comments in Drive previews is one of several features designed to boost interoperability between G Suite and Microsoft’s Office products. Google also offers a Drive plugin allows users to attach files stored in its cloud-based storage service to emails created in Microsoft’s Outlook software. The same plugin also lets users save incoming attachments to Drive from Outlook, Google said.

G Suite also allows for Office files to be edited via Drive using the Office Compatibility Mode. Office files can also be converted into Google Docs, Sheets and Slides for those who need full functionality, the company said.

The search giant is trying mightily to make inroads as a cloud computing provider versus much bigger rivals such as Amazon Web Services Inc. and Microsoft Corp. And it views G Suite as an easy onramp for enterprises that know it will take them awhile to commit fully to the cloud for most or all of their applications.

“Productivity applications are an easier shift,” Allan Livingston, a director of product management for G Suite for four years before moving to head Chrome OS this month, told SiliconANGLE recently. “You’re just suddenly on the cloud.”

With reporting by Robert Hof

Images: Google