As far as word processors are concerned, the most prominent application in the industry has to be Microsoft Word. People create and edit documents, save documents for future consideration, and regularly email documents to share with others. What if there was a way to do all that within one interface? That’s what Quip is all about. Quip is a word processor founded by two former Googlers Bret Taylor and Kevin Gibbs. Bringing creative minds associated with Google Maps and Facebook to word processing has created a new, functional way of looking at a task many do daily.

READ MORE : Bret Taylor dishes on Quip’s developer challenges

Quip is an application for iPad and iPhone, and is launching its Android app today, adding to its browser-based service for desktops and laptops. As mentioned, it is a word processor, but it hinges mainly on the collaboration tools that it offers.  I had a chance to test Quip’s Android app this week.  Here’s a rundown of the features you’ll find in Quip’s app.

The Android application contains all the major features that its counterparts flaunt:

• Multiple users can concurrently access and edit the same document with a visual representation of edits made (called diffs) and in-app messaging to allow users to chat with each other about the document being shared.
• Shared folders to allow sharing of documents between selected users. Each user can add new documents to folders to share as they wish and contribute to existing documents as well.
• Users can mention other users using the @mention feature within a document and within chats. Other documents, tables, and images can easily be linked using this feature as well.
• Offline support to allow users to edit documents without an internet connection. Once an internet connection is established the edits will automatically sync, and show with edits made from other users.
• The checklist format is interactive and can facilitate group task management.

In addition to the standard features of Quip, the Android application is not just a port to the online service. It takes advantage of Android features native to the devices. Notifications from Quip are automatically stacked to eliminate clutter on the notification screen. Quip will recognize the Google account on a device and allow you to log in without the need of a password. Custom keyboards supported by Android can also be used within Quip. If you are using a tablet, Quip will adjust to fit the larger screen size to give an expanded view of your Desktop and Inbox when you open the application.

While the formatting tools that we are accustomed to in other word processors may be missing, overall Quip is a very sleek and useful tool that makes document sharing and collaboration a breeze. It currently has two offerings with a third coming soon. Quip Basic is free and allows a maximum of 5 users that can share folders of documents. Quip Business is $12/month/user allowing up to 250 users. Quip Enterprise has not been priced, but it would allow for unlimited users under a domain license. The latter two will also offer additional features that would benefit a team utilizing the service across numerous users.