I remember a time when cloud-based Google Apps were supposedly poised to give Microsoft Office a run for its money. When Google was trumpeting supposed big wins getting Google Docs into corporations and government, and getting Microsoft out.

Whatever happened to that?

Inside Google, what we knew as Google Apps was called “Drive” long before that name went public, which was about the same time Google seemed to lose interest in its cloud apps suite. Google’s focus was more on creating a cloud than creating apps for that cloud.

Google Docs and Sheets have never been real competition for Microsoft, but if your needs are limited, they can do the job. Sadly, most of the other apps, like their websites, groups and presentation software, seem quite clunky. I’ve used them all, but now stick to Google Sheets, which I use mostly for online forms.

New 3rd party add-ons

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On Tuesday came word that Google has opened its apps up to third-party add-ons. Read their blog post. Or, better, watch the video. Google has also this week begun offering a $15 referral fee for new Google Apps users.

There are two ways to take this: Google has given up on building-out these apps or Google has decided to get out-of-the-way and let others do what it can’t/doesn’t want to do.

Both are probably true: Google has given up on adding big features, and third-parties can now add new capabilities. How add-on developers successfully monetize them remains to be seen. All the add-ons I looked at today — from the new Add-ons menu in Docs and Sheets — are free, yet I know $$$ add-ons must lurk behind them.

• The other perspective…

OK, there’s a third way of looking at this: Some of these add-ons will make Google’s apps interesting once again and will meet the specific needs of some users. Anything that makes these apps more useful is a good thing. I am pleased Google has taken the time to create and evangelize an API to developers.

Then comes “the money thing,” which could be where Google’s new add-ons falter.

Monetizing Google Docs

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Since I pay only $10-a-month to run Microsoft Office on five machines and my smartphones, that puts a pretty low upper limit on what I’d pay for add-ons for Google Docs or Sheets. Still, some of them look interesting, such a workflow and electronic signatures made easier. I’ll play with them and report back.

I’ve always wanted to like Google’s app suite more than I have. Making them carry the weight of ambitions to battle Microsoft Office didn’t help. And Microsoft’s online apps are as good as Google’s.

But, by accepting different future, and getting help from third-parties, Google has made its apps much more interesting and a lot more useful. I am going to manage my expectations (low) and think positive thoughts about Google and the add-ons. I hope they do well.

Disclaimer: I use a free Google account for my personal email and a not-for-profit I am affiliated with has a free Google Apps corporate account. We don’t use it much, but I appreciate Google’s generosity. The free account makes it easy to have email accounts for members and staff. I am sure other do-gooder groups make better use of Google’s products that we do. But, maybe the add-ons will spark some interest from my bunch.

image via Google