PowerPoint could be in for tough competition, while enterprise wikis could be in for widespread adoption. Google Apps is expected to launch presentation and wiki applications at the Office 2.0 Conference next week.

The presentation app will be built from two Google acquisitions, Tonic Systems and Zenter. The wiki app will be built from Google acquisition Jotspot. Tony Ruscoe pokes around Google Apps to reveal evidence of an imminent launch.

Martin Porcheron, a regular Google Blogoscoped forum member, noticed yesterday that “jotspot” is now a Google Apps service code name. Furthermore, anyone with a domain hosted with Google Apps who isn’t using custom logos will see a “Google Wiki” logo when trying to login to the service. (The login page currently returns a “Service not available” message which is normal for services that haven’t yet been activated in your Google Apps account.) A link to “beta.pages.google.com” is also shown. This address doesn’t currently resolve but it could suggest that Jotspot may have been moved to use the same underlying technology as Google Page Creator.

Naturally, what goes to Google Apps will also go to Google Docs. Perhaps as soon as next week, the emerging Earth will be freed from the twin evils of PowerPoint and antisocial knowledge management.

Post from: EveryJoe

Google Apps to Add Presentations and Wikis Next Week?

Sure, Jimbo Wales is free do whatever the Hell he wants with his wikis. We users are free to not like it and set up our own wikis. That’s the beauty of open source: the kids have the keys to the factory, too. Jimbo runs Wikipedia on a just million bucks a year; building and maintaining a wiki is not that expensive a proposition, especially if you put a big brand behind it (Hey, Britannica, now’s your chance to come back from the dead!). He shouldn’t rest on the current monopoly created by his first-mover advantage, especially with something so easily replicable as a wiki.

Post from: EveryJoe

Wikipedia Link Policy Anticompetitive?