Microsoft knocks Google Docs over support

From InfoWorld: Microsoft took another shot at rival Google today as it touted the support it provides for Office 2010.

In a blog post Monday, Barbara Gordon, who heads Microsoft's customer service and support, argued that her company's offerings beat Google's hands down.

"The launch of Office 2010 earlier this month reminded me just how much this makes us different," Gordon said. "When was the last time you called Google for help recovering a lost Google Doc? Were you even able to find a number? My guess is, no. Google simply does not provide that level of service."

Gordon went on to boast of Microsoft's various support avenues, including user-to-user support via online forums, support by phone and email, and deployment technologies for enterprises.

Google offers a range of support for its paying Google Apps customers that includes email, emergency phone support, online forums, and setup guides. According to the Google Apps site, the company responds to email support on most issues within one business day.

Consumers and businesses using the for-free Google Docs can browse online help documents or leave a message on the online applications' Web forums.

Google declined to respond to Microsoft's allegations with a countering statement, but a company spokesman noted that there are resellers who provide higher levels of support, including end-user support, for Google Apps. With the price of that suite running $50 per user per year, businesses can purchase outside support from a reseller and still end up paying less than Microsoft charges for each Office license.

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