Google adds presentation software to Google Docs

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Tuesday Google is set to introduce software for creating meeting presentations online, offering a twist on Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint tool.

Google is adding presentation software as a new feature to Google Docs, a collection of Web-based product tools such as word-processing, spreadsheets, e-mail and home page publishing that offers an alternative to Microsoft Office, Schmidt said.

But the leader of the world's Web search leader, which expanded last year to offer a new category of online software for use by consumers and businesses, played down the direct challenge to Microsoft when asked whether the move was meant to compete with PowerPoint.

"We don't think so. The reason is it doesn't have all the functionality nor is it intended to have all the functionality of Microsoft Office," Schmidt said in response to an interviewer's question at the Web 2.0 Expo conference here.