Google and Sun Join For Office Software Pact

Google Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. have agreed to a multi-year pact allowing Google to distribute Sun's software technologies. This is a big step for Google as the software provides a potential alternative to Microsoft's software, challenging the company's dominance in computer word-processing and spreadsheets.

Sun and Google plan to jointly promote Sun's operating system and office productivity software systems, known as Java desktop and Open Office. These programs are expected to challenge Microsoft's Office suite. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. By working with Google, Sun Microsystems, Inc. believes that their technologies will be made more widely available.