Google Apps gets improved document sharing

Fresh off its efforts to improve its e-mail offerings, the search company debuted Thursday a package aimed at helping businesses better share documents and information.

Called Google Apps Team Edition, the new option expands upon its already existing applications platform by allowing businesses to set up and manage work groups. The standard version, first launched in August 2006, lacked some of these collaborative features.

Without the need for an administrator to initiate the sharing of documents, users can share files between each other. However, document creators can set who can view content.

Despite Google's frequent denial of doing so, the latest string of business software announcements is viewed by analysts as a direct challenge to Microsoft's dominance in the sector.

The platform currently lacks content management functions a la SharePoint, but executives say that is in the works.

Free versions of Team Edition have no central administration, but companies that wish to still exert some control may upgrade to fee-based versions that permit it.