Shanghai-based Evermore Software LLC is challenging the might of Redmond by unveiling an Office competitor called EIOffice (Evermore Integrated Office) that it showcased at this week’s Demo Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Evermore developers are essentially targeting a perceived design weakness in the Apple Macintosh version of Office whereby programs such as Word, Powerpoint and Excel exist and operate as independent applications on knowledge workers’ desktops.
Java-based EIOffice is designed to bring together discrete text, worksheets, graphics, presentation slides, and multimedia content in a uniform file format called a binder. Evermore says this makes it easy to synchronize a project comprising of different application components without using Microsoft’s object linking or embedding techniques.
Instead EIOffice uses a novel technology called Data Object Oriented Repository System (DOORS) which conceptually is not dissimilar to Macintosh’s old OpenDoc design philosophy.
While Evermore may be over-optimistically keen to covert Office shops, it is quick to point out that EIOffice provides compatibility with Microsoft’s desktop applications and provides the ability to import and export World, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF and Text file formats.
EIOffice runs on Windows and Linux. Mac OS X and Solaris versions are currently being developed.
Evermore has implemented a novel annual leasing model for the software. Pricing starts at $99 for a year, or $250 for three years. The lease includes technical support and upgrades.
The English language version of EIOffice is slated for release in May 2004.
This article is based on material originally published by ComputerWire
