Google Docs adds OCR features

Posted on 22 Jun 2010 at 12:06

Google has upgraded its Google Docs cloud-based office suite with a rather nice new feature: in-built optical character recognition technology.

While Google started to allow the upload of arbitrary files into the Google Docs system a while back, only certain formats have been supported for editing - Microsoft Word, plain text files, OpenOffice.org and so forth. Image files and PDF files can be stored and viewed, but not edited.

That has now changed, with Google Operating System reporting that Google is now offering the option to convert text found in images or PDF files into text which can be edited via Google Docs, just as if it were any other type of document.

Although the engine being used has been in beta for around a year, this marks the first time it has been available as a default option for all users - and it's something which is likely to be extremely handy for mobile office users. Early indications are that it is reasonably accurate, although most documents are going to need some tidying post-conversion.

However, it's also something which may cause increasing enmity between Google and traditional software developers: with the free Google Docs suite already taking users away from the cheaper versions of Microsoft Office, it appears that Google is now concentrating on the creators of OCR applications - and it's a lucrative market that traditional software developers aren't going to want to give up without a fight.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

Get more reviews, tutorials and in-depth advice, every month with Computer Shopper.
Click here to try 3 issues for £1

< Previous News : General Next >

User comments