Google takes online software applications offline

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google on Thursday provided software developers with technology to keep online applications like e-mail running on computers even if Internet connections are dropped, unavailable or unreliable.

The world's most popular Internet search engine introduced the Google Gears Web browser extension at the opening of Google Developer Day 2007 in Sydney, Australia.

Google's offering provides developers with a free tool to make Web-based applications more appealing and comes as a threat to the Microsoft empire, which is built on sales of software installed on people's computers.

"With Google Gears we're tackling a key limitation of the browser in order to make it a stronger platform for deploying all types of applications and enabling a better user experience in the cloud," Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said in a statement.

"We believe strongly in the power of the community to stretch this new technology to the limits of what's possible and ultimately emerge with an open standard that benefits everyone."

The browser extension downloads enough data to a computer to enable people to continue using Web-based programs such as e-mail, calendars, or word processing even while on flights or otherwise cut off from the Internet.

"This announcement is a significant step forward for web applications," said Brendan Eich, chief technical officer at Mozilla Corporation which makes the FireFox Internet browser.

Google Gears is open-source, meaning developers are free to adapt it as they wish, and the Mountain View, California-based company said it will work with other firms to develop standards for offline functionality.

"We're very excited to be collaborating with Google to move the industry forward to a standard cross-platform, cross-browser local storage capability," said Adobe vice president Kevin Lynch.

Google expects the new technology to increase the popularity of its host of Web-based applications but said its intent in releasing the open-source technology is to enhance all programs of that type.

A trend away from downloading software onto personal computers and toward using applications hosted and maintained online is considered a defining characteristic of "Web 2.0," the latest iteration of Internet life.