Google Docs planning visual overhaul

Just days after Microsoft announced it would be releasing a free version of its Office suite, in an attempt to catch up to competitors, Google has announced a visual overhaul of its Google Docs suite.

The company said on its Google Docs blog today that the suite will soon be given a “brand new shiny interface”.

The company will add a number of new functions that will refine searches within the Docs suite, following an indication from the blog post that said sharing documents will be a key feature of the overhaul.

The company also said that the new features “will be followed shortly by the new interface and a number of pretty exciting features we have in the pipe.”

The quick reaction to Microsoft’s announcement may be a sign that Google fears a free offering from the software giant, which could impact the dominance it has enjoyed with its Google Docs suite.