This business started in 2005 with a goal to improve productivity. It aimed to make work easier and more efficient. Sadly, by 2006, it hit a major bump. The term “Acquisition Flu” described the problems it faced. Just a year later, the company closed its doors.

General Information

• Category: Productivity
• Started: 2005
• Failure Cause: Acquisition Flu
• Closed: 2006

Description

Writely was a web-based word processor created by Upstartle in 2005. It changed how people wrote and edited text by allowing work in the browser. Users could make changes without downloading software.

Writely also let users convert documents to PDF format, which many found helpful. This simple tool made writing accessible and convenient for everyone.

Cause of Failure

In March 2006, Google bought Upstartle. This move made sense looking back. Upstartle’s main product, Writely, was becoming popular and was a great asset.

At the same time, people wondered if Google wanted to compete with Microsoft in office tools. Writely’s technology could help Google rival Microsoft Word.

Google already had Google Drive, a solid platform for storing and sharing documents. The next step was to let users create and edit documents right there. This would help teams work together better and keep everything updated.

After the acquisition, Google kept supporting Writely users but stopped new sign-ups. Over time, Writely changed into what is now known as Google Docs.

FAQs

– What was Writely? 

Writely was an online word processor launched in 2005 by Upstartle. It let users create and edit documents right in their web browsers.

– Why did Writely fail? 

After Google bought Writely in 2006, the service faced big problems. Known as “Acquisition Flu,” this issue caused new sign-ups to stop.

– How did Writely evolve after its acquisition? 

Following the acquisition, Writely became part of Google Docs. Its features were merged into Google’s suite of tools.

– What benefits did Writely offer to users? 

Writely allowed users to edit documents online without needing extra software. It also supported document conversion to PDF.