Dive Brief:

• WPS Office, software made in China that is very similar to Microsoft Office and Office 365, could take more of Microsoft’s market share than Google’s G Suite, according to Seeking Alpha.
• At $79.99 for a lifetime license, Kingsoft-created WPS Office Business Edition is cheaper than Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus plan, which costs $12/month, according to the report. 
• WPS Office designed a user interface and user experience similar to Microsoft Office, making it potentially more of a threat to Microsoft's market share than G Suite or Bitrix24. 

Dive Insight:

WPS Office isn’t the only smaller fish to ever take on Microsoft Office 365, but it is unique in how similar it looks and acts like Office 365, which is why it’s possible it could actually succeed in cutting into some of Microsoft's office productivity suite's success. While Office 365 still reigns, WPS is finding popularity among smaller businesses.

Enterprises looking for cloud-based software that looks and works similar to something their employees are already familiar with but costs less could be an appealing option. But a big problem with transitioning to new products is the question of reliability. Users are accustomed to Microsoft's products, and bringing in new products may create some workflow disruption. 

Competition has been hot in the cloud-based workplace productivity area as more businesses move away from out-of-the-box workplace productivity software to online-based tools, but most see the battle primarily between Microsoft and Google. A new, lower cost competitor may have the potential to cut into the two giants’ market dominance.