Today Google launched a limited test of Google Spreadsheets on Google Labs, our technology playground where we showcase a few of our favorite ideas that aren't quite ready for prime time. Google Spreadsheets is a free, secure service that enables users to quickly and easily create, store and share basic spreadsheets on the web.

Designed for users who create basic spreadsheets that need to be shared or updated by several contributors, Google Spreadsheets enables:

• Increased accessibility: Spreadsheets are securely stored on the web so that they can be accessed from any computer. Using Google Spreadsheets on the web also avoids the need to install any software on the local computer.
  
  
• Real-time collaboration: Google Spreadsheets can be shared, updated and edited by several users at the same time, in real-time, saving users from the hassle of manually consolidating multiple spreadsheets from others. Users can also chat while editing or viewing the same spreadsheet and control who may edit and view their shared spreadsheets by listing the specific people by email address.
  
  
• Easy importing: Users can upload spreadsheets or information from other desktop applications (.CSV and .XLS formats supported) with a click of a button.