Who created the first online office on Earth?

Thinkfree
3 min readMay 10, 2024

Did you know the first ‘online office technology’ wasn’t started by a big company? It was actually a small Silicon Valley startup called ‘Thinkfree’ that pioneered it. This technology lets you edit documents wherever there’s an internet connection.

Goodbye, Final ver.ppt

There used to be a time when having so many file versions in one folder was a common annoyance. Everyone took this inefficiency for granted, but Thinkfree saw it as a problem and searched for ways to improve it. In 2000, when the idea of creating documents online was unheard of, we tried to solve this issue in a new way. As a result, Thinkfree was the first to introduce the concept of an ‘online office’ to the world.

Dive Into Thinkfree: Our Mission

Thinkfree’s mission is to improve our clients’ workflows and create an office environment where knowledge and ideas flow freely. We help them overcome physical challenges like installation and security issues. Through AI technology, we aim to deliver a new level of productivity across all areas of work, not just in our online office solutions. This way, they can focus solely on the essentials.

What’s the Deal with ‘Thinkfree’?

We are still thinking free at Thinkfree, just like we did when we created the world’s first online office by overcoming limitations and defying conventions. This is why we are “Thinkfree”.

Unlocking the Many Facets of Thinkfree

Throughout our journey, Thinkfree Office has adopted various personas: from Thinkfree Server to Hancom Office Online, Hancom Thinkfree Office, and Thinkfree Office Online. These name changes reflect the strategic evolution and colorful history of Thinkfree Inc.’s office solutions. Now, all these identities converge into a single unified brand: Thinkfree Office.

Always Evolving, Always Nearby

Thinkfree Office might not always be visible as it’s integrated within various systems like Amazon WorkDocs editors and Naver MYBOX. It blends so seamlessly that you might not even realize it’s there. But wherever editing is needed, that’s where you’ll find Thinkfree Office.

Maybe We’ve Met Before?

You’ve probably crossed paths with Thinkfree before. It’s the built-in office suite on numerous devices, including the Samsung Galaxy series, LG Optimus One, Nexus, Fujitsu, and Pantech. If you’ve ever opened a document on your phone, chances are it was Thinkfree making your experience smooth. I hope it was a good one.

Founded in 2000, Thinkfree was the first company to develop online office technology. As of 2023, Thinkfree has aiming to enhance its AI capabilities and deepen its commitment to the global market from its base in Pangyo, South Korea. You can learn more about us at http://www.thinkfree.com
Stay tuned for Thinkfree’s next moves!

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