Thinkfree Office

Thinkfree Office

Developer(s)	Thinkfree Inc.
Initial release	4 July 2000 (2000-07-04)
Written in	Front-end: JavaScript, HTML5, CSS. Back-end: Java, Python, C++.
Operating system	Windows: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Naver Whale. Mac OS: Safari, Chrome, Firefox. Tablet: iOS, Android. Phone: iOS (View only), Android (View only).
Standard(s)	Office Open XML, OpenDocument: ISO/IEC 26300-3:2015
Available in	Available in 14 languages. List of languages: Korean, English, German, French, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (United States), Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional).
Type	Office Suite, Project management, Collaboration, Document Management
License	Commercial software
Website	thinkfree.com

Thinkfree Office is a commercial office productivity suite written in Java, C++ and Python that runs on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows platforms. It is developed by Thinkfree Inc.

The Thinkfree Office family of products includes Thinkfree Online, which is the first online office suite compatible with Microsoft Office, a word processor (Word), a spreadsheet (Cell) and a presentation program (Show). Compatible with MS Office's Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, this software offers features similar to Microsoft Office, including real-time co-editing capabilities.

In 2003, the South Korean software company Hancom acquired the Thinkfree brand and software products. In October 2023, Hancom spun off its online office business unit as “Thinkfree Inc.” to specialize in global web office and AI-related product opportunities.

Features

Thinkfree Office can be accessed from modern web browsers without plug-ins or add-ons. The product is installed on the client’s server where data is stored, providing secure, localized management of information.

Security

The software is installed on servers located within the organization itself, which allows the organization to manage data storage and access. This direct control significantly limits external access and minimizes security risks.

US-based cloud service providers are compelled to provide user data, including data stored overseas, to the US government upon request under the CLOUD Act. By utilizing an on-premises approach, Thinkfree Office, owned by a Korean company, avoids these legal entanglements, thereby ensuring the privacy of client data and maintaining robust security levels.

Device Support

This editor allows for editing and saving documents directly from a web browser on both PC and mobile platforms without any additional software installation, free from the constraints of operating systems or device platforms. Thinkfree Office is available for most devices that run the following operating systems: Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows and macOS.

File Formats

Thinkfree Office supports ISO/IEC international standard ISO/IEC 26300 Open Document Format for Office Applications (odf, odt, odp, ods, odg). It also supports Microsoft's XML formats (docx, pptx, xlsx) and Microsoft's legacy binary formats (doc, ppt, xls).

Server

Thinkfree Office offers a collaborative tool with real-time editing of word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Documents can be shared through links, and multiple users can edit simultaneously, making it an effective tool for collaboration in digital workplaces.

The installer facilitates easy setup and installation of the server software on various OS (i.e. RedHat Linux, Rocky Linux, CentOS, etc.) and also in containerized environments (i.e. Docker).

Technology

Thinkfree Office, which includes applications such as Word, Cell, and Show, features a frontend developed using JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS. The backend is implemented with programming languages such as JAVA, C++, and Python. It utilizes Apache Tomcat, MongoDB, Vert.X, Redis, and the Spring Framework for backend services. The software supports installation environments including CentOS 7, RHEL 8, and Rocky OS 8. Thinkfree Office provides Restful APIs for communication with file hosting services, and these APIs can be custom-designed and developed in various programming languages including Java and Node.js, adhering to specific protocols.

Client Industries

Thinkfree Office is a product mainly used in the sectors of web services, cloud computing, CAD/CAM/CAE/ PLM software, web portals and email providers, among others.

The software is currently utilized by various government agencies, public institutions, and associations in South Korea. In addition, it has been or is being used by government entities globally, including in the United States, Russia, Argentina, Japan, and India.

History

In June 2000, Thinkfree Inc. launched Thinkfree Office, based in Silicon Valley, California. It is recognised as the world's first online office editor (predating Google Docs and MS 365) and attracted significant media coverage, including reports on CNN.

In a magazine interview from 2001, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer highlighted Thinkfree as a significant competitor, considering it a potential threat to his company, second only to Linux.

In November 2003, Hancom, an office software company with 33 years of experience, signed a memorandum of understanding and subsequently acquired Thinkfree.

In January 2004, formal commercial operations began in the US market. Subsidiary Haansoft USA, Inc. is created in San Jose, California, to handle sales and marketing of Thinkfree Office. At the same time, a partnership was established with Riverdeep, the leading distributor of educational software in the US, with the purpose of improving market reach.

In February 2004, expansion into the Japanese market began. A commercial agency agreement is signed with PSI in Shinjuku, Japan, which allowed for localized distribution. In addition, a global agreement was entered into with Yamada Denki, one of the three main computer distributors in Japan, for a total of 180,000 units.

In May 2006, Thinkfree Office received the "Product of the Year" award at the Well-Connected Awards, USA.

In January 2009, Thinkfree Mobile was launched at CES 2009 in Las Vegas. In April 2009, Thinkfree Live, Korea's first web office service, was launched.

In June 2018, a partnership was formed with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to integrate Hancom Thinkfree Office Online into Workdocs.

In October 2023, Hancom spins off its online office business unit as 'Thinkfree Inc.' to specialise in global web office opportunities and AI-related products.

Naming

This software was previously marketed under different names, such as Thinkfree Server, Thinkfree Online, Hancom Office Online and Hancom Office Web. Eventually, the brand was consolidated under the single name Thinkfree Office.