Google has bought Zenter, a startup company that develops web-based software for presentations.

Zenter’s technology will go into Google’s Docs & Spreadsheets unit but it is not clear which technology will win when Google finally releases a slideshow program to complement its word processor, spreadsheet, calendar, email and instant messaging modules.

In April, Google acquired Tonic Systems, another developer of web presentations software. Before that, the search giant was rumoured to be working on its own presentations package, dubbed Presently, according to snippets of code that were posted on the web.

In a blog posting announcing the Zenter deal, Google engineering director Sam Schillace wrote: “These days, when you create a document – whether it's a text document, a spreadsheet, or a presentation – you usually want to share it, collect feedback, or communicate about it in some way. We on the Google Docs & Spreadsheets team focus on making this experience easier and more powerful for you. In particular, we're working to add presentation-sharing capabilities to Google Docs & Spreadsheets.”

The move is already stirring up more interest in Google as a potential alternative to Microsoft Office. Based on that thinking, Google’s next move could be to develop or buy products that rival Exchange or Visio.