Microsoft’s plan to introduce a free online version of its Office 2010 suite does not include support for rival Google’s Chrome web browser.

Last month the tech giant announced it would offer lightweight web versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote under the banner of Office Web, in direct competition with Google’s free online Docs suite of productivity applications.

Now, in an official blog posting, Microsoft has stated that Office Web will officially support only Internet 7 and 8, Firefox 3.5 on Windows, Mac and Linux, and Safari 4 on Mac.

“If you prefer to use another browser you should still give the Web Apps a try. While we cannot officially support all browsers, customers will not be blocked from using them,” the blog post adds.