Embrace The Cloud

Advantages of online office applications

2008-08-17T21:43:00.001-04:00

One of the most obvious advantages to using online office applications is the cost. Compared to buying software and paying licensing fees, server and storage fees, and a myriad of other nickel and diming, online office applications are a real bargain. What I'd like to talk about are some of the other advantages that you may not realize.

One of my favorite reasons to use online apps is that I usually don't have to be a techno-geek, or hire one to use some very powerful software. Developers are trying to get away from a developer mindset and focus on user-friendly, intuitive applications. Also, most updates are automatic, meaning I can spend time working with content, not learning more new stuff!
I can usually work with applications anytime, from anywhere. And the best part is that for some applications, you don't even have to be online. You do your work, and then the next time you sign in, your work is automatically synced.
I love having the ability to collaborate on documents with other users. Especially spreadsheets. You can have several people working on the same document at the same time using different colors. And you don't even have to remember which is the latest, greatest, real final document. The one you save is THE document...ha, unless you don't want it to be! Previous revisions and versions can be found and made THE document. How cool is that? Remember using software where you never knew which version was the one you really needed? Those days are over.
I can use most online applications with existing programs. Google Apps allows you to work on and save documents in a variety of formats. You should find one that is just right for you.
Security is a high priority for online application developers. They know that you will not use their software if you don't have confidence in their security efforts. Most support SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Remember when you had to pay extra for that too?
Privacy is also a huge concern for most people. Nobody wants their sensitive information out in Internet Cloud Land. I think most companies are making a serious effort and doing a good job with keeping your information secure.

Well, those are a few of the reasons that I like and use online office applications. How about you...why do you use or not use programs like Google Apps, ZOHO, and Microsoft Equipt?

Technorati Tags: Google Apps, online office applications, cloud computing

What is "Cloud Computing"?

2008-08-06T11:53:00.003-04:00

Cloud Computing is having the ability to use technology-enabled third-party services, without controlling the infrastructure to support them. What that means to me is that I don't have to pay high fees to companies to provide me with useful programs and storage. There can be some fees, but they are usually scaled to my needs. Now that is really awesome when it comes to paying for things that you may never use let alone understand.

Microsoft Office is just one example. Their programs have many, many features that I just won't ever use. There are many web-based alternatives to paying for Microsoft Office like Google Apps, ZOHO, and Open Office to name a few. You may not get all the functionality of Office, but most of us just don't need it anyway. I plan to go into much more detail in upcoming posts, especially on Google Apps.

Welcome to Embrace The Cloud

2008-08-06T10:29:00.001-04:00

Hi! My name is Steve Kennedy and I'd like to welcome you to the Embrace The Cloud blog.

I am starting this blog as a focal point for people that are interested in learning how to use cloud computing effectively. The cloud computing concept is growing each day, but I'd like to focus on personal and small business applications that are hosted by a third party company.

Some of the things that I will talk about are free and some will come at a cost. Hopefully, I can help you find and use the applications that are just right for you.