OmTerra: Cloud Computing
What is the cloud and what do I do with it?
Things change all the time - guaranteed. This is no different than in the world of computing. We are seeing a seismic shift to web-based applications. The days of sofware and hard drives are numbered. Where does this lead? To the cloud...
In the film "The Graduate" the future was plastics. Today the future - is the cloud. For a small business or company the utilization of the cloud can provide a tremendous opportunity to save money and simplify day-to-day operations.
The cloud is simply this - a web based medium for data access/storage and applications.
Primary Web Apps You Need to Know About
Google Documents: These are free apps from Google for basic word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. The best thing about Google documents - it is free! Why spend money on Microsft Office when you can use Google Documents - for free? Any document can be saved in a Microsoft format (.doc, .xls, .ppt) so sharing files with your unelightened business partners is a breeze.
From Google:
Create, edit and upload quickly
Import your existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations, or create new ones from scratch.
Access and edit from anywhere
All you need is a Web browser. Your documents, spreadsheets and presentations are stored securely online.
Share changes in real-time
Invite people to your documents and make changes together, at the same time.
It's free
You don't pay a nickel.
So - sign up for a Google account and start using Google Documents and say buh-bye to Microsoft Office. Learn more here.
Data Storage
The other beauty of Google Documents is - free storage of your data. Cool! But - if you are looking for more robust data storage here are a few recommendations for you.
box.net is by far the best online data mangement system. No other company comes close to offering a better system. It is intuitive, easy to use and easy to quickly master. Click here to head on over and sign-up for a free account that includes 5 GB of storage - that is a lot of files! They also have options for business plans that are worth checking in to if you need to share large amounts of data with clients.
Worth a mention - but not as good as box.net is Dropbox. Worth checking out. Only offers 2 GB of storage. Has sync service built into the app. Somewhat confusing interface. More info can be found here.
Another great service if you need to send large files is You Send It. No data storage - but it allows you to send large files that you may not be able to send through your email client. Check ou yousendit here.
