Sanders Media

I’ve touched on different parts of this in previous posts regarding Web 2.0 and Google Docs. Now I’d like to tie them together under the umbrella “cloud computing”. 

First, I’ll try to define cloud computing. It enables people to utilize computer functions such as email and word processing in the “cloud” (i.e. the Internet). You are then able to access these files anywhere in the world via the Internet.

Here are some real world examples: Gmail, Google Docs, Yahoo! and Amazon Web Services. In the traditional office setup, there are many computers with individual software suites on each one. An example would be Microsoft Office. Clearly there is an expense here due to the licensing fees for the software. Also, you need the computers to hold the email locally or on a server inside the company. 

Sites like Amazon Web Services provide what is known as Software as a Service (SaaS). Here, you can pay a monthly fee for access to the applications your company needs. They also provide remote digital storage for a monthly fee. Google Apps provide more basic functions like email, calendar, word processing and spreadsheets. The convenience of having access to your files from anywhere is enticing for many.

Cloud computing does have some drawbacks. You can only reach these services with an internet connection. In most settings, this isn’t an issue, but if you travel abroad, it can be a major hinderance. If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has a cap on the bandwith you can use, that can be a problem.

As computer and web technologies advance, we are going to see more computing functions going to the “cloud”. For now, any of us who have ever used Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, are already there.

I would encourage you to start taking advantage of Google Docs. It includes document and spreadsheet functions, and can be used as a primary document suite or as a backup source. Even if you don’t replace Microsoft Office with Google Docs, I would certainly use it as a backup. The only downside is Google Docs cannot currently recognize Office 2007 and Office 2008 for Mac’s new .docx  and .xlsx formats. The easy fix is to save them in the legacy .doc and .xls format (Office 97-2004).

Too many people who hire me to fix their computer have not backed up their documents. Often they don’t have much media, but they do have some very valuable Word and Excel documents. This presents me with a dilemma, because sometimes the best course of action is to wipe the hard drive clean and start over. 

Backing up frequently will save you the anxiety of losing your valuable documents. Google Docs is a free and easy way to achieve peace of mind.