This week the Bella Buzz podcast gets into the tools and technologies that can be classified using the term "cloud computing." Cloud computing moves the application or software off of the desktop and places it onto the internet where users interact completely through a web browser. This technology has proven to be a very efficient and affordable way to ensure that companies have access to information wherever there is an internet connection.
The transition to cloud computing has been a slow but steady one as applications are built that can compete with the desktop apps in terms of performance. Microsoft's Office suite with Outlook, Word, and Excel can be replicated entirely on line through the Google Apps engine which is where Joe has transitioned all of his email and documents.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the second crash of the Outlook PST file. Another option needed to be explored and that lead to using Google Apps for the company document systems. This allowed ultimately for Fluid Media to go to a virtual environment where there is no longer a physical office address with a networked server set up to share information within the company. With a cloud computing setup, employees work from a remote office and access and collaborate on proposals, presentations, any type of document on the web.
Desiree uses the Google presentation application which is like Powerpoint, and can make the presentation via an internet connection on the spot.
Two common concerns among those considering whether to use cloud applications are usability and security. Usability continues to improve as features are updated and added bringing them closer and closer to the same user experience as the Office products. You will still find a bit of adjustment to using them, but over time they become minor. The security issue is truly the crux of the transition to more cloud based activity.
If cloud based applications are going to become the prevalent form of computing in the future, it is going to take diligence on the part of the providers regarding security. The minute there is a breach of trust or a significant breakdown in protection of documents that are in the cloud .. the entire category could break down. New adopters will be slow to come, large corporations will be hesitant and suspicious, and we will see a complete reversal of this trend. With this in mind, it is fair to say that the focus for any company providing cloud based services is security.
There can be some confusion over which version of Google apps we are discussing. What was once called Google Apps for Domains is a service that allows for mapping a domain main name to an account. This provides a company with the ability to manage access, sharing rules, and sets up the account so that emails appear from the company's domain email address rather than the generic Gmail address. Something that Desiree echoes as being extremely important for maintaining a business brand.
The future of the adoption of web based computing can be foretold in announcements about Google Wave and the Chrome operating system.
Desiree has had tremendous results from using Salesforce as a CRM (customer relationship management) tool. She is able to manage her business leads to ensure that the proper team member handles the communication, follows up with the contact or numerous other ways to manage a customer through this cloud-based technology.
GoToMyPC is a great tool for those who need access to a remote computer. It may not necessarily be cloud computing by definition, but it's a great way to stay completely synched up with documents no matter what machine you are on. Basecamp is a related project management tool that can help clients through a long development process. Desiree's clients love the fact that they know exactly what to expect during a project by using this tool to collaborate and set up a timeline that can be shared by everyone involved in a Bella Web Design project.
Jungledisk is a service that will allow you to back up data to the Amazon S3 service so that you have a backup tool in the cloud, especially if you have large files to work with like photos, podcasts, video files etc.. Could computing doesn't necessarily have to be apps in the cloud, it can simply be using the massive amount of storage capacity that is available to you.
How about you? Have you moved to the cloud or simply considering it? Drop us a note in the comments to let us know how you feel about the future of cloud computing.
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