Tag Archives: Google Docs

09.24.12
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Is your Business ready for the Cloud?


For some, the term is wildly nebulous. Not long ago, even Oracle’s Larry Ellison publicly asked what the heck people meant by “the cloud.” For others, cloud computing instantly raises concerns about security and reliability.

Do you know what Does Cloud Computing really Mean?

For decades, engineers have drawn a cloud to depict a network (such as the Internet) whose inner workings were unknown to them. From there, cloud computing evolved as a term to describe free or subscription-based services delivered in real time over the Internet. We queried dozens of small businesses about the cloud services they use, and why they use them. Among the most popular services were these:

  • Google Apps ($50 per user per year) and Google Docs (free) are offerings from the Google cloud empire. Google Apps is a business-class version of Google Docs and includes souped-up Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs (for word processing, spreadsheet, presentations and forms) components along with administration capabilities.
  • Box.net (free for 1GB of storage; $10 for an individual plan; $15 monthly for three or more users) is an online workspace service for file sharing and collaboration.
  • QuickBooks Online ($10 to $35 per month), unlike QuickBooks installed on PCs, makes collaboration easy across a small team.
  • Skype is popular for its free video chats as well as for the low-cost calls to landline and cell phones that it makes possible.
  • Highrise for CRM and Basecamp for project management ($24 to $149 per month each, depending on the level of service you choose) both come from 37 signals. A number of small businesses we contacted recommended these services for their feature sets and ease of use.

Bright side of Cloud Computing

Cloud-based services can help small businesses dramatically reduce their software and other computing costs. Storing files on a secure, reliable, cloud-based service helps eliminate backup worries and gives you anytime access to your files.

Usually, cloud-based services are simple to use—the only things you need are a computer (or in some cases, a mobile handset), a browser, and an Internet connection. And such services require no maintenance from the user.

The Cloud’s Dark Side

The biggest misgiving that most businesses have about the cloud involves security. They said that their biggest worries about cloud computing were, in descending order, security, availability, and performance.

It’s not difficult to find instances of security breaches in cloud computing, of course. On the other hand, you can’t entirely eliminate risk from any computing environment. Intruders may hack into files stored on your business’s own servers or hard drives. Hard drives may fail. Unencrypted information stored on laptops may lead to identity theft or lawsuits when the laptops go missing.

Here are some other commonly cited concerns about cloud computing:

  • Privacy: How much data are cloud companies like Google collecting about you, and how might that information be used?
  • Availability: Will your cloud service go down unexpectedly, leaving you without access to critical customer records, e-mail, or other information for hours or more? Gmail outages are widely reported, but Salesforce.com and other well-established services have gone dark on occasion, too.
  • Data loss: Some online storage sites have shut down abruptly, sending users scrambling to recover their data, sometimes with only 24 hours’ notice. And T-Mobile Sidekick users were unhappy to discover that their personal data had been erased from their devices–especially when Microsoft said that the data loss was irrevocable. (A few days later, Microsoft announced that it had recovered most of the data.)
  • Data mobility and ownership: Will you be able to share data between different cloud services? If you decide to stop using a cloud service, can you get all of your data back? What format will it be in? How can you be certain that the cloud service will destroy all of your data once you’ve severed ties with it?
  • Tool robustness: Cloud-based tools frequently aren’t as powerful as software applications. Google Docs, for instance, lacks a number of features that Microsoft Office has had for years, such as the ability to track changes in a text file.

At Stellar Phoenix, we want to improve your backup strategy, not fix it. And we believe that the safest way to store your data is through a multi-layered strategy involving multiple storage locations and real-time backups. But should disaster strike anyway, you can trust Stellar Phoenix to recover your data and help you get back to business.

trusted data recovery solutions

  • Call us at 1-855-BY-STELLAR (297 8355) or click here to complete a service request form.
  • You may also visit our website directly to learn more about our capabilities.

We stand behind our service to you. Let Stellar Phoenix be your go-to source whenever you have data retrieval challenges.

Source: PC World

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