One of the big disadvantages to using
cloud-based office apps is that you have to be connected to the Internet to use
them.
Well, Google took care of that issue today.
At its annual Google I/O developers
conference on Thursday, Google announced that it is adding the ability to work
offline to Google Docs, the company's cloud-based office apps.
That means people working on shared
documents will be able to do their work offline and then when they are back
online, their document will automatically sync up with the cloud.
Such offline capability could be handy for
people who might need to work while travelling by plane without wireless
Internet access, as well as for people who need to keep working when the
network goes down.
Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel
Consulting Group, said this is a good move for Google Docs but he's not sure
why it took Google so long to do it.
"Offline access is something that
Google should have made a priority and delivered before now," Old said.
"Web access isn't nearly as ubiquitous as some might think and being able
to do useful work offline is critical to most business people."
Google has been embroiled in a competition
with Microsoft, which also has been pushing cloud-based apps for the
enterprise. Microsoft, which has an obvious foothold in the enterprise with its
Office software, has taken those apps to the cloud with its Office 365 suite.
Both companies are going after the
lucrative enterprise market and they're using office-related applications to
help them get there.
Olds said adding offline capabilities to
Google Docs could boost Google's enterprise efforts. "The lack of offline
use was certainly a big stumbling block for many potential Google Docs business
users," he added. "Now that they have it, Google might see adoption
pick up a bit over time."
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web
2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld.
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