Use Google DOCS To Be More Productive!

Recently we were asked why, given that OMBNexGen has a serious case of the Google Apps religion, we never talk about how Google Apps can help with productivity. Perhaps it is just a case of taking the obvious for granted or failing to “love the one your with.” Regardless of what it is we have been remiss in writing about being more productive with Google Apps. In particular we have failed to write about how we regularly save time within our organization as well as with our clients by using Google Docs to collaborate.

Virtually every day I find that I have prepared a document that requires me to seek the assistance of someone else to edit, approve, or collaborate with. More often then not it is a client that I am working with to progress on creating or finalizing a document. Before the days of Google Docs I would send a copy of the document that I needed some assistance on in an email. Many times there were multiple people that I would send the document to. Each person that made changes and or comments would send back a copy of the revised document and I would then spend time making sure to incorporate all of those changes into a single document. While I have never attempted to herd cats, I am guessing that my old approach of incorporating multiple document changes from multiple people into one cohesive document is as close to herding cats as the real thing. Needless to say, it was often a sinkhole of wasted time.

Ever since I started using Google Docs I have stopped engaging in the cat herding approach to document version and change management. Today I prepare my document in Google Docs, I click on the option to share my document and invite the interested parties and then an email goes out to them with all the information they need to “help” me work on my document. Google Docs tracks the revisions, notifies me of changes via RSS feeds, and will even allow everyone to participate in real-time chat linked to the document that is shared. I have become so used to and dependent upon Google Docs for document collaboration that I load other peoples documents into Google Docs before I assist them with their document.

To date I have not had any clients complain about my approach for collaborative document management and I have not had to explain to them how to work with my shared Google Docs. While I don’t know that it is true, the absence of complaints or requests on how to used my shared Google Docs suggests to me that it must not be that hard to understand and use. To make sure, however, that anyone who might be interested in using Google Docs to increase their productivity and might be afraid that doing so will be as difficult as herding cats, I have included a link to a video that does a pretty good job of explaining how simple it really is! Click the play arrow to watch the video.

We would like to thank Robin Good of Masternewmedia.org for his article about Google Docs and the included video he used to say pretty much the same thing I am saying. (In today’s world of smart people it really is hard to be the first one to do anything.) I would also like to thank Lee Lefever who is the author of the video (YES I VOTED FOR YOUR VIDEO NOMINATION TOO); he is brilliant at making this whole subject so simple it seems dumb (which you would be if you are not using Google Docs to be more productive)!

CrashPlan Backup Solution

If you are looking for an online backup solution that offers the option to avoid the cost of online storage space, make sure to take a look at CrashPlan. Using a client side application backups can be made to some location other than where the data lives in its production state. For instance, if you and a friend decided that you would permit each other to store backup data on disk(s) at each other’s houses, you would need an application like CrasPlan to facilitate this.

Clear as mud, I know, but let me explain…

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POSTINI & Google Apps

POSTINI is the premier hosted email security and compliance solution. POSTINI was acquired by Google and has subsequently been integrated into the suite of solutions available within the Google Apps offering. What exactly does that mean to any organization that uses the Google Apps products? It means that enterprise grade email tools like spam filtering, virus filtering, trojan filtering, and sophisticated email compliance and archiving tools are available for Google Hosted Mail.

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PASSPACK - Online Password Manager

Over a year ago I wrote an article for TekByBob.com to talk about my use of the web application PassPack. Like most individuals in the technology profession my many clients with many applications and devices that I support, I have a “zillion” passwords and accounts to keep track of. Over the course of time as the number of passwords and accounts I had to keep track of simply was a nuisance. Occasionally it was even a disaster when memory failed me and I was unable to remember a client password.

I needed a password manager solution that was device independent, location independent, and beyond military strength secure. My search of the Internet turned up a new offering (new at that time) called PassPack. I signed up for the free beta offering from PassPack and my password management worries and problems have been eliminated. I have hundreds of passwords stored in PassPack (even if it were an invitation to the world to go and hack my password manager, which it is not, I am not worried as PassPack is the most secure web application I have ever used) and over time PassPack has morphed into not only my password manager but also my software serial number manger too. In fact now I store any piece of critical information such as CC numbers, bank account numbers, etc. I pretty much store anything that requires extreme security to control access to that data but ideally can be accessible from anywhere. PassPack is my Internet based lock-box!

Obviously data that is stored on the Internet has to be secure, particularly data that is along the lines of personal financial information. PassPack uses AES encryption along with technology that has a two stage security access model of both a password and a “Key” that releases the data stored from within the online vault. In addition Anti-Phishing is built in to the login sequences and can be customized by machine one may access PassPack from. A complete description of all of the security items used within the PassPack offering can be see here!

Since I was one of the early users of PassPack, I don’t recall exactly but I believe when I first started using PassPack it was in a Beta 1 offering. Today PassPack is in Beta 5 and a number of useful and well done features have been added. Perhaps the most useful of the additions to PassPack are the One Click login features as well as the Offline, through Google Gears, instance for that rare and likely never needed moment when you can’t access the Internet. Since I first started using PassPack, upgrades, additional features, and application robustness has continued to flow into the offering. PassPack is not a static Web2.0 toss up and lets see if it sticks application. This is truly a product that has the devotion and attention of it’s creators; it gets better and better with every Beta upgrade instance. (Thanks Tara Lyn Kelly and Francesco Sullo!)

Currently PassPack is free for the first 100 entries. In addition there is a very attractive offer for pre-paying an account in advance of their soon to be offered fee based upgrade accounts. PassPack is an incredible web application that easily ranks in my top five list! But I am not the only one who thinks so, PassPack has made the CNET list of Webware applications to be voted on as one of the best Webware applications available. Go sign up for PassPack today and don’t forget to click on the link to vote for PassPack as one of the best Webware applications. PassPack deserves it! Vote for PassPack here!

LAW.com Talks About Google Apps

Law.com has an interesting article covering the use of Internet based software, think Google Apps, as well as a great explanation of why we believe businesses should be thinking of moving their IT infrastructure to the Internet. As the article says,

“…envision a reality where your IT infrastructure actually grows smaller and easier to manage; where you can have the latest, greatest technology — without the cost or complexity of on-premise systems.”

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Hosted Google Mail News

There is a great article about “Cloud Computing” (what we call the Internet as your computer) posted on the Financial Post website. While the article covers a number of stories of how organizations are using Internet based services and or applications to achieve better IT solutions with less cost, we were particularly impressed with the $60K saved by a small Canadian company that switched to Google Hosted Email. Read more

Sunday Summary of Google News

Here is our read of the NEWS about Google Apps. (With our comments of course!) Take the time to browse through the list of articles as well as read our comments.

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MS Exchange vs. Google Hosted Email

Your IT people hate us! Moving away from Exchange is a direct threat to their entrenched job security. That is one reason you likely have not or will not hear your IT team suggest moving your email infrastructure to Google.

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Featured Poll

We are discovering that many organizations are unaware of the services available through Google Apps. Help us put some numbers to just how many of you are unaware of the service offerings from Google. Please answer our poll.

Online Shared Expense Calculator and Tracker

Conceived as an expense tracker for shared house expenses iOWEYOU can be used to share and track all common expenses for your shared home, office or other shared expense center.iOWEYOU is a free service for the first five users.

If more than five users are required, you can upgrade to iOWEYOU More for a one time fee of £19.99 ($39.75) which will allow you to register up to 20 users. The free version of iOWEYOU does display banner advertisements while the upgraded version removes the advertising, includes one year of premium support and other features to be implemented in the future like email alerts and monthly statements.

This online utility is for early adopters only. The feature set isn’t complete. But if you’re adventurous and need a way to track and recocile shared expenses, iOWEYOU is worth a look.