There is an ongoing trend in the office workspace. This trend removes some the chains that bind users to desktop applications on their workstations. User interfaces and overall functionality of web-based applications continue to develop. The reliability of applications that run in the cloud continues to improve. Software as a Service (SaaS) applications have become a viable option for businesses. For example, it has been said that 80% of Microsoft Word users only leverage 20% of the available features in the application. These users do not require a full-blown desktop application to manage their word processing needs. A less costly, yet compatible solution could better meet their requirements without paying for parts of a product that they do not need.
Google Docs has emerged as an easy to use, ubiquitous alternative to the equivalent desktop applications [See Figure 1]. Microsoft has countered with Office Live which represents their online office productivity suite [See Figure 2]. So far, both Google Docs and Office Live provide interfaces for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation slide decks [See Figure 3-8]. For Microsoft, this means Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. For Google, this means the ability to import from (and export to) Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Google Docs also allows the user to save documents in PDF and OpenOffice formats.
Workers who are inclined to take their work home with them can now leave it in the cloud. No more emailing large files between home and work or saving to CD or USB flash drives for transport. Wherever they are when they log into Google Docs or Office Live, their work if they chose to store it on these host servers, can be available to them. This reduces the need for a VPN or web application allowing file access to the office as well. They can collaborate on documents simply by assigning permissions and sharing the URL at these hosted services. They can even restrict access to their hosted documents to read-only for other users.
For some enterprises, moving to a SaaS model for their office applications will provide cost savings for the company and an increase in productivity and convenience for their users. Office Live and Google Docs represent the two primary solutions for businesses to test.