In the
early days of the Internet, storing
data and accessing applications
on servers located beyond the walls of our homes and offices was more science
fiction than business reality. Users dug the concept, but wouldn't dream of
getting real work done with a browser connected to the Internet.
For
many people, the browser and the computer have since merged into a single
entity. These folks no longer buy and install software. Instead, they boot up
their computer, launch their favorite browser and then access a number of
applications, hosted on servers all over the world. Their data is stored there,
too -- out in the cloud, far from the spinning platters of their hard drives.
And they're getting serious work done.
You can
be one of those people, too. You still need a computer, but you don't need to
invest in expensive software. Most cloud services -- or Web apps, as they're
sometimes called -- are free or cost a minimal monthly fee. After that, all you
need is a little knowledge about what's available. That's where this article
comes in.
On the
next several pages, we're going to explore how you can make the cloud work for
you, whether you're a small business owner, an artist, a student or just
someone looking for a cool way to connect to other like-minded individuals.
Let's start with the foundation of any good cloud computing solution -- file
storage and syncing.
That guy needs to be
freed from his desktop. The cloud can help with that.
Ingram
Publishing/Thinkstock
In the early days of
the Internet, storing data and accessing applications
on servers located beyond the walls of our homes and offices was more science
fiction than business reality. Users dug the concept, but wouldn't dream of
getting real work done with a browser connected to the Internet.
For many people, the browser and the computer
have since merged into a single entity. These folks no longer buy and install
software. Instead, they boot up their computer, launch their favorite browser
and then access a number of applications, hosted on servers all over the world.
Their data is stored there, too -- out in the cloud, far from the spinning
platters of their hard drives. And they're getting serious work done.
You can be one of those people, too. You still
need a computer, but you don't need to invest in expensive software. Most cloud services -- or Web apps, as they're
sometimes called -- are free or cost a minimal monthly fee. After that, all you
need is a little knowledge about what's available. That's where this article
comes in.
On the next several pages, we're going to
explore how you can make the cloud work for you, whether you're a small
business owner, an artist, a student or just someone looking for a cool way to
connect to other like-minded individuals. Let's start with the foundation of
any good cloud computing solution -- file storage and syncing.
With cloud-based file
storage and syncing , you're actually renting a tiny portion of a server owned
by a service provider. You still have a PC, or five, but you install some code
that watches for new files to appear in a designated folder. When they do, the
code initiates an automatic sync, which uploads the new data over your Internet
connection to your little piece of the provider's servers and then downloads it
to all connected PCs. Most providers also have developed mobile apps, so you
can access these files on your tablet and phone.
The great thing about cloud storage is that it
backs up your data outside of your home or office, which is especially handy
if, say, a house fire consumes your PC.
Dropbox and SugarSync are two popular file
storage and syncing providers, but you can find dozens of solutions, including
some hosted by big-name technology brands: Amazon (Cloud Drive), Google (Google
Drive) and Microsoft (SkyDrive). Most provide some storage -- 5 gigabytes, say
-- for free and then charge a fee based on how much additional storage you use.
In the
early days of the Internet, project
collaboration looked
like this: You created a file on your computer. Then you attached that file to
an e-mail and sent it to a group of people for review. They each downloaded the
attachment, made edits and sent it back. You were stuck with multiple versions
of the file and the unenviable task of merging all the comments.
Collaboration
sites can eliminate these frustrations. Multiple people can share these virtual
workspaces, regardless of their location. Typically, an
administrator sets up the account and then invites users to join. He or she can
assign people specific roles, which limits what they can do and what
information they can access while they're in the space.
Most
good collaboration sites offer a core set of functions that enable team members
to communicate, exchange ideas and share files without relying on e-mail. The
best sites streamline file versioning and scheduling and allow users to
initiate discussions about any aspect of a project. When used effectively, a
collaboration site functions as a comprehensive archive of all related project
work.
Basecamp,
from 37signals, is one of the best-known. It's been around for several years
and offers a robust set of tools. Onehub is another interesting option,
allowing companies to set up secure, cloud-hosted portals that can be used to
share, preview, discuss and edit documents or other large files.
Digital
cameras and recorders were supposed to revolutionize how we dealt with our
photos and videos. Instead, we ended up with files spread across media cards,
laptops, flash drives, external drives, CDs, tablets and phones.
The
cloud, in the form of a photo or video management site, can rescue you from the
madness. As with a file storage solution, all of your media files live on an
external server. In fact, you can use most file-storage sites to back up and
synchronize photos and videos, but they're not made to tag your content with
useful information, or share them easily with friends and family. Purpose-built
video and photo sites can do all of this and more. Most
feature drag-and-drop capabilities, which make it easy to move files from a
device to the cloud. Once your image or clip is online, you can add keywords,
organize it into albums or
galleries and then
share it with a click of your mouse.
Popular
photo sites include Flickr, Shutterfly and Snapfish. Serious photographers will
want to check out SmugMug or Zenfolio. These feature-rich sites charge
membership fees, but they give far more control to users with thousands of
images and hefty space requirements.
On the
video side, of course there's YouTube, which receives 72 hours of content a
minute from filmographers all over the world [source: Larson].
If you fancy yourself the next Martin Scorsese, then consider Vimeo, which
offers a solid feature set, including password-protected videos, yet tends to
serve a smaller crowd of film enthusiasts.
Photos
and graphics can enhance just about any form of communication, right? Yet
creating really good images is easier said than done. In recent years,
cloud-based drawing and painting programs have made this process much less
onerous. There are two basic types of services: those that allow you to create
line art, such as flowcharts and wireframes, and those that allow you to edit
photos from your camera or favorite stock imagery site.
Getting
started usually entails a quick registration and perhaps a video tutorial or
two. Almost all provide a free service that buys a small amount of storage and
a limited number of images and export options. Upgrade to a premium service,
and you can get the whole caboodle -- unlimited storage space and images, and
more flexible export options, such as the ability to save in PNG, JPEG, SVG or
PDF formats.
Most online
drawing and painting sites provide the same basic features and tools as more
powerful desktop applications. For example, Gliffy, an online diagramming
service, echoes the experience of Microsoft Visio. You can draw basic shapes,
order and align them, apply colors, add text and experiment with certain
special effects. When you're done with a diagram, you can embed and share your
work via social media or invite others to view and comment.
Online photo editors like Pixlr behave a lot like Adobe
Photoshop. They allow you to crop images, adjust color characteristics and mask
out backgrounds or foregrounds. And then they make sharing a snap. With Pixlr,
you can save edited images to your desktop, to the company's servers or to Facebook,
Flickr and Picasa.
As your
digital universe expands, you accumulate friends, followers and fanatics who
love to visit your site and comment on your blog. Cloud-based services have
emerged as viable alternatives for freelancers, small businesses or anyone
looking to manage their growing list of contacts, a process sometimes known asCRM,
or customer relationship
management. If you want to experiment with one of these
services, you'll have to invest some up-front time getting your contacts loaded
into the system.
Where
they really shine is how well they integrate with other popular Web
applications. For example, they let you import and consolidate all of your
contacts from the likes of Gmail, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MailChimp. Once you have
the contact database populated, you can add tags and other relevant
information, then sort, segment and filter to understand who you know and how
they relate to each other. Even more helpful, especially if you're running a business,
you can keep track of conversations, set up reminders to follow up, attach
e-mails or assign task lists to yourself or to team members.
If
you're already using a Web-based e-mail system, such as Gmail, then you probably have access to a
modest contact manager. But if you want to do some serious CRM, then you'll
need to graduate to something more robust. Many people consider Salesforce to
be the gold standard in CRM solutions, although it's overkill for most small
business owners. Other options include Highrise, from the makers of Basecamp,
and Batchbook. Both of these offer a free trial but no free service plans.
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