Microsoft enters the Google Cloud

Well this is some good news to end the week!

Google announced this week that Google Apps users can now transfer Microsoft Office files into the Google Cloud AND you can share and edit your Microsoft docs in real time. Now, if you are not a Google Docs user then you are probably wandering what the fuss is all about. Basically, what this means is that you can now sync your Microsoft documents (excel, word & power point) so that other collaborators (that you have granted access to) can work on the same Microsoft document at the same time! It also means that you can access your Microsoft documents anywhere, any time from any computer.

Google first announced this feature last year but as of this week it is now out of beta and available for all to use.

Prior to this update, if you wanted to share a Microsoft document via your Google Docs account you had to upload the document (this is boring and takes time) and once uploaded you would lose 80% of the editing and formatting functions that are available within Microsoft programs. These two problems made the system of sharing existing Microsoft documents via the Google cloud kinda clunky and not so effective.

This technology (known as cloud computing) has been available for quite some time and Google is not the only provider. The beauty of this recent update is that I don’t need to leave my Google Apps account to store, edit and share Microsoft Docs AND I can retain the formatting and editing function offered within the Microsoft programs. Thank you Google and Microsoft.

I have been using Google Apps for the last four years and they are constantly releasing new updates but today’s news is definitely up there with the best updates of all time.