Cloud Computing

           Cloud Computing is changing the way we communicate with one another. This network in the clouds enables multiple people to share and edit documents and other resources through an electricity grid. Cloud computing is a much more efficient way of editing documents and presentations because it allows users to go on at any time, on any computer, and view the material, edit it, and save it. Then the next person can go on and do their share of work all without having to send an unnecessary amount of emails to multiple people with a new attachment (and unclear revisions) every time someone has touched the file. Cloud computing also ensures the protection of your work in the event that an application should unexpectedly quit or a hard drive crashes. With this type of network, your work is saved through the browser and can therefore be accessed from any computer, removing the dependency of having to use just your personal computer to open saved files. The best part of using these sites, like Google Docs, is that they’re free, unlike Microsoft Word and other programs, and their easy to use because they resemble such programs you may already be familiar with, again, like Microsoft Word.

            Personally, I think cloud computing in general is beneficial to everyone in all sorts of careers. This may be more-so true for business offices but no matter where you work or whom you work for you will need to be able to communicate efficiently with your co-workers. In my field of telecommunications, which relies heavily on accurate communication, using a program such as Google Docs would allow us to get information to each other very quickly especially in cases where I may be on location somewhere reporting or in another state doing work. Yes, you can access your email from any computer and send attachments, but with Google Docs multiple people could be working on a document at one time and you can see exactly what they’re editing as they go. This way you can get things done faster instead of sitting around anticipating the email from your boss with that new revised attachment that took seemingly forever for him or her to get done. When I get out into the business world and begin working in field of study I hope that cloud computing is being taken advantage of, and if not, I’ll just introduce it to my co-workers myself.

            Since I feel like Google Docs is a great example of the advantages of cloud computing, I thought this video, entitled "Introducing a New Google Docs" was very appropriate to share. It talks about the features of this program as well as some new improvements they have made to it, to make it even more efficient.  For example, the comment system on Google Docs makes it easy for someone to add, reply, or move comments around within the document for everyone who is working on it to see. Also, collaboration happens in real time, you do not have to refresh the page to see what others are typing. The video also explains the improvements it has made to the other applications on Google Docs such as the spreadsheets and drawing capabilities.