Google Docs Bridge Mobile And Cloud Computing

Google apps

Google's announcement Tuesday that people will soon have the ability to upload any type of file and access it through Google Docs could bridge the gap between computers, mobile computing and the cloud.

Accessing your work, personal or school files no longer requires a connection to office, home or university network. Nor do you need to carry around a thumb drive or email the files to yourself.

During the next couple of weeks, Google will give Google Apps users the ability to easily upload and share any type of file using Google Docs from any Web-enabled computer. It will enable marketing and advertising agencies to quickly share documents with clients, especially small companies with minimal resources.

Aiming the cloud service at students and businesses, Google will allow people to store up to 1GB in the clouds, a market segment that ABI Research pegs at driving more than $5.2 billion in revenue by 2015.

ABI suggests that mobile applications, particularly those that require integrating enterprise data, will have the most success. The research firm points to Google and Microsoft as companies that are influencing the move. Mobile operators have the most to gain through offers of cloud services as companies tap into their networks, applications, and data centers.

Long-term, moving past cellular-connected devices such as smartphones and laptops and into netbooks and smartbooks will expand the use of cloud services.

As for businesses, Forrester Research recommends that application development professionals embrace cloud as an emerging platform in 2010. In fact, the recommendation sits in the No. 1 spot on a top five-point list.

Google says it will combine with shared folders in Google Docs to give people the opportunity to search for files, as well as work, edit and save documents in the clouds without having to download them to a computer.

The push into the clouds also includes releasing a premier edition. Google Apps Premier Edition will give people additional storage for $3.50 per GB per year, or 3.00 Euro per GB per year in European countries.

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