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CLOU D COMPUTING
Web-Based Applications That Change
the Way You Work and Collaborate Online
Michael Miller
f—II m ® 80° Eas t 9 6 t h Street, • r * » * Indianapolis, Indiana 46240
Table of Contents Introduction 1
How This Book Is Organized 2
Conventions Used in This Book 3 Web Page Addresses 3 Cloud Services 3 Special Elements 3
Л Let Me Know What You Think 4 Part I: Understanding Cloud Computing
1 Beyond the Desktop: An Introduction to Cloud Computing 7 Cloud Computing: What It Is—and What It Isn't 8
What Cloud Computing Isn't 8 What Cloud Computing Is 9
From Collaboration to the Cloud: A Short History of Cloud Computing 11 Client/Server Computing: Centralized Applications and Storage 11 Peer-to-Peer Computing: Sharing Resources 12 Distributed Computing: Providing More Computing Power 13 Collaborative Computing: Working as a Group 14 Cloud Computing: The Next Step in Collaboration 15
The Network Is the Computer: How Cloud Computing Works 15 Understanding Cloud Architecture 16 Understanding Cloud Storage 18 Understanding Cloud Services 18
Companies in the Cloud: Cloud Computing Today 19
Why Cloud Computing Matters 20
2 Are You Ready for Computing in the Cloud? 23
The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing 24 Cloud Computing: Advantages 24 Cloud Computing: Disadvantages 28
Who Benefits from Cloud Computing? 30 Collaborators 30 Road Warriors 31 Cost-Conscious Users 32
Table of Contents v
Cost-Conscious IT Departments 32 Users with Increasing Needs 33
Who Shouldn't Be Using Cloud Computing? 33 The Internet-Impaired 33
Offline Workers 33 The Security Conscious 34 Anyone Married to Existing Applications 34
3 Developing Cloud Services 37
Why Develop Web-Based Applications? 38
The Pros and Cons of Cloud Service Development 38 Advantages of Cloud Development 39
Disadvantages of Cloud Development 39
Types of Cloud Service Development 40 Software as a Service 40 Platform as a Service 41
Web Services 41 On-Demand Computing 41
Discovering Cloud Services Development Services and Tools 42 Amazon 42 Google App Engine 43 IBM 44 Salesforce.com 45
Other Cloud Services Development Tools 45 Part II: Cloud Computing for Everyone
4 Cloud Computing for the Family 51
Centralizing Email Communications <%, 52
Collaborating on Schedules 53
Collaborating on Grocery Lists 54
Collaborating on To-Do Lists 54
Collaborating on Household Budgets 55
Collaborating on Contact Lists 56
Collaborating on School Projects 57
Sharing Family Photos , 58
vi Cloud Computing
5 Cloud Computing for the Community 61
Communicating Across the Community 62
Collaborating on Schedules 62
Sports Team Schedules , 62 School Schedules 64 Community Group Schedules 64 Event Schedules and Management 64
Collaborating on Group Projects and Events 65 Collaborating on To-Do Lists 65
•^ Collaborating on Task Management 66 Collaborating on Event Management 66 Collaborating on Event Marketing 67 Collaborating on Budgets 67
6 Cloud Computing for the Corporation 71
Managing Schedules 72
Managing Contact Lists 73
Managing Projects 74
Collaborating on Reports 75
Collaborating on Marketing Materials 76
Collaborating on Expense Reports 76
Collaborating on Budgets 77
Collaborating on Financial Statements 78
Collaborating on Presentations 78
Presenting on the Road 79
Accessing Documents on the Road 80 Part III: Using Cloud Services
7 Collaborating on Calendars, Schedules, and Task Management 85
Exploring Online Calendar Applications 86 Google Calendar 86 Yahoo! Calendar 88
Windows Live Calendar 89 Apple MobileMe Calendar 90 AOL Calendar 91
CalendarHub 91 Hunt Calendars , 92
Table of Contents vii
Famundo 93 eStudio Calendar 94 30Boxes 95 Trumba 95
Calendars Net 96 Jotlet 96
Exploring Online Scheduling Applications 97
Jiffle 97 Presdo 98
Diarised 99 Windows Live Events 99 Schedulebook 100 Acuity Scheduling 100
AppointmentQuest 101 hitAppoint 101
Exploring Online Planning and Task Management 101
iPrioritize 101 Bla-Blaüst 102 Hiveminder 102 Remember the Milk 102
Ta-daList 103 TuduList 103 TaskTHIS 103 Vitalist 103
TracksLife 103 Voo2Do 103 HiTask 104 Zoho Planner * v , 104
8 Collaborating on Event Management 107
Understanding Event Management Applications 108
Event Planning and Workflow Management 108 Event Marketing 108 Event Calendar 109
Facilities Scheduling 109 Advance Registration 109 Payment Processing 110
Travel Management 110 Housing Management 110
v i i i Cloud Comput ing
Onsite Registration 110
Contact Management 110
Budget Management 111
Post-Event Reporting and Analysis 111
Exploring Event Management Applications I l l
123 Signup I l l
Acteva 112
Conference.com 113
Cvent : 115
Event Wax 116
eventsbot 116
RegOniine , 117
Setdot 118
Tendenci 118
9 Col laborat ing on Contact Management 121
Understanding Contact Management and CRM 122
All About Contact Management 122
All About CRM 123
Exploring Contact Management and CRM Applications 124
Salesforce.com 124
bConnections 126
BigContacts 127
eStudio Contact Manager 127
Highrise , 128
Apple MobileMe Contacts 128
MyEvents 130
Plaxo . 130
People Matrix 131
PipelineDeals 131
SalesBoom 132
SalesJunction.com 132
SalesNexus 132
ZohoCRM 133
10 Collaborating on Project Management 137
Understanding Project Management 138
Exploring Project Management Applications 139
@task 139
AceProject 140
Table of Contents ix
Basecamp 141
Copper Project 142
eStudio TaskTracker 142
onProject 142
Project Drive 143
Vertabase 143
Wrike 143
Zoho Projects 143
11 Col laborat ing on Word Processing 147
How Web-Based Word Processing Works 148
Benefits of Web-Based Word Processors 148
Should You Use a Web-Based Word Processor? 149
Exploring Web-Based Word Processors 150
Google Docs 151
Adobe Buzzword 154
ajaxWrite 155
Docly 156
Glide Write 156
iNetWord 157
KBdocs 158
Peepel WebWriter 159
ThinkFree Write 159
WriteBoard 160
Zoho Writer 161
12 Collaborating on Spreadsheets 165
How Web-Based Spreadsheets Work 166
Benefits of Web-Based Spreadsheets .-» 166
Should You Use a Web-Based Spreadsheet? 166
Exploring Web-Based Spreadsheets 168
Google Spreadsheets 168
EditGrid 172
eXpresso 173
Glide Crunch 173
Num Sum 174
Peepel WebSheet 175
Sheetster 176
ThinkFree Calc 176
Zoho Sheet 178
x Cloud Computing
13 Collaborating on Databases 181
Understanding Database Management 182 How Databases Work 182 How Online Databases Work 182
Exploring Web-Based Databases 183 Blist 183 Cebase 185
Dabble DB 185 Lazybase 186 MyWebDB 187
QukkBase 188 TeamDesk 189 Trackvia 189 Zoho Creator 190 Zoho DB & Reports 191
14 Collaborating on Presentations 195
Preparing Presentations Online 196
Evaluating Web-Based Presentation Applications 196
BrinkPad , 197 Empressr 197 Google Presentations 198 Preezo 200 Presentation Engine 200 PreZentit 202 SlideRocket 202 ThinkFree Show 203 Thumbstacks 204 Zoho Show 205
15 Storing and Sharing Files and Other Online Content 207
Understanding Cloud Storage 208
What Is Cloud Storage? 208 Why Use Cloud Storage? 208 Risks of Storing Data in the Clouds 209
Evaluating Online File-Storage and-Sharing Services 210 Amazon S3 210 Egnyte 210 ElephantDrive 211
Table of Contents
Microsoft Office Live Workspace 211 Mosso 212
myDataBus 212 Nirvanix 212 steekR 213
Windows Live SkyDrive 213
Exploring Online Bookmarking Services 214
Blinküst 215 ClipClip 215
Clipmarks 216
del.icio.us 216 Feedmarker 217 SharedCopy 217 Tagseasy 217 Yahoo! MyWeb 218
Sharing Digital Photographs 221
Exploring Online Photo-Editing Applications 222 Adobe Photoshop Express 222 FotoFlexer 224 Picnik 224
Picture2Life 225 Pikifx 226 Preloadr 226 Phixr 227
Pixenate 228 Snipshot 228
Exploring Photo-Sharing Communities % 229 Apple MobileMe Gallery 230 dotPhoto 230 DPHOTO 230 Flickr 231 Fotki 232 MyPhotoAlbum 232
Photobucket 232 Picasa Web Albums 233
Pixagogo 233 PictureTrail 233 SmugMug 233
xii Cloud Computing
WebShots 233
Zenfolio 234
Zoto 234
17 Controlling It All with Web-Based Desktops 235
Understanding Web-Based Desktops 236
Evaluating Web-Based Desktops 236
ajaxWindows 237 Deskjump .. 237 Desktoptwo 238
*** eyeOS 238 g.ho.st ...239 Glide 240 Nivio 240 StartForce 241 YouOS 242
Part IV: Outside the Cloud: Other Ways to Collaborate Online 245
18 Collaborating via Web-Based Communication Tools 247
Evaluating Web Mail Services 248 Gmail 248 Yahoo! Mail 250 Windows Live Hotmail 251
Apple MobileMe Mail 251
OtherWeb Mail Services 252
Evaluating Instant Messaging Services 253 AOL Instant Messenger 254 Google Talk 255 ICQ 256
Windows Live Messenger 256 Yahoo! Messenger 257
Evaluating Web Conferencing Tools 257
Adobe Acrobat Connect 259 Convenos Meeting Center 260 Genesys Meeting Center 260
Glance 260 IBM Lotus Sametime 261 Microsoft Office Live Meeting 261 Persony Web Conferencing 261
Table of Contents xiii
Pixion PictureTalk 261 WebEx 262 Yugma 262 Zoho Meeting 263
19 Collaborating via Social Networks and Groupware 265 Creating Groups on Social Networks 265
Facebook 267 MySpace 268 Other Web Groups 269
Evaluating Online Groupware 269 AirSet 270 ContactOffice 270 Google Sites 271 Huddle 272 Nexo 272 OpenTeams 273 ProjectSpaces , 274 teamspace 274
20 Collaborating via Blogs and Wikis 277 Evaluating Blogs for Collaboration 277
Blogger , 278 TypePad 281 WordPress 281
Evaluating Wikis for Collaboration 281 PBwiki 282 Versionate ^ 282 wiki host.org У, 282 Wikispaces 283 Zoho Wiki 283
Index 285