Microsoft just launched Windows 7. Sitting behind everything we do on our PCs, Windows 7 is an example of what techies call an “operating system”. But Windows 7 is actually quietly revolutionary. It breaks a decades-long trend of packing in more with each release – it is actually less bulky than its predecessor. As we increasingly conduct our lives and businesses online as opposed to on our computer’s desktop software packages, we’re not interested in the bloat any more. Less is more.
Google, the giants of online computing, recently announced their own take on Internet Explorer, the world’s most popular web browser. Called Chrome, it acts more like the software we use on our PCs, in that it is fast and doesn’t “hang up” or crash as much as other web browsers. Furthermore, Google has a forthcoming operating system of its own. Also called Chrome, it is plainly meant to “play nicely” with the Chrome browser, as part of a clear push to make “booting up” basically mean “going online”.
Actually, the idea of using software over the internet isn’t new. Most of us have Hotmail or Yahoo! email accounts, logging in to read our email from any PC. Right up to the world’s biggest businesses, online software has made big inroads: the runaway success of Salesforce.com, which provides customer relationship management (CRM) software to companies globally via the internet, is a case in point.
But recently, so much software is moving online that it really does look like a sea change is coming. Why have CDs if you can stream music from a virtual library faster than you can play it? Why keep bulky copies of your photos on a PC hard disk when an online library will keep them all safe and give you access from any computer or your phone? Why email your friends individually to arrange a party when Facebook can do it all in one go, and tell you who says they’re coming too?
It goes further. Whereas until relatively recently there was no real threat to Microsoft in business, now it is possible to set your complete company up online. For Word and Excel, there is Google Docs – online word processing and spreadsheets – as part of Google’s Apps for Business offering. These packages have most of the features of their offline predecessors, but are completely online. As such, they have a really notable advantage: You can do things collaboratively, in real time. You can share.
The first time I worked through figures on an online spreadsheet with a client, both making changes that were instantly reflected on the other person’s screen, was a real “eureka!” moment for both of us. Why work offline, emailing multiple versions of things backwards and forwards, when you can have one master copy and work together on it? When all your stakeholders can share one calendar, task list or contact package, why use individual desktop versions?
For any business that has clients who can’t come and visit their offices, or that has freelancers who work remotely, collaborative online working makes real sense. Using such software, businesses can set up projects, give their staff and freelancers access to them, offer their clients access too, and set milestones for all parties – uploading files, sending messages, working on discussion documents and “getting the job done” all in one place.
Of course there are some things that are still best kept offline. Not many accountants use online packages, despite the high level of security today. And online software still can’t match the speed and complexity of the best offline packages in areas like music and video production, programming and computer-aided design.
There’s also the issue of collaboration between packages. Offline packages are good at “talking” to each other. There is no real leader in online software as yet, and its very nature means the best things often come from small, new companies. Strides are being made, but this kind of inter-dependency is not as advanced as in the offline world yet.
While much online software is free (Google’s offerings, notably, can nearly all be used for nothing), many such services charge monthly or annual subscriptions. Get caught up in the heat of it, especially in business, and it can start to cost you a hefty whack each month.
But overall, in today’s world of fast internet and increased collaboration, there is a palpable feeling that software-as-a-service – always online, always “just there”, always social – has already won the war. It’s just a matter of time before it finally reaches those who still get the internet down a copper cable – and the over 40s!
by Phil Morse. This article first appeared in Essential magazine.
