The olden days of using multiple programs to store data, lead a team efficiently, and share documents with co-workers are over. Nowadays, an organization or business (no matter how large) needs only one type of program - a cloud-based productivity suite. Cloud-based productivity suites are easy to use and manage thanks to their lack of expensive and complicated infrastructure. Everything is done within a cloud-based platform. This is both a convenient and time-saving method of delegating tasks in real-time and bringing other productivity suite users up to date. Cloud-based productivity suites enhance connectivity and communication within a business or organization by making the process of creating files, excel sheets, and documents much easier. Sharing is done in real-time and is simple enough so all users can do it quickly and efficiently. The files can be downloaded for offline access and you'll also be able to edit them without too much trouble. To use a cloud-based productivity suite, all an organization (and its employees and users) needs is an internet connection and potential training for most users. In this article, we'll be taking a look at the benefits that cloud-based software brings, as well as the solutions they employ to common problems regarding efficiency, security, and other aspects of data hosting and sharing. There are many benefits to using cloud office suites that should push a business to accept it as the industry standard of management. The term itself implies the use of features/apps such as Excel, Word, Forms, Excel Sheets, PowerPoint, and more. Office suites are packed with useful features and most use the latest technology to improve security and useful tools. Here are a couple of benefits of using cloud-based productivity software: Having to switch between apps just to use a single feature that isn't present in the main apps you're using is tedious and time-consuming. But - that's the way it was done in the past. Thankfully, the appearance of Microsoft Office and similar solutions changed that. The ability to collaborate, manage, create, edit, and share files has never been easier. And, because everything is in one place, businesses won't have to spend additional time using other solutions for perfecting their documents. Continuing from the previous points, users experience higher productivity levels thanks to the simplified process of creating documents and sharing them with the team. The less stress is involved, the more productive the businesses users are. On top of that, the collaboration on documents that occurs between a business's employees is extremely useful due to reducing the time it takes to finalize a file. Besides, the whole point of Microsoft Office and other cloud-based software is to speed up the management process. How many times have you experienced a hardware or software issue while using office suites and watched your entire work disappear in real-time? Simply put, using offline solutions for document creation is risky and not as versatile as most businesses need it to be today. Cloud saving very often and there's virtually no risk associated with working on a file. Even if the user loses their connection to the internet or the application crashes, cloud software will save and keep the latest version. Since cloud software uses the Cloud, access is pretty easy as long as there's an internet connection. Nowadays, project management can be done at any point in the day and from anywhere, enhancing the overall success of a business and its productivity. So, if an employee needs to make a quick change to a document or two, they'll be able to do that with any device that has an internet connection - even a phone! On top of that, most Office online software is capable of opening offline Office documents which further increases mobility and versatility. Because everything is saved in the cloud, the chances of someone intruding and messing with your documents are minimal. Microsoft (as one example) is a company that takes security very seriously so you can be sure that using their productivity suites is completely safe. The same can be said about the following four pieces of software whose ability to protect data, enable easy access to clients that need to oversee operations, and enable users to easily communicate with each other are unparalleled in the industry. If you have a company that's looking to expand its operations but keep its productivity and management at high levels, then any of these four software platforms will do the job. It must be said that there are no limitations within any platform; they're excellent choices for both a small business and a large one. The Microsoft Office 365 suite is arguably the best-known of the bunch, with a reputation spanning a couple of decades. This cloud platform is exceptionally easy to use and comes with a plethora of various tools needed for business and document management. Virtually all devices can be used to access Microsoft Office 365 which makes it one of the most flexible cloud apps out there. On top of that, Microsoft Office 365 is completely compatible with Windows 10 and comes standard with the operating system (if you choose the version it comes with, of course). Lastly, if you prefer using Google Docs as a collaboration and editing tool, Microsoft Office 365 and Google Docs are compatible. Overall, this is an incredibly well-designed cloud-based productivity platform that comes with a large number of tools. Google's collection of office services has enabled businesses to work online and improve their collaboration efforts. Google has done a great job creating a unified environment, filled with word processing services, data creation tools, and more. Firstly, companies get access to Google Drive which comes with 15GB of free storage or 30GB if you pay. Unless we're talking about a large business, most companies will only ever need the 15GB that comes free with Google Drive. Google Office can be accessed by any device, be it through the official apps or by using a browser. With it, users can create superb designs and documents from scratch or use one of the many presets available. Apple iWork is Apple's take on an online cloud-based productivity suite. Compared to Office, iWork is not available on all devices; instead, you'll have to use Apple devices only. This limits its mobility and versatility if a company's documents were created in any other office suite. Sadly, the once respected and popular iPhoto app has been discontinued, so it is no longer available in the iWork space. Nonetheless, the iWork platform is perfect for achieving collaboration with the employees of a business thanks to its compatibility with other Apple apps such as iScript, Keynote, and Automation. In general, keeping productivity levels high is easy with iWork. Zoho isn't quite on par with other office suites due to its somewhat outdated interface and slight lack of compatibility, but as far as cloud services are concerned, it's right there near the top. The Zoho Office Online Suite is full of useful features and services, including managing daily activities, achieving excellent collaboration with other users, boosting sales, and improving overall productivity. Users also enjoy the compatibility capabilities with Word and other Office document types. It comes with PowerPoint and Excel, allowing users to create any kind of online document without any fuss. So, as far as Zoho Office services are concerned, it's just as useful as other Office suites. With that said, it could use a refreshing update to its user interface.
What are the Benefits of Using Cloud Office Suites and Cloud Storage?
All apps and tools in one place
Less stress and more productivity
Auto-saving as a solution for the accidental loss of documents and data
Users can access cloud software at any time thanks to its mobility
Cloud-based apps are reliable and secure
The 4 Best Cloud-based Productivity Suites
1. Microsoft Office 365
2. Google Office Cloud Apps
3. Apple iWork (on iCloud)
4. Zoho Office Online Suite
