October 13, 2008 By Elaine Rundle
Imagine accessing documents from any computer with an Internet connection and not worrying about misplacing a USB flash drive or hauling around a laptop. Web sites have emerged that allow just that, with the added bonus of document storage, collaboration and sharing without the hassle of e-mail attachments. Not only can users free themselves from hard drives, they also can work together on documents in real time.
Online document management sites -- Acrobat.com, Google Docs and Microsoft Office Live Workspace -- allow seamless partnership among programs similar to the ones used every day by government agencies. They can provide cost savings, collaboration, document creation and storage, and eliminate the need for portable storage devices. The sites let users access documents from any computer with an Internet connection and a standard browser without downloading anything.
"The drivers of moving online are: I want to access this stuff from two different machines, I want all of my things searchable or I want to share them with a set of people," said Jonathan Rochelle, project manager of spreadsheets for Google Docs. "We're finding that institutions are finding it easier to share, which is a much more relevant action within a group these days."
D.C. Deploys Google
The District of Columbia was planning to spend $4 million on a new intranet deployment but killed that project and launched Google Apps, a suite of Web-hosted collaboration services, such as Google Docs, Google Talk (an instant messaging and voice over internet protocol tool) and Gmail.
This move saved the district more than $3.5 million.
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Based off of discussions of the Digital Communities Large Jurisdiction Chief Information Officer (CIO) Working Group, this white paper aims to answer the question, "In today's economic, political and business environment, what constitutes a successful relationship between government and industry?" Cause for Optimism identifies and clarifies the issues that separate government and industry, and begins to find an answer to the question necessary for both to enjoy a successful and prosperous future.
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