Google has introduced technology to allow users to
edit online documents offline.
The announcement marks a step forward in
cloud computing, an alternative to having local servers or
personal devices handling users' applications by sharing computing
resources.
Some businesses have been reluctant to use online applications
because of concerns that work may be lost if connections fail.
"Cloud computing is great, but you need the cloud to make it
work. On an aeroplane, on the shuttle commuting to work, or at home
when my cable modem goes down, I want to work on my documents. And,
until now, that usually meant saving a copy and editing on the
desktop," said Philip Tucker, software engineer at Google Docs.
"With Google Docs offline (powered by Google Gears), I can take
my little piece of the cloud with me wherever I go. Once enabled, I
have a local version of my document list and editors, along with my
documents," said Tucker.
As long users have an internet connection, every change they
make is saved to the cloud. When the connection is lost, users lose
some features, but can still access documents.
The initial release allows offline editing of word processing
documents. Google plans to expand the service to support offline
access to presentations or spreadsheets.
Users will be able to work on documents created at
docs.google.com offline. Any changes to the document will
automatically sync up to the online version from the offline
version, which is stored locally on the user's PC.
Users download a browser plug-in called
Google Gears. Gears is open
source, and any developer can build their web applications to work
with it, said Google.