Introduction to the Browser Operating System

The two powerhouses of web browsing are in the midst of new versions. Firefox 3 is now officially released, and Internet Explorer 8 is in Beta - slated for release later this year. There’s also been alot of talk on the Internet lately about the shift toward the “browser operating system”. Basically this discussion is about moving from using software that resides on your computer (like Microsoft Word), to software that resides on an Internet server (like Google Docs) and you access through your web browser. Web applications have many advantages over their desktop based counterparts, including collaboration and the availability of your files anywhere with Internet access. But should your business make the move to web based software?

In this web based software “space,” one of the most important and widely used pieces of software is the office suite. Up to this point most of us have been tied to the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Sure, there have always been alternatives, but for the longest time every document you sent electronically needed to be in .doc format for everyone to be able to read and edit it. But now in the world of the browser operating system, there are web based alternatives that can read and save .doc files.

One such product is the Google Docs office suite. This product allows you to create and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. I use Google Docs occasionally to edit, store, and share documents and spreadsheets. It’s great because two or more people can edit the document at the same time and watch changes as they happen. You can even chat with each other as you work on the document. Then, when you are finished, the document remains on the Google servers where you can access and work on it later from any computer with an Internet connection. One of it’s best features however is cost - free!

But really, it seems, that the world is changing to a Google based operating system rather than a browser based operating system. Google is really pumping out the web based applications and the ability for others to build web based applications on their platform. Matt McGee of Small Business Search Engine Marketing warns that we shouldn’t be giving Google all of our data so freely. He also warns specifically, that businesses shouldn’t be storing sensitive customer or company data on servers that are owned by someone else. I couldn’t agree more.

So, what should small businesses do? Are there cost-effective alternatives to giving all of your sensitive data to someone else? Yes - there are. My personal favorite office suite software is OpenOffice.org. It is practically identical in functionality to the Microsoft suite, but it has built in PDF generation - and it’s free! And, it is much more powerful than Google Docs. I use it on a daily basis, and I highly recommend it.

But, let’s get back to the browser operating system, and how it relates to your small business. To answer my original question about you moving your small business to web based software - the answer is yes and no. First, I think it’s important that you store sensitive data locally and back this data up and store it off site. Second, I think it’s also important that you get to know web applications and their place. It’s so nice to be able to get on the Internet and work on a document with someone who’s across the street or across the world. You’ll have to do your own research and establish policies for what you can and can’t do online. Third, I think it’s important to “share the wealth”, and don’t do everything through Google. While sometimes it may seem so easy to do everything through Google, just think about what information they are recording and storing about you. For every Google product there are online and off line alternatives.

Conclusions and Takeaways:

1. The browser operating system is an important development in technology, and you should start to capitalize on its advantages.
2. You should not store sensitive customer or company information on the Internet.
3. You should back up and store important and sensitive customer and company information and store it off site (locally).
4. You should look at using OpenOffice.org as a cost effective, desktop alternative to Microsoft Office and Google Docs.
5. You should not dedicate all of your online usage to Google - research and find some good alternatives.

As a small business owner, you should be always searching for ways to improve your processes and your business. The Internet is changing a significant chunk of how businesses operate, and you need to stay on top of it. Oh, and don’t forget to have your web developer check your website look and operation in the new browsers.

Dan
Yes, I still love you Google

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