Collaborate on MS Office with Google Cloud Connect
 

Collaborate on MS Office with Google Cloud Connect - the next big thing for MS Office and Google!
Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office

Google lets you collaborate on MS Office documents for free with Google Cloud Connect! This allows you the same cloud-collaboration features available on Google Docs while you continue to use MS Office. This is definitely the next big thing for MS Office, and its all thanks to Google!!

Google Cloud Connect is a plug-in for Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 that allows you to share and simultaneously edit Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files with other team members. Microsoft used to have the same facility for providing online office collaboration – MS Sharepoint, however it required additional software and server configuration, also its limited within the company’s network. Google Cloud Connect breaks all these limitations, and best of all, the service is provided for free! Try it now!

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After installation, the Google Cloud Connect toolbar appears on MS Office
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Any MS Office document can be shared with other Google Cloud Connect users, simply click the share button. A sharing dialog (familiar to Google Docs users) will appear to set sharing and access permissions.
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The collaborators will receive an email for the document link to start the simultaneous edits and review.


Google Cloud Connect enables the same powerful features of Google Docs to be now present in MS Office:

• Collaborative and simultaneous real-time editing. Work on the same document at the same time with collaborators.
  
• Revision history. Google Cloud Connect automatically keeps each change to a version history. This automatic backup of revisions, will enable you to track and repeat/revoke document changes.
  
• Document sharing and permissions. Allow users to view only, view and edit, allow other users to invite and implement sharing permissions.
  
• Resolving overlapping edits. As version and file changes are synched across multiple collaborators, this feature allows editors to view overlapping work and decide which to accept.

Google is taking aim at MS Office users to hopefully encourage them to switch and explore Google Docs. Indeed, Google is filling-in the missing and difficult to implement features of MS Office. With this initial contribution from Google, it is likely that the next updates (might be paid or still free) to both MS Office and Google Docs will focus on compatibility and mobility options.

System requirements and supported file types
About Google Cloud Connect - Google Apps Help

well, it didnt take long for Microsoft to nudge this innovation of Google! that was expected anyway - with Google being able to create something simple yet effective that surpasses the complex and paid subscription that ms office uses.

The Realities of Google Cloud Connect - Why Microsoft - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

microsoft disputes that security is an issue etc. however google cloud connect users remind us that each document is by default set to private.

microsoft disputes that documents are not saved, google cloud connect "auto saves" the document at brief intervals or you can manually save.

the gist is that google cloud connect is a first step made by Google to encourage the use of web based apps and storage -- "cloud". Microsoft is yet to catch up to providing free and user-friendly services like this :)