Google Expands File Reach of Google Docs

In everyday terms, this means that someone who needs to access work files from a remote location does not have to e-mail the files to themselves, load the files on a portable hard drive, or obtain a connection to a company network or use a company network drive. Instead, a Google Docs user can simply access those files from any web-connected computer and search all stored files from a single access point.

In addition, by combining the file upload feature with shared folders in Google Docs, users can upload files to a folder that can be shared with coworkers or even outside partners. This allows everyone to access and edit the same files, avoiding versioning problems and other issues that come with multiple users having multiple copies of the same files. 

Users will get 1 GB of storage each and be allowed to upload files up to 250 MB in size. Google Apps Premier Edition users will also be able to use the Google Documents List Data API to upload files to Google Docs in batch. In the coming months, Google plans to enable Google Apps Premier Edition customers to purchase additional storage for $3.50/GB/yr.

Premier Edition customers will also be able to purchase applications offered by third parties that enable them to migrate and sync files to Google Docs. These include Memeo Connect for Google Apps, a PC/Mac desktop application that allows users to access, migrate and synchronize files to Google Docs across multiple computers;  as well as Syncplicity, an automated backup and file management service for PC-based Google Docs users. In addition, Manymoon offers an online project management task-sharing platform that allows the uploading of files to Google Docs.

Having taken over the online search space to the point “Google” has become a verb synonymous with “to look something up online,” Google is now attempting to take over the enterprise computing space. But Google needs to keep in mind that unlike the online search space, which was wide open when the company began its quest for domination, the enterprise computing space already has some pretty well-established tenants.