For years we’ve relied on software installed on our computers to enable us to complete our daily tasks. From email clients and RSS feed readers to word processors, spreadsheet programs and calendars - there is a software application available for almost any need we have. Yet over the last few years we have seen more and more Web applications (Web apps) popping up like mushrooms out of the cloud.

A move to the cloud changes the way you use and access information. (Image by Tinney under CC)

At the start of the year I made a resolution to move away from my old desktop based software into the unknown world of online applications. What really encouraged me to finally make the plunge was the development of offline access to most of Google's Web applications through the Google Gears plugin. This allows me to access my data even when I am not online.

I haven't had to open my desktop email client, feed reader, word processor or spreadsheet software in almost a month - and I have to say I have rarely run into a problem that could not be worked around.

Some of the Web Apps I use on a daily basis are:

• Gmail for email.
• Google Reader for RSS feeds.
• Google Docs for word processing and spreadsheets.
• Google Calendar for remembering appointments.
• Remember The Milk for to do lists.

The best part of these Web apps is that they are entirely free to use - saving you hundreds of Rands in software licences in a time where every penny saved is valuable.
Before making the move to the cloud there are a few pros and cons to consider.

The pros:

• The loss of your data due to theft and the constant need for backups are eliminated, since all data is stored away from your computer (although the paranoid like me still makes back-ups every now and then).
• You can access your email and documents from any computer that has access to the Internet and a Web browser.
• There is no need to synchronise the data on multiple computers.

The cons:

• In countries like South Africa where broadband access is still extremely expensive and scarce it can place a strain on your ability to access your information.
• You are placing your data and therefore your trust in the hands of a 3rd party.
• The risk of a security breach.
• Some Web apps are supported by advertisements.

There are a few software applications I still haven't been able to get rid of, especially when it comes to Web Development, but even that might be at an end soon if you look at the promising development of a Mozilla project called Bespin.

I remember reading an article a few years ago about what the future of software would be like in a couple of years. In the article the writer suggested that even the king of desktop software, Microsoft, would eventually move their applications to the Web and charge people a subscription fee to use it. Well by the looks of it, the future is around the corner... if not already here. When the general public follows suit, and store their lives online, their expectations and understanding of an online space will only grow greater. Is your business ready for that?

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