The Universe of Medical Librarianship

I examined three platforms: Google Docs, Zoho, and Microsoft Office Live. Here are some of my observations.

Google Docs- Okay, Google has its hands in everything these days, and it actually does a decent job with this product. I do like the product but I have a couple of reservations. First, the capabilities and functionality do not even come close to the standard Microsoft Office platform. So, even though it is free, I wouldn’t replace MS Office with Google’s product line. One of the initial disappointments I had with Google Docs is that you need a constant internet connection. Someone mentioned that a beta has been released to allow working offline, but it appears only a privileged few have this access so far. If you are a road warrior of any type, this feature is crucial. In my previous life, getting work done on the plane was critical. Whether or not Google provides this “offline” feature, I think the true value of Google Docs, like the other products, is “collaboration.” It is easy to use, to sign up, and invite others to collaborate on your documents. Google Docs has 3 applications: Document (for writing), Spreadsheet (for data), and Presentation (for slides).

Zoho – This product seems to have more features and be a little more robust than Google’s product. It currently has a plug-in download that allows you to work offline. To me, it seemed easier to use than Google Docs. I also liked the variety of applications that Zoho offers, 15 total, which is a wider selection than Google Docs. Of course, Google has similar apps to Zoho not found in Google Docs such as chat, calendar, and mail. Zoho’s web-office solutions are more complete and user friendly. However, once again, it is not a replacement of MS Office. I don’t think Zoho or Google are ready to be a replacement. The key feature of these “web office tools” is collaboration.

Microsoft Office Live - I didn’t really bother with Microsoft’s product. I did sign up, but I didn’t even know where to start. Way too confusing. Now, their Office product is great. It is, after all, the standard anywhere you go. But, their attempt at collaborative productivity with Microsoft Office Live is not impressive. I think they may be just waiting for someone to perfect it first and then steal it and monopolize it, like they have always done.

The Future of Office Productivity

I think web office tools have shown some amazing potential. Ultimately, I believe this is the future of all software products. It is just a more efficient way to work. However, until the quality of these applications improve, my use of them will be limited to collaborative projects only. I know many of you will say, “Well that is what it is designed for.” That may be the case, but I think many organizations are not looking at these software suites for their collaborative productivity but also considering the cost savings of converting to these platforms and throwing out MS Office altogether. Could you imagine if your organization did that? Maybe they have. I would love to hear about it.