Using Web-Based Applications to Enhance Project Management

Presented by:

Ash Harris and Nikki Matthews

Table of contents: Cloud Computing/SAAS .................................................................................................................... 1

Dropbox .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Google Apps ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Gmail................................................................................................................................................... 9 Google Calendar ................................................................................................................................. 11 Google Docs........................................................................................................................................ 12 Google Sites ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Google Apps Marketplace .................................................................................................................. 15

This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjrdThuwpZ0 Handout: http://wikibon.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cloud-computing-evolution3.html

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nNXku2WQbE Handout: https://www.dropbox.com/features

Your files, anywhere

Any file you save to Dropbox also instantly saves to your computers, phones, and the Dropbox website.

• 2GB of Dropbox for free, with subscriptions up to 100GB available. • Your files are always available from the secure Dropbox website. • Dropbox works with Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android

and BlackBerry. • Works even when offline. You always have your files, whether or

not you have a connection. • Dropbox transfers just the parts of a file that change (not the whole

thing). • Manually set bandwidth limits -- Dropbox won't hog your

connection.

Simple sharing

Shared folders allow people to work together on the same projects and documents.

• Invite friends, family or teammates to a folder. It'll be as if you saved the folder to their computers.

• See other people's changes instantly. • Create photo galleries viewable by anyone you

choose. • Send a link to any file in your Dropbox using your

Public folder.

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Dropbox mobile

Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry keep your Dropbox at hand, even on the go.

• Bring your files with you when you're on the go. • Edit files in your Dropbox from your phone. • Easily upload your photos and videos to Dropbox. • Share freely with family and friends.

Your stuff is safe

Dropbox protects your files without you needing to think about it.

• Dropbox keeps a one-month history of your work. • Any changes can be undone, and files can be undeleted. • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and AES-256 bit encryption.

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15zSL5infoc Handout: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/landing/choosegoogle/tenreasons.html

See how well Google Apps fits with your business

Consider these 10 things before you set your IT strategy for the next 10 years

I need a productivity solution that’s easy to deploy and doesn’t require the ongoing maintenance of desktop software.

Google Apps runs in the cloud using nothing but the web, so there’s no hardware upgrades, software patches or maintenance required. Because we manage all of the hardware and software in our datacenters, all your employees need is a web browser to communicate and work together in the cloud. In addition, we have a dedicated team of engineers whose sole goal is to help you get your data in and out of our products for free. This makes it easy to both move onto Apps, and leave if you ever change your mind down the road.

I want a solution that meets my needs today and automatically gets better over time.

Because you access all your information in a browser, users are always running the most up to date version of Google Apps and we can continuously improve our products by adding new capabilities. We launched over 125 improvements to customers in 2010, and we offer great ways to learn about upcoming features and how they can help your business. In addition to the constant improvements, the Google Apps Marketplace offers hundreds of apps built by third-party developers that integrate with Google Apps in just a few clicks.

I need a productivity solution that I can rely on.

Google has been providing web services to hundreds of millions of users around the world for years. We replicate your data and activity across multiple datacenters, which means that if one is unable to respond to your requests we can instantly fall back to another one with no interruption in service. Our systems are also designed so that we can update them without any impact on our users. We offer you a 99.9% uptime guarantee with no downtime for scheduled maintenance. You and your employees can always track the availability of Google Apps using our public status dashboard - Gmail was 99.99% available in the first half of 2011.

I need technology that was built with security in mind.

Google operates one of the most robust networks of distributed data centers in the world, and the protection of the data and intellectual property on our servers is our top priority. The controls, processes and policies that protect data in our systems have successfully completed a SAS 70 Type II audit and Google Apps is the first cloud-based messaging and collaboration suite to achieve FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) certification. Options including forced SSL, single sign-on support, and 2-step verification let you decide how your employees access the system.

My employees need to collaborate seamlessly across organizational, geographical and linguistic barriers.

When you use Google Docs, co-workers around the world can work together on the same online copy of each document, spreadsheet or presentation. Because each file is stored online, users always have access to the latest version of that file. Sharing securely with users inside and outside of the organization is easy, and users can even use Google’s powerful machine translation to view content in their preferred language. Learn more about file sharing in Google Docs.

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I want my employees to move faster without being slowed down by inflexible technology.

Because Google Apps was designed for teams, there’s no need to have the documents that colleagues are working on trapped as email attachments or on lock-down because someone else has them open. Google Docs lets team members work together on their documents, spreadsheets and presentations at the same time, from anywhere in the world. You can always see who’s working on each shared document, and can even see the changes they make character-by-character as they type so you can work together without getting in each other's way. See Google Docs collaboration in action.

My employees need to use a wide range of mobile phones and tablets including Android, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile.

When your business uses Google Apps, employees can access their email, manage their calendar and work with documents from any web-enabled mobile device. Google Apps also offers device management capabilities that allow you to remotely wipe data, set password requirements and more for devices such as Android™, RIM ® Blackberry, Apple iPhone and Windows Mobile. Whether your company has a fleet of mobile devices or you choose to let employees use their personal devices for work, Google Apps lets you manage the devices more easily and securely.

My employees need to do more from mobile devices than just send emails.

Not only does Google Apps make it easy to send and receive email from your mobile device, but Google Docs supports viewing and multi-user editing when you’re on the go. Whether it’s tweaking a few words in your proposal at the last minute, updating figures in your spreadsheet while you’re in the field, or just sharing a file with a colleague, Google Docs lets you do all of these things right from your mobile device. Learn more about mobile editing in Google Docs.

I want a simple licensing model that is cost-effective and predictable.

Licensing Google Apps for your business is simple. There’s one price that covers all your employees’ communication and collaboration needs, and it’s easy to add more users as your business grows. Because Google builds the infrastructure and maintains the servers, you don’t have to worry about unexpected expenses in the future.

I want to spend half as much on IT as I do today.

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15zSL5infoc Handout: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7035.pdf

7 things you should know about...

Google Apps

1. Scenario To support her master’s thesis in sociology, Sylvia developed a project that brought together students from a high school in downtown Chicago with students from Monroe High School in Monroe, Wisconsin. Despite being just a two-hour drive away, the schools were worlds apart culturally, and the project’s goal was to investigate attitudes that students in each school held about those at the other. The instrument for the project was a fiction writing exercise in which a group of students at each school would write a story set in the other school’s town. As the stories developed, the students at each school would review and make edits to the story from the other school. Both schools suffered from outdated computers with a range of software (though all of it was PC-based) and no prospect of district funding for hardware or software improvements. Sylvia was a dyed-in-the-wool Mac user, which presented another compatibility concern. They all had Internet connections, however, at least at school, and most of the students selected to participate also had Gmail accounts. Sylvia set up blank documents on Google Docs and granted access to the participating students. She left the story ideas and development entirely up to the students. Once a week, the two groups would “trade” papers, seeing how the story—ostensibly about them—was progressing and making comments in the file itself about how their town and its culture differed from the story’s portrayal. Sylvia also reviewed the files and made her own suggestions. Because all of the writing and reviewing happened through web browsers, there were no problems with file compatibility, and Google Docs kept a record of the many versions of each story. Initially, Sylvia thought she and the students would keep in touch using Gmail, but the students soon began using Google Talk among themselves, so Sylvia did too. Those students who had Internet access at home could access the files and the software to work on them, which was vital because many of the students could not afford to buy traditional software. Sylvia spent spring break visiting her family in Arizona and, without having to take her computer, could access and comment on the stories from there. The ability to share documents—and to communicate—with others, regardless of platform or software, allowed Sylvia’s project to succeed. Students in both groups saw how stereotypes influenced their ideas about urban and rural culture, and they came away with an appreciation for their differences—and their similarities.

2. What is it? Google Apps is a collection of web-based programs and file storage that run in a web browser, without requiring users to buy or install software. Users can simply log in to the service to access their files and the tools to manipulate them. The offerings include communication tools (Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar), productivity tools (Google Docs: text files, spreadsheets, and presentations), a customizable start page (iGoogle), and Google Sites (to develop web pages). The tools are free, or users can pay for a Premium Edition that adds more storage space and other features. Alternatively, an Education Edition includes most of the extras in the Premium Edition and is offered at no cost to K–12 and higher education. Google Apps allows institutions to use their own domain name with the service and to customize the interface to reflect the branding of that institution. In this way, a college or university can offer the functionality of Google Apps in a package (and with a URL) that is familiar and comfortable to constituents.

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3. Who’s doing it? Since its launch, Gmail has been a popular choice among students—higher education as well as K–12—and many of these same students are users of Google Apps. For them, being able to access their documents from any Internet-connected computer, without having to worry about software versions or compatibility, fits well with their always-connected, just-in-time lifestyles. Many faculty, however, have been hesitant to store their files on someone else’s servers, given perceived concerns over security and the stewardship of their data. Some institutions have adopted Gmail for student and alumni accounts while maintaining in-house mail services for faculty and staff. Still, a number of colleges and universities have migrated to Google Apps, often only for e-mail but increasingly for the entire suite of communication and productivity tools.

4. How does it work? All of the applications in Google Apps work through a web browser. Users must have a Google account and, once logged in, can access familiar—if scaled-down—functionality for word-processing, calendaring, chat, and other tools. Google Docs, for example, allows basic formatting of text documents but without higher-level functions (such as style sheets and templates) found in traditional software. Spreadsheets support formulas and simple functions but not macros or the creation of figures and tables. Each file has a creator/owner, who determines who is allowed to access the file, either as a viewer (with read-only rights) or a collaborator (who can change the file). Because Google stores all of the files and content centrally, collaboration and document management become far simpler than when distributing files to multiple people and keeping track of different versions. For a text document, for example, the application maintains the file, allowing authorized users to see or edit the text while keeping track of all the changes and who makes them. This version history is available and allows comparing any two versions of the document. Similarly, the content in a user’s calendar can easily be shared with other users, and Google Sites provides a simple tool for groups to collaborate on developing web pages or whole websites. When a file is complete, it can be “published,” which gives it a unique URL, or it can be exported. In the case of a text document, export options include PDF, Word, RTF, Open Office, and others. A spreadsheet can be exported as a PDF, a text file, or an .xls file, among others. Much of the Google Apps functionality is available on mobile devices.

5. Why is it significant? Particularly for higher education, the notion of providing software to constituents as services rather than as products offers several key benefits. Such an approach transfers responsibility for software updates and maintenance away from the institutional IT department, freeing IT staff from a considerable amount of software support. The resources saved can be directed at making the IT department more innovative and agile, attributes that are increasingly important in responding to rising student expectations of technology on campus. Sharing content is as simple as granting someone access, which facilitates collaboration without having to transfer files or worry about software compatibility. The limited functionality available through Google Apps is sufficient for the needs of most users, who have access to their files and related software any place they have a computer and an Internet connection. In addition, Google Apps can work with existing single sign-on programs, and hardware (and hardware failures) becomes less of a concern. Although Google is not the only provider of web-based applications, it is in a strong position to make this concept acceptable to a broader audience, in part because of the cost savings it offers and in part because of Google’s reputation as a “good citizen.” Google is seen as responsive to the concerns of its users and as a company that is not likely to disappear overnight.

6. What are the downsides? The greatest concern about Google Apps and similar services is the loss of control. Because access rights are shared across the service, users rely—to some extent—on how carefully others protect their login credentials. Even though providing e-mail and other applications is complex and expensive, many in academia see this as a core responsibility of the IT department. Given concerns about long-term availability, security, and privacy, storing files, e-mail, calendar entries, and other content on non-institutional servers is a deal-breaker for some colleges and universities.

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From an administrative standpoint, Google doesn’t offer as much granularity in managing user accounts as many institutions want and need. For users, the menus and tools are not consistent from one application to another, and applications running over the web do not work as smoothly and predictably as those running locally. Users who find themselves without an Internet connection cannot access the applications or their files.

7. Where is it going? Google owns several companies including YouTube and Grand-Central, and Google Apps may see increased integration across the family of Google companies. Grand-Central, for instance, gives users a single phone number that, when called, will ring on any of the user’s phones. All of that person’s contacts can use the same number, even if that person graduates or transfers to another institution, changes jobs, or otherwise changes numbers. Google may incorporate these and other tools into Google Apps, and we may see more integration with applications outside the Google family. Because each new added feature affects the speed of the service, however, Google will need to balance complexity with performance. In addition, Google is said to be working on offline functionality, which would allow users to access the software and their files even when not connected to the Internet. What are the implications for teaching and learning? While the financial incentives to use Google Apps might compel a university to try it, the benefits for building a more collaborative teaching and learning environment could be the reason to stay. These benefits potentially include peer review of academic work and the ability to observe and participate in the creation of scholarly material. Today’s students are generally comfortable sharing content and collectively generating knowledge. The Google Apps model of application delivery and file storage provides a set of tools and an infrastructure to make this happen. By leveraging student interest in and use of such tools, institutions might be able to encourage more experimentation with collaborative learning. Google Apps also facilitates sharing of information such as syllabi, and it offers an easy way to publish student work. Google Apps allows students and instructors to forget about the tools and focus on creative ways to use technology in their disciplines. Find more titles in this series on the ELI website www.educause.edu/eli © EDUCAUSE 2008 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ www.educause.edu/eli March 2008

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4nyBHGC5N0&feature=youtu.be Handout: https://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/about.html

Top 10 reasons to use Gmail

Gmail makes email easy and efficient. And maybe even fun.

•

1. Less spam

You don't like spam. Neither do we. Gmail blocks spam before it gets to your inbox.

•

2. Search

Search instantly within Gmail to find the exact message you want.

•

3. Conversation view

Messages are grouped with the relevant responses -- so you can always see messages in context.

•

4. Built-in chat

With just one click, you can chat in Gmail or talk face to face with voice and video chat.

•

5. On the go

Access Gmail from your phone – regardless of which device you use.

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•

6. Lots of space

Over 7689.349447 MBs of free storage space – and tons more to purchase if you need it.

•

7. Labels, filters, and stars...oh my!

Use labels to stay organized – each email can have several labels, so you're not forced to choose one particular folder for messages.

•

8. Priority InboxBeta

Automatically separate important email from everything else and focus on what really matters.

•

9. Secure

Just like bank websites, Gmail uses HTTPS encryption to keep your mail secure.

•

10. Free!

All this for free? You betcha.

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXifKssFmlI&feature=youtu.be Handout: http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/about.html

Welcome to Google Calendar

7 reasons to use Google Calendar Organizing your schedule shouldn’t be a burden. With Google Calendar, it’s easy to keep track of life’s important events all in one place.

1. 1. Share your schedule Let your co-workers, family, and friends see your calendar, and view schedules that others have shared with you. When you know when everyone is free or busy, scheduling is a snap.

2. 2. Get your calendar on the go With two-way syncing to your mobile phone’s built-in calendar or a mobile version of Google Calendar that’s made for the small screen, you can access your calendar while you’re away from your desk.

3. 3. Never forget another event again Customizable reminders help you stay on schedule. You can choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone.

4. 4. Send invitations and track RSVPs Invite other people to events on your calendar. Guests can RSVP to your events by email or via Google Calendar.

5. 5. Sync with your desktop applications Access your calendar however and whenever you want by syncing events with Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal and Mozilla Sunbird.

6. 6. Work offline Know where you’re supposed to be even when you don’t have internet access. With offline access, you can view a read-only version of your calendar no matter where you are.

7. 7. All this is free? Yep.

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFem3cDqyDA&feature=youtu.be Handout: http://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=49008

An overview of Google Docs

What is Google Docs?

Google Docs is a suite of products that lets you create different kinds of online documents, work on them in real time with other people, and store your documents and your other files -- all online, and all for free. With an Internet connection, you can access your documents and files from any computer, anywhere in the world. (There's even some work you can do without an Internet connection!) This guide will give you a quick overview of the many things that you can do in Google Docs.

Documents List

Your Documents List is where you'll find all of the Google Docs you've created, files you've uploaded, and anything that's been shared with you. It's also where you can manage your Google Docs settings. Here's what you can do in your Documents List:

• Create Google documents, spreadsheets, other file types, and collections. • Upload (from your computer, if you'd like), manage, and store files and folders. • Share Google Docs, files, and collections. • Preview your docs and files before you open or share them. • View images and videos that you've uploaded to your Documents List. • Search for items by name, type, and visibility setting.

Google documents

Google documents is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents, and collaborate with other people in real time. Here's what you can do with Google documents:

• Convert most file types to Google Docs format. • Add flair and format your documents, with options such as paint format, margins, spacing, and fonts. • Invite other people to collaborate on a doc with you, giving them edit, comment or view access. • Collaborate online in real time and chat with other collaborators. • View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version. • Download Google Docs to your desktop as Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML or zip files. • Translate a document to a different language. • Email your documents to other people as attachments.

To learn more about Google documents, check out the Google documents getting started guide.

Google spreadsheets

Google spreadsheets is an online spreadsheet application that lets you create and format spreadsheets, charts, and gadgets, and simultaneously work with other people. Here's what you can do with Google spreadsheets:

• Import and convert .xls, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data. • Export .xls, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data and PDF and HTML files. • Use formatting and formula editing so you can calculate results and make your data look the way you'd

like. • Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheet.

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• Create charts and gadgets. • Embed a spreadsheet, or individual sheets of your spreadsheet, in your blog or website.

For more information about Google spreadsheets, check out the Google spreadsheets getting started guide.

Google presentations

Google presentations is an online presentations editor that allows you to show off your work in a visual way. Here's what you can do with Google presentations:

• Share and edit presentations with your friends and coworkers. • Import and convert existing presentations in .pptx and .pps file types. • Download your presentations as a PDF, a PPT, or a .txt file. • Insert images and videos, and format your slides. • Allow real-time viewing of presentations, online, from separate remote locations. • Publish and embed your presentations in a website, allowing access to a wide audience.

For more information about Google presentations, check out the Google presentations getting started guide

Google drawings

Google drawings is an online drawings editor that lets you create anything from a scribble to a flow chart while working collaboratively with other people. Here's what you can do with Google drawings:

• Share and edit drawings with your friends and coworkers. • Download your presentations as a PNG, JPEG, SVG, or PDF file. • Insert images, shapes, and lines, and format them to fit your preferences. • Real-time collaboration with other people, no matter where they are. • Insert a drawing into a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.

For more information about Google drawings, check out the Google drawings getting started guide

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnXjaOgPw5U&feature=youtu.be Handout: http://www.google.com/sites/overview.html

Google Sites overview Google Sites is the easiest way to make information accessible to people who need quick, up-to-date access. People can work together on a Site to add file attachments, information from other Google applications (like Google Docs, Google Calendar, YouTube and Picasa), and new free-form content. Creating a site together is as easy as editing a document, and you always control who has access, whether it's just yourself, your team, or your whole organization. You can even publish Sites to the world. The Google Sites web application is accessible from any internet connected computer.

Company intranet

Team project Employee profile Classroom

Student club

Quick facts Single-click page creation: Creating a new page for your Google Site just takes the click of a button.

No HTML required: Creating a Google Site is as easy as editing a document, which means there's no markup language for you to learn -- just get started.

Make it your own: Our customization options let you give your Google Site your own look and feel

Get started with templates: We offer a growing list of page types -- web page, announcements, file cabinet, dashboard and list -- to help you get started with your Google Sites pages.

Upload files and attachments: Use the file cabinet to upload files up to 10MB in size. Each Google Apps account receives at least 10GB of storage in Google Sites. Google Apps Premier and Education editions get an additional 500MB for each user account.

Embed rich content: Google Sites is integrated with other Google products, so you can insert videos, docs, spreadsheets, presentations, photo slide shows, and calendars directly onto your Google Sites pages.

Work together and share: Our permission settings let you designate owners, viewers and collaborators (meaning they can edit pages) for your site. And you can make your Google Sites available to just a few people, your entire organization, or the world.

Search with Google: You can search across Google Sites pages and content using powerful Google search technology. You'll find specific pages and documents instantly, the same way you would on Google.com.

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This Content can be viewed here Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSKtsUIBSp8 Handout: http://code.google.com/googleapps/marketplace/#Overview

What is Google Apps Marketplace? The Google Apps Marketplace allows the more than 4 million organizations using Google Apps to discover, purchase, and deploy integrated cloud applications and advertise professional services for use by more than 40 million users within those domains.

Developers use the Google Apps Marketplace to create listings for services and applications targeted at organizations, institutions, or businesses using Google Apps. Developers can then sell their application or services directly to their users.

Who can use or purchase applications from listings found in the Marketplace?

Listings in the Marketplace are available to companies, educational institutions, and other organizations that have installed Google Apps for their domains or business.

What types of listings and applications can be included in the Marketplace?

The Google Apps Marketplace supports two types of listings:

• General listings — These listings refer the user to the developer's website or landing page for installation or more information about the listing.

• Installable listings — These listings allow users to install the application directly from the Google Marketplace using the "Add it Now" box pictured below:

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