Google releases Cloud Connect plug-in for Microsoft Office

[Arthur]

This could be useful...

Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office brings collaborative multi-person editing to the familiar Microsoft Office experience. You can share, backup, and simultaneously edit Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents with coworkers.

Download: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/cloudconnect/eula.html

Documentation
Help and information for end-users
Help and information for administrators (there's an MSI available here)

Requirements

• Windows XP with .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Vista or Windows 7.
• Microsoft Office 2003, 2007 or 2010

Screenshot (Mine, not Google's )

[CyberNerd]

looks good.
I received this morning

Teach your old docs new tricks with Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office
Posted: 24 Feb 2011 02:08 PM PST

Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office is now available to download for all Google Apps domains. With this plugin, you can now share, backup and simultaneously edit Microsoft Word, PowerPoint®, and Excel® documents with co-workers without the need for sending attachments back and forth.

Features:
- Simultaneous editing for Word, PowerPoint and Excel files when using Microsoft Office.
- Google Docs sharing URLs for each Microsoft Office file.
- Revision history for Microsoft Office files, stored in Google Docs.
- Offline editing with smart synchronization of offline changes.
- No Microsoft Office upgrade or SharePoint® deployment required.

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
English only but the plugin will work with whatever language is installed on the user’s system

How to access what's new:
- Make sure your system meets the system requirements for the plugin. Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office supports Microsoft Office 2003, Office 2007, or Office 2010.
- Ensure that Google Docs is an activated service in your Google Apps control panel.
- Allow users to install the plugin themselves or distribute it on your network using an .msi file.
Download page
Deploy Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office

Note: Google Cloud Connect is not available for Macs. Unfortunately due to the lack of support for open APIs on Microsoft Office for Mac, we are unable to make Google Cloud Connect available on Macs at this time. We look forward to when that time comes so we can provide this feature to our Mac customers as well.

For more information:
Official Google Enterprise Blog: Teach your old docs new tricks with Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office
Admin Help Center and supported features.
End User Help Center

Join us for a live webinar on March 3rd, 2011 at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm GMT to learn more about Google Cloud Connect. Register to attend the live event.

[joe90bass]

Funny, this wasn't mentioned yesterday......

[CyberNerd]

Funny, this wasn't mentioned yesterday......

no surprise there then...

[TheScarfedOne]

Interesting. I still have to say that the full integration of Office Web Apps and Sharepoint is awesome though. Still my preference. Live in browser multi user editing.

[gshaw]

Was wondering when this would get released, makes it interesting vs Office 2010 save to SkyDrive.

Out of interest did Microsoft show the student SharePoint portal from Office 365? Does it replace SkyDrive?

[CyberNerd]

Interesting. I still have to say that the full integration of Office Web Apps and Sharepoint is awesome though. Still my preference. Live in browser multi user editing.

but you don't get integration with all the other google applications, marketplace and appengine with sharepoint.
Google apps isn't just a traditional office tool there is far more to it than a legacy office app like MSOFfice

[TheScarfedOne]

but you don't get integration with all the other google applications, marketplace and appengine with sharepoint.
Google apps isn't just a traditional office tool there is far more to it than a legacy office app like MSOFfice

MSOffice a legacy app?! Since when? The cross browser cross platform support and integration with your existing network via AD or ADFS makes it a powerful choice imho

[TheScarfedOne]

@GShaw there are two models with 365 - the as is LiveEdu - exchange, skydrive et al; and the full sharepoint option which is costable (and there are increasing levels of functionality/products included on a rising cost scale. Full slides to follow

[CyberNerd]

MSOffice a legacy app?! Since when? The cross browser cross platform support and integration with your existing network via AD or ADFS makes it a powerful choice imho

yes, you get all that with Google Apps too. Plus Google secure data connector to pick up data from your internal network (sims etc), the google app engine to use that data, google visualization to publish it. I just mean legacy in terms of programs that run on PC's in the traditional sense, and have trouble sharing their data throughout the internet.

[russdev]

Sorry but this next to useless as I can see. Two major fail points one I can't open a doc already on google docs with out downloading and when you create a doc in word sync up I can't edit that on google docs unless you make a copy.

Maybe I am missing something...

Russ

[CyberNerd]

Sorry but this next to useless as I can see. Two major fail points one I can't open a doc already on google docs with out downloading and when you create a doc in word sync up I can't edit that on google docs unless you make a copy.

Maybe I am missing something...

Russ

thats by design

Google Cloud Connect does not support switching editing of the same doc between the Web and Microsoft Office. When using Google Cloud Connect in Microsoft Office, you can only edit docs locally from your computer, not online from Google documents, presentations, or spreadsheets.

However, you can create an editable Google Docs copy of your Cloud Connect doc:

Open the Office doc from your Docs list.
Click Open. The doc will still be in preview mode.
Click File > Edit online. The doc will open as an editable Google doc.

hardly makes it 'next to useless' for organisations that want to use MSOffice, just that they won't get the more advanced features of google docs.

[morganw]

I think they would make more of an impact by using the storage backend to provide a multi-user aware dropbox style client, so everyone can sync there files wherever they may be and then if they want to collaborate - do the conversion into an actual google doc and share it without a specific plugin. If it had a 30 day bin and file versioning then everyone's life would get a little easier.
Not that I think this Cloud Connect plug-in is a bad idea, but in reality I think collaborative document editing wouldn't be used to it's full potential in most environments.

[russdev]

Maybe next to useless slightly strong. So all this really provides is a online backup storage of your document with multi editing of a document. This could of been so much more...

[AngryTechnician]

I haven't actually gotten around to trying it yet, but even the free version of OffiSync for Google Apps is better than this (and integrates with the ribbon instead of that ugly abomination shown in the screenshots). Slightly tragic that Google's own offering is inferior.