In case the idea of cloud computing hasn't been beaten into your brain yet, Google has posted a primer on the benefits of using Google Docs with your business. Here's a breakdown of what's what.Googler Lynette Chandler authored the case-by-case analysis on what Google Docs can do for the enterprise. Her introduction should be familiar to many of you:

Ever been in this situation? Your writer needs to send you a document. They e-mail it to you but it is too big for your in-box. She revises it and sends it again. This time, it is small enough to get through but gets eaten up by your spam filter since it considers any document or spreadsheet attachment malicious.

More Internet Insights

White Papers

• Creating the Enterprise-Class Tablet Environment - by Yankee Group
• The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's Good Bones - by BlackBerry

More >>

Reports

• How Google+, Facebook Impact Corporate Strategy: Social Media and IT at a Crossroads
• IT Pro Impact: NFC and Mobile Commerce

More >>

Webcasts

• Maximize ROI with Database Consolidation onto Private Clouds
• Server Virtualization Gets Relief From Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments

More >>

You make a few changes to your computer settings and ask them to send again. Finally! You receive it but it won't open because they used a newer version of the software. You get it all straightened out, both of you start working together on the document, you revise the content, send it back and forth. Next time you look, you have multiple copies of this document, each one a little different than the other. You have no way to track who has revised which part and a lot of time wasted in between trying to clarify things with each other.

If you answered yes, stop! Use Google Docs instead.

Raise your hands if you haven't gone through a similar hassle. C'mon, you know you have. Chandler lays out six different use cases that explain why Google will help avoid some of the issues mentioned in her intro. Let's look at the most important ones.

Collaboration: You can share Google Docs with others at the click of a button. It's that simple. Multiple people can access the same document, with revisions saved with annotations so you know who said what.

Chat While Working: Users of spreadsheets have probably noticed this. Because spreadsheets are often involved, Google's Spreadsheet program gives multiple authors the opportunity to chat while editing the spreadsheet together.

Teleseminar: One of my biggest gripes with online meetings is what happens when it comes time to share PowerPoint presentations. Half the time, the systems that host such services are incompatible with Apple computers and Apple browsers. This really bugs me. If a Presentation needs to be shared between Docs users, many people can join in a group chat, or jump onto a conference call with the presentation open, negating the need for specific browser (or platform) tools.

Database: Because Google hosts all the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on its servers, you can use them as a database for your enterprise. Simply grant users access to see the documents, and you're all set. Any time documents are updated, everyone will have access to the most recent version at the same time.

Chandler also discusses several other points in detail that echo some of what she's already said.

As I am sure many of you know, I'm a regular user of Google Docs, and this post (like everything I write) was created in Google Docs. I share documents with others often, and can say that the ability for two (or more) people to have access to files so easily is a boon to my work flow.