We have a funny saying in our office..."it goes through the air".  And air is pronounced drawing out the letters so it sounds like aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  Whenever we don't want to explain how technology works and how we email, upload documents, communicate with others over the net or even from office to office, we say "It went through the air".  There is always lots of laughter accompanying the exchange, but truth is, "in the air" isn't such a bad analogy.  Now some folks like to call it cloud computing.  Not sure why, but it's a more acceptable term if you are looking to impress folks.  For us, we like "in the air", but you might want to refer to "cloud computing" which really just refers to the fact that with virtual computing, everything from forms, voice messages and documents is available "on-line" at all times.  For some it will mean the elimination of a company intranet with remote desktops.  Most companies will continue to have a combination of both, which is what we've done for years.

A great way to introduce yourself or your company to "cloud computing" might be to start with some free services.  Just don't fool yourself; as you use virtual tools to work, you'll find that you need to move to software services that offer more.  You'll find there is a wide range of pricing, with most of it priced on a per user basis.   You'll want to check out Google Docs to understand how something like this might work for you.  We've offered this type of software/service  through RealWired! for years, but frankly, it never took off.  We were definitely ahead of the market in our industry.

One of things that people are still coming to grips with is security.  When you're transacting on line through a service, it's important to understand not only how you secure things but how the company you're working with handles security.   As we've all learned since childhood, there's really no free lunch so just be sure you know what you might be giving up in terms of privacy and what security there is when using free services.  No one likes to read the privacy statements before clicking the "I Agree" button, but it's actually a good idea sometimes.

Don't move into 100% virtual computing.  The combination of traditional file storage and access attached to phones that sit on a desk isn't disappearing anytime soon, but there are lots of reasons for you to augment what you're doing now.  There's a learning curve for all services, so factor that in when you're "testing" free services.  Just think, for once it's a good idea to put your head in the clouds...you may decide to just stay there, especially if you have your smart phone with you!