General Introduction
Google Drive is an online office suite that includes
a word processor (Google Docs), spreadsheet program (Sheets), and presentation
tool (powerpoint). It enables users to store any type of file (word document,
photos, videos, PDF, etc.), access the files anywhere, from any device, share
files with other users, take surveys, and connects seamlessly with other Google
products. Users have 15 gigabytes (GB) of free storage space with the option to
purchase more. For example, 100 GB of storage for $1.99, 1 TB for $9.99, 10 TB
for $99.99, 20 TB for $199.00, 30 TB for $299.00 all paid per month. The files
can be accessed through the Google Drive app or by logging onto its web
address.
Google Drive keeps files saved on your device so that you
can access them when offline and then syncs
these files with your Google Drive whenever your computer connects to
the internet. This removes the need to save multiple copies on different
devices. It will sync automatically to any file or folder within the "my
drive" category.
Purpose
The purpose of Google Drive is to make working on files more
efficient, storage more secure, make the use of other google products easier,
and offer a cheaper alternative to Microsoft office. Unlike other platforms I have
reviewed for this blog, Google Drive is not another version of social media.
Social media platforms were made to foster personal communication; they were not
designed with business use as a major consideration. Businesses have adapted
social media platform features to generally assist in marketing operations. Google
Drive is different because it was designed to make doing work easier.
Use in Business
Google Drive’s application in business is significant
because it can eliminate costs and improve efficiency. There is unlimited storage, all files are backed
up, the most up to date security features are applied, and it enables increased
group collaboration. People can work on the same document simultaneously and make
comments all in real-time, which avoids back and forth emails, communication
delays, and duplication of work. Automatic activity
updates show who edited files and when. A file version control feature lets you
go back to previous versions of a file without having to worry about losing
track of a change. The video meeting feature connects group members while
saving money and time on travel, but still getting the benefits of
face-to-face meetings.
Assessment
Google Drive amazing integrates products to accomplish tasks
faster. The sharing features will significantly improve collaboration and
efficiency. However, there are areas where Google Drive can improve and falls
short of competitors. One negative is any deletion on Google Drive cannot be
undone. So, there is no chance to recover a document from a hard drive or the trash
once it has been deleted. Google Drive also falls short to Microsoft regarding available
options and performance when creating files. For example, when making files,
such as: word documents, spread sheets, and powerpoints there are not as many
fonts to select from, in-text citation formats, and it seems Google drive runs
slower.
My Experience
My experience with using all the features of Google Drive as
been great. I use Google Drive to store
all of the documents I need regular access to for class, to collaborate on
group projects, for my email, my personal calendar, and my online shopping. My
favorite feature is being able to work on a single document with group members.
There is no need for everyone to email their sections to a single persona and
then have that person format the document. A close second favorite feature is the
automatic sync of file changes. I no longer have a different version of a
document saved on each of my different devices; so there is no more guessing
which document version I worked on last. Lastly, the way Google Drive
integrates my gmail, google calendar, google chrome browser, favorite links, google
search engine, google scholar, and all the other features discussed together is
fantastic. I utilize each product far more because they are together and
presented to me in a logical way than if each product was stand alone.
References
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