We have just formally launched our first stand-alone web application – DocuBuzz – an on-demand document management solution specifically designed for small businesses and distributed teams.

The concept for DocuBuzz evolved from our experience in developing custom document & records management solutions for a variety of clients.  In the course of these projects, we realized that the core document management requirements are quite similar across most small businesses.  We also realized that most off-the-shelf solutions were simply not suitable for small businesses – being too expensive, too complex, or both.

DocuBuzz is our attempt to offer an alternative – a simple and affordable document management solution that leverages the benefits of the web-based, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model.  The current version of DocuBuzz aims to cover the essential document management needs of most small businesses.

Core features include:

• An intuitive multi-user interface
• Collaborative Notes & Tags
• Full text search with search filters
• Document versioning
• Built-in document viewer
• In-situ link & file sharing with variable shared-link lifetimes
• Flexible folder sharing permissions

Head on over to www.docubuzz.com and activate your fully-functional free trial account to check out DocuBuzz for yourself.  We are extremely eager to hear what you think about it.

Nothing signals that a technology has arrived better than a fight over standards.  The slug-fest that recently broke out over the “Open Cloud Manifesto” shows that the cloud computing concept is no longer simply hazy vapour-ware.

Cloud computing refers to the trend where computing power is becoming a utility that is generated remotely in the in the Internet’s vast backbone infrastructure (”the cloud”) and delivered as a service through the web.  The so-called Open Cloud Manifesto essentially calls on the major IT vendors to avoid erecting proprietary fences for the cloud platforms they are developing.  The hope is that with open standards, customers can easily port data, applications and services between different cloud platforms.

While few would argue against the benefits of such open standards, there is certainly going to be a bitter fight over exactly whose standards and conventions to adopt before the dust settles.  This a par for the course for any emerging technology.

Currently, IBM, SAP and Cisco appear to be driving forces behind the manifesto – these are services and commodity hardware providers who stand to benefit greatly when cloud computing really does take off.  At this stage however, the real pioneers behind cloud technology are absent from the list.  The likes of Amazon, Google, Salesforce.com and Microsoft are, not surprisingly, more cautious about potentially giving up any competitive advantage they have built up for the sake of altruistic openness.

The current flap is just a minor skirmish.  As cloud computing grows at its current pace, a full-scale standards war could well be on the horizon.

Download the Open Cloud Manifesto Draft 1.0.9 as pdf here.

The Economist has just released a Special Report on Corporate IT detailing how information technology is turning into a global cloud accessible from anywhere.

The report argues that information technology is coming full circle and becoming increasingly centralized as more activity moves away from distributed devices into data centres. Cheaper and more powerful processors and speedier and more pervasive networks are making computing power ever more disembodied and commoditised.  This allows digital technology to be consumed where and when it is needed – enabling IT to penetrate ever deeper into all aspects of general social and economic activity.

This shift, claims the Economist, “will profoundly change the way people work and companies operate.”  Read the full set of articles in this Special Report for invaluable insghts into where this cloud phenonmenon is heading.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that Internet users are increasingly using web-based applications and services.  The survey of US-based Internet users revealed that  69% had participated some form of cloud computing  activity such as using a webmail service, storing digital files online, editing documents online or using social networking tools.

Convenience and flexibility were the primary draws for those who accessed cloud computing services. The ease of sharing information and the ability to access their data from anywhere and through any common device were cited as key benefits of web-based applications by many users.  On the flip-side, users did list data  security and privacy as their primary concerns about the emerging cloud computing model.

The rapid growth of wireless connectivity such as WiFi and 3G networks that provide convenient on-ramps to the Internet from practically anywhere has clearly spurred the growth of the cloud services model.  The survey also found that younger internet users are more inclined than older ones to use web-based services or applications.

While this particular survey only sampled American Internet users, the the same trends have been reported anecdotedly in most mature Internet markets including Singapore.  Seasoned web users are becoming increasigly comfortable in accessing cloud-based services and solutions.  Service providers who effectively address the key concerns of such users over data security and privacy will be well positioned to soar with this rising cloud.

The global economic outlook is looking increasingly bleak; but local business costs seem to be defying gravity – rentals, utilities and transporatation costs all still appear to be heading north.  Now is the time to seriously consider running your company partially, or even fully, online.

BusinessWeek’s enligtening special report (To Expand Your Busieness, Go Home) examines how some small businesses have successfully cut expenses and boosted productivity by moving their operations online.

BusinessWeek has a special report on the shift to cloud computing in the business sphere.  More comampanies are obtaining their software and computing capacity through web-based models. A Merrill Lynch report estimates that the annual global market for cloud computing will surge to $95 billion by 2013 with about 12% of the software market moving into the cloud.

Read the full BusinessWeek article here: “How Cloud Computing Is Changing the World”

Dell has unveiled a new range of laptops aimed squarely at digital nomads. Speaking to BBC News, Andy Lark – Dell’s VP for Global Marketing – claims that more than two-thirds of India’s workforce is going to be entirely mobile.

With the majority of people buying their PCs online coming from emerging economies like India, it is no wonder that Dell is focussing on features that are being demanded by the footloose mobile worker. These include things like long battery life, easy connectivity, robust security, reliability and, above all, supreme portability.

Dell is wise to focus on mobility, but whether its revamped laptops are enough to stem its recent loss in market share remains to be seen. All the major PC makes from Apple to Toshiba are continually pushing the envelope on battery life and weights of their laptops.

I believe the real “game-changer” in the mobility space is the maturing of the cloud computing and web services concepts. The true digital nomads of tomorrow are those who do not need to lug their computing hardware around with them, regardless of how light it may be. Instead, their data, applications and processes live on the Web and are accessible practically anywhere through far tinnier devices that are not much larger than smart-phones.

An Economist article – “Nomads at last (April 2008)” – paints a far more compelling picture of how wireless communication can turn us into true nomads, sans most of the hardware.

Yahoo, HP and Intel have announced that they will jointly set up six virtual research centres designed to test emerging cloud computing technologies.

One of these centres will be right here in Singapore – hosted by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). Two other centres will be at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. HP, Yahoo and Intel with also host one centre each.

Cloud computing essentially refers to the concept of using vast arrays of globally distributed computers as a platform for delivering services. Many industry watchers consider cloud computing to be the next big thing in IT. Research firm Gartner predicts that it will be as influential as e-business.

These new centres will allow researchers to test software, hardware and systems that would make the large-scale resources needed for cloud computing more reliable, manageable and secure.

Check out the IDA’s press release for more details on the Singapore cloud computing test bed.

Intelligent Enterprises’ Doug Henschen reports on his Q&A session with product manager at Google Enterprise Rishi Chandra.

Chandra provides some revealing clues to Google strategic thrust. Having completely dominated the Search game, Google is taking aim squarely at the Enterprise space – and it’s chosen medium is Web Applications.

Google is clearly positioning itself as an application platform in its effort “to go from consumers to the enterprise.”

Read the full text of this interview here.

Effectively managing its talent-base is critical for the long-term success of any business – even more so for a small businesses. Unfortunately, many small businesses treat their talent management processes as an after-thought and thus fail enjoy the benefits of having a truly motivated, high-performance workforce.

The emergence of on-demand solutions specializing in talent management has made it feasible for even the smallest of businesses to effectively implement proven and powerful performance management practices. Two such solutions that we have seen successfully implemented are Taleo & SuccessFactors. Both are web-based, Software-as-Service (SaaS) solutions that include modules for managing & aligning goals, tracking & reviewing performances and benchmarking compensation and benefits packages.

Both Taleo and SuccessFactors are designed to provide critical, real-time performance data to enable companies to better manage, motivate and engage their talent base in order to drive better business results. Once configured and set-up properly, SaaS solutions such as these are ideal for small businesses as they do not need extensive IT support to maintain.