re: Authoring tool ... cloud? HelpConsole 2010

[Tracey Bean <traceybean -at- verizon -dot- net>]

Thanks to all who responded to my question yesterday about tools that work in the cloud.

I think that the client will be interested in learning more about Cloud Connect. I'll be sure to bring up the security issue with them.

I did find a web-based tool named HelpConsole 2010. If anyone has experience with it, would you be willing to contact me?

Thanks,
Tracey

 
> Subject: Authoring tool that works in the cloud?
> 
> Hi all --
> 
> Is there a DTP or HAT (or both) that works in the cloud? If so, does anyone have any experience with such a tool?
> 
> I'm doing some freelance work for a small company.
> 
> Now, they have content created by technical staff. I'm sure you have a good idea of what it looks like. Everything is paper-based, developed in Word and distributed in PDF. They have no help. They develop apps in Java that work with SAP.
> 
> We've had some limited discussions about the direction they wish (and will need) to take with their content, but have not yet reached any conclusions.
> 
> The one stated preference they have is for a tool that will work "in the cloud". This is a practical consideration, as their employees are primarily remote. They do a lot of work using iPads and GoogleDocs. The "cloud" request was made in the context of reviewing, but I'm sure that if the authoring function were cloud-based, that would be a plus.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tracey
> traceybean -at- verizon -dot- net
> ------------------------------
> 
> From: <Brian -dot- Henderson -at- mitchell1 -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Authoring tool that works in the cloud?
> 
> I just happened to run across this this morning:
> 
> "Google Apps is going to launch a new plugin for Microsoft Office called
> Cloud Connect. It is a long expected bridge that allows users to
> continue using desktop applications that they are already familiar with,
> while at the same taking advantages of Google Apps cloud services."
> ----------------------<snip>
> -Brian H.
> 
> 
> From: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>
> 
> Any thoughts on Google Apps security for company data?
> 
> ------------------------------
> From: <Brian -dot- Henderson -at- mitchell1 -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Authoring tool that works in the cloud?
> 
> Here is the link to the actual Google Cloud Connect page:
> 
> http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/officeconnect.html
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> From: "McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Authoring tool that works in the cloud?
> 
> Let's put it this way: 
> 
> The day that one of those joint announcements goes out, saying that Google is using my employer's HSMs to secure your access-to, and your data-in ... the Google-controlled regions of "the cloud", is the day when any of us will be permitted to use cloud-ish spaces for company work and data storage.  Not before. 
> 
> Use of cloud resources is safe only when you have end-to-end encryption, and nothing less. If there is any point in the entire scheme where your data exist unencrypted, then the security is incomplete and you should wait some more. As well, nobody but you should have the keys that encrypt that data where it resides. ANYwhere that it resides.
> 
> It's possible to secure every inch of the loop (your desktop/notepad/iPad/phone out through the ISP to the cloud provider's network and onto their application servers and database servers, then all the way back to your screen and keypad) with no gaps, even while your data is being massaged and edited on their servers by your remote actions, but it's costly. In order to do it all without imposing excessive latency, you need heavy iron to process the security at all choke-points. 
> 
> The industry is in the chicken-and-egg stage, where volume-related savings have not yet kicked in. So the only folks who have the kind of heavy-duty cloud security that I mention are certain big companies and government agencies with the deep pockets. And mostly, they are still making their own clouds, not using cloud services available to the public. I don't think your average document or price-list or customer list or business plan or sales projection or patent application... is end-to-end secure in the generic cloud just yet.  I could be wrong. 
> 
> Back in that first paragraph, substitute any other big player, instead of Google.  Several are making inroads into this market, as we speak/write.
> 
> If you are a contractor, I wouldn't advise being a cloud user, when it comes to your customer's docs - especially copies of their source docs that you research when making their customer docs. If you signed an NDA, you can't guarantee the security of anything you take out of their premises, if it wafts through cloud-land. If I was working on the Great American Novel or screenplay, I don't think I'd trust it out there, yet, either.  That's coming, though. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> From: "Monique Semp" <monique -dot- semp -at- earthlink -dot- net>
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Subject: cloud backups and contracts (was - Authoring tool ... cloud)
> 
> Building on what Kevin said, yes, it's very important for those of us 
> contracting to be aware of the potential issues: both technical and legal.
> 
> And so not too long ago, in preparation for doing my backups to the cloud 
> (because there's not really much safety in my external hard drive, given 
> that it's mere inches away from my primary computer) I started amending my 
> contracts, whether they were actually "mine" or versions presented to me by 
> clients and that I requested changes to, to specifically cover cloud 
> backups.
> 
> And there are a surprisingly large number of places in a contract where this 
> consideration is needed.  For example, many contracts say that we must 
> surrender all material when a contract is over if so requested, but now I 
> have in the contract wording to the effect that the client understands that 
> due to the nature of backups it may not be possible to surrender all such 
> copies, and that this fact does not violate the terms of the contract. 
> (This isn't the only place to include such language, just one example, and 
> indeed an example of why I think it a worthwhile expense to have a lawyer 
> review all my contracts.)
> 
> -Monique
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> From: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Authoring tool that works in the cloud?
> 
> You can use an in-house EDMS, accessed by remote users via a VPN. Or you
> can contract out the hosting (and often also the security and backup) to
> someone else. Google Apps and MS Cloud Connect are examples of the
> second option. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.
> 
> Whichever option you go with, there are physical servers somewhere with
> your files on them. There ain't no freakin' "cloud."

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