Work Smarter

There's a web application out there with your company's name written all over it. In fact, there are probably several. An entire suite of online software, even. A spreadsheet calls out for collaboration. E-mail beckons you to receive, manage and archive from anywhere in the world. Even the whole product development process is looking to take the online leap. As a nimble, growing business, you're in a perfect position to take advantage of these maturing web applications to boost employee productivity, keep IT costs down and reach out to employees and clients around the globe.

Moving some of your business needs to the web doesn't have to mean slashing and burning your familiar ways of working. "[Web apps] offer a new and compelling way to work, but they also support how you work today," says Kevin Gough, senior product and marketing manager for Google Apps. Web apps can be introduced gradually to suit your needs. E-mail is the gateway application for many users. You start off with a personal web e-mail account and pretty soon you start looking for the same convenience and functionality from your business e-mail. Internet leaders like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo all offer free or low-cost business e-mail services. Yahoo's recent acquisition of advanced e-mail, messaging and calendar provider Zimbra bodes well for future offerings from the company.