When will be a Web-Version of OOo/LO available?

users
#21

None of my customers (enterprises) will have more then 30 peoples using
it parallel. Maybe 50 could be in worst case, but thats nothing for a
well designed Server Software

You are working in the SOHO/SMB size market.

Kracked Press is looking at slightly larger enterprises. Organizations
that have 5,000+ employees scattered around the country, if not the world.

Personally, I do not like the idea of cloud based computing, for
security reasons and ownership of files. If the connection to the

Hmmm, maybe you do not know HOW Cloud computing can work... :wink:

If the company that owns the data on the computer does not have physical
control of the computer, and can not limit who physically visits the
computer,the only safe assumption is that the physical security is
handled by a full time drunk. (I'm fully aware of when you want the
apparent security to look like it is nothing more sophisticated than a
full time drunk.( Guarding a data centre is usually not one of those
instances.)
jonathon

#22

The issue for doing LO/OOo as a web-based package is who hosts it and how many will be allowed to use it.

What I was talking about is that it is not just making an online version but the rest of it. If you have a limited market that will use it, then it can be done, but not if you have a not-for-profit organization footing the bill for the servers, etc..

As for using Wind-power and solar cells to power the servers, etc., it is a good idea. Big server farms are moving to year-round cold areas to reduce power use on cooling down their server farms. Using wind power and solar power will be a good was to be "green" and that is always a good idea for the company and the world.

I would like to see an online version of LO and some big company having it usable for people world wide, either for free or a low monthly fee. If people are creating the open-source code to make LO, or OOo, work as a server side package, I applaud it. But the hosting of that package is where it will be limited. It would be nice for a company that has the resources like Google to offer to host such a package for the masses.

As a marketing thought, having an online version of the package should promote the desktop/laptop versions. The other day I saw an ad for a used 10" net-book style of system. Even though the tablet market will take over that market, we need to have LO work on their screen sizes and limited resources. Later, hopefully our developers will develop a version of LO that would work from a Micro SD card for use with a tablet, like Nook and Kindle, plus any Android tablet out there. I know that there is a portable version of LO, but for Windows. Once it runs on Android, via the SD card of thumb-drive, it will be great news for LO users. Then they will have LO, maybe limited though, on their mobile devices of 7" to 10". I understand that there are people working on an Android version. I wonder if there will be an iPad version worked on as well.

#23

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

None of my customers (enterprises) will have more then 30 peoples using
it parallel. Maybe 50 could be in worst case, but thats nothing for a
well designed Server Software

You are working in the SOHO/SMB size market.

Kracked Press is looking at slightly larger enterprises. Organizations
that have 5,000+ employees scattered around the country, if not the world.

Personally, I do not like the idea of cloud based computing, for
security reasons and ownership of files. If the connection to the

Hmmm, maybe you do not know HOW Cloud computing can work... :wink:

If the company that owns the data on the computer does not have physical
control of the computer, and can not limit who physically visits the
computer,the only safe assumption is that the physical security is
handled by a full time drunk. (I'm fully aware of when you want the
apparent security to look like it is nothing more sophisticated than a
full time drunk.( Guarding a data centre is usually not one of those
instances.)

I agree, if you do not own the hardware the data resides on you do not have effective control of the data. You are depending on others to protect your data.

Part of the issue is the physical location of the servers, why would a European or Asian company want their data on US servers.

Another problem with cloud computing is that you are moving back to the old timesharing mainframe with many dumb terminals model. PC, laptops, etc have the capability to do considerable work independently of any network.

#24

Michelle

Hello David S. Crampton,

very well spoken!

Upon reflection, this calls for LO to build a community of support
people that can support small to medium sized businesses and avoid
the siren call of M$ style big money and big ego. Good luck! No,
seriously, good luck to us all.

Thats right. Clouds like Google, Amazon or Apple are NO SOLUTIONS!

Clud computing should be on a "per customer" base done.
This is what I do with my (arround 200) customers

Based on my new ARM-Based Blade Servers, the system is VERY scalable and
inexpensive. It is even cheaper as todays Root Servers at random ISP.

Thanks, Greetings and nice Day/Evening
     Michelle Konzack

It sounds that you are using "cloud" concepts to set up smaller networks for small clients. In the US, the "cloud" is often understood to mean using PC's as dumb terminals to access the server (mainframe) for both data and applications. There are numerous problems with this model such as who actually owns the data, legal implications due to the physical location of the servers, connection speed requirements to be effective.

Another issue with the cloud that has been overlooked often is that a pure cloud implementation leaves users vulnerable to the whims of the centralized computing resources. If the resources are not available will users be able to add needed functionality or are they at the mercy of the centralized resource. For example, I need to convert video file formats occasionally, on my PC I can install the needed application easily but if I using a cloud type environment I am limited to what is provided either deliberately or by contract.

I remember the days of dumb terminals and mainframes and remember that many problems that were solved by PC's.

#25

I have the same issues. I came from mainframe programming. I hated the fact that my data could be removed from their storage locations by others. I had several months of work erased on the whim of a "person" who did not like me. The thought it was funny, but he was not laughing after the person in charge of the computer center got through with him. I had to replace all the software and other files from hard copies. There was not backup system back them. SO, if someone decided to remove your data from the system, all they need is IT access to the drive where it is stored. This could happen by accident, or on purpose. But it could happen. Where would you be then?

Too many people act like "the cloud" is the best thing since sliced bread. They feel that since it is in a data center, their files are secure, and will be backed up every time they make changes to them. They rely on "the cloud" to have what they need when they need it. But it never really works that way. When the storms went through the east coast of the USA a few months back, it your data center was in an area hit bad, they could have been flooded out or at least lost power or had communication issues. Then your files would have lost or not accessible for some time. So "the cloud" it not great. Also, as far as I have read, if the US government wants to look at your private files on US servers, it is so much easier than if it was on a computer in your home or business. It is even easier if a European government wanted to look at those same files on a server system in their jurisdiction. SO, privacy is also an issue.

Sure, the cloud concept is a good one for certain markets, but it is not the best solution as the advertisements try to convince you about their services.

Then for the mobile devices there is the use of their data plan's fees to "allow" you to access your data. You can really start building up what you owe to the phone companies working with your "cloud" data, even if you have a so-called unlimited plan. We never hear of how much it costs to use the cloud with your mobile devices, not all of the costs anyway.

I am not an expert on this subject. I just know what I have read and my experience with centralized computer systems. Centralized systems is where I learned programming for. If you were a part of that industry, with all its failings, you would not thing the movement back to such a system was a good idea. People need to be told both the good and the bad of such services. You need to keep the bad in mind when you make the commitments to use that type of service. Then you would make sure that your files would be as safe as they can be, and keep an offline copy of these files "just in case".

example of "hidden" costs:
I remember an ad about unlimited online, automatic, backups of the data on your computer. They quoted under $100 per year. They did not have a app for my Linux desktop, so I started looking into finding such a service. Then it hit me, my data vs. my upload bandwidth. My 3-TB of data would take a year or so just to upload it to a online backup server. They never talked about the fact that you would never really be able to use their service as advertised with the current state of the USA market for broadband upload speeds. I could buy 10 times the external drives I would need as rotating backups for the price of the service I would need to get the uploading bandwidth I needed to use an online backup service.

So, with that thought, I ask you to look into all the costs of cloud services, money type and other. Then, and only then, should you decide if cloud based services are the best route for you and your needs. This is even more so if you involve your business and its data. You need to think it through completely.