The service, which has been in beta since November, is now available to all and uses Google’s vast cloud to store and synchronize any Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel document.
If you have Microsoft Office, using Google Cloud Connect is as easy as downloading a plug-in, installing it and then seeing a toolbar at the top of your Office application.
After your authorization, Cloud Connect saves a copy of your document online and lets you share it with anyone you choose via an e-mail address. The recipients clicks on the shared link and the file opens in Google Docs. At that point, they can download the document and work on it in Microsoft Word. When they make changes, the edits show up on the original document, too.
Documents can be edited in either Google Docs or Microsoft Office, and whoever is collaborating with you does not need to own Microsoft Office to edit those documents and synchronize the files with each other. It would seem that Google is using this free and convenient plug-in as a lure for those who might be tempted to use Google Docs instead of Microsoft Office.
Although the service was synching slowly when we tested it this morning (probably because of everyone who wanted to try the new service), it worked well and kept a Word document up to date on both PCs. Its file synchronization isn’t as immediate as the live typing of the now-defunct Google Wave, but it's still able to sync documents efficiently.
Here’s a video showing how the system works, and be sure to see the additional demo videos Google released on its blog today:
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