Cloud computing is one of those terms you hear a lot about. Microsoft recently launched a “To the cloud” advertising campaign. Google offers Google Docs, a suite of cloud-based office software. I’m working on contract for a company that makes government software that runs on Salesforce, another cloud-based company. So it’s notable that there’s little discussion about cloud-based authoring software for technical writers.
Cloud computing basically means software than runs on the Internet versus software installed on your computer. Adobe FrameMaker uses the traditional model: you download it from Adobe’s site or insert a DVD into your computer and the software is installed on your hard drive. In contrast, Google Docs is accessible via your web browser instead of installing it. Once you log on, it’s instantaneous. No more waiting for the installation. No more punching in long, complicated serial numbers.
Software like Google Docs is catching on. While it’s currently viewed as a “lite” version of Microsoft Office, it’s improving all the time. Google is also looking at creating an offline model in case you’re working at a location that does not have Internet access.
For technical writers, there’s not a lot of discussion about writing using cloud-based authoring tools. Think about the benefits:
- Your software would be available immediately. No more waits for a large and sometimes slow download from a vendor’s web site. I recently downloaded Adobe’s Technical Communication Suite and the process took more than two hours.
- Your upfront costs are lower. Cloud-based software is frequently priced on a subscription model. So instead of paying $2,000 for Adobe Technical Communication Suite, you would pay a monthly fee to access Adobe’s software on the Internet. I’d readily agree to a monthly fee of say $55 versus $2,000 for a suite of software.
- Your software subscription would ideally provide you with the latest version of the software. Instead of pondering whether I should upgrade to FrameMaker 10, which was just released, my subscription would immediately give me access to the latest features.
- Collaboration could be easier among writers. As the software resides on a remote server, you could probably store your source files there too. If done securely, this could make collaboration easier. Imagine if you needed to share your files with a team in India. No more e‑mailing large files.
- Technical reviews could also be done via the cloud. So instead of cranking up Word or Acrobat on a computer, reviewers could read your material by reviewing a document that is available on a web site.
Of course the model isn’t perfect. Performance, for example, could be an issue. But if software vendors can ensure a secure environment and offer decent performance, I think the idea has a lot of merit.
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I wouldn’t disagree with the benefits you state Robert. I think the really interesting point about cloud computing is whether one provider will win the day. There are different standards being implemented out there. You mention a few, Adobe’s Acrobat.Com is another, yet each one is different. Lots of people are trying to get a slice of the pie. Who will win? I don’t know but it will be an interesting ride.
File and workflow-management features of cloud computing environments are clearly the strength for tech writers, but I wonder about the instantaneous upgrade you praise in this piece. One can easily listen to the chatter (or roar) on Facebook whenever an automatic upgrade is imposed upon that user base to see how in control we humans like to be of our upgrades. Will the user ultimately accept having upgrades forced on them? Will Cloud-based developers eventually develop an etiquette for upgrades that create a small stir? Or, will they develop a mechanism for allowing the customer to be in control of upgrades? Upgrades provide more functionality (usually) but, for writers, they also often result in headaches, churn, and stress.
Robert: I am new to Cloud Computing, but have a basic understanding of it. Your blog has explained how it is useful for Technical Writing and especially for freelancers or new companies who cannot invest on tools. Can you explain how will it help technical writers who are using Framemaker and RoboHelp for a long time and how difficult it will be to migrate to Cloud Computing based tools and what are challenges for performance including publishing and editing huge documents.
I think you make a good point about upgrades. Sometimes the latest version of software is not an improvement because of bugs or UI changes. Hopefully, users will always have control over the version of software they use. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t embrace the cloud computing model. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Raghuram,
To clarify, the cloud-based option of FrameMaker and RoboHelp is not currently available. If Adobe released a cloud-based version of its software, writers would enjoy some of the benefits I detailed in my blog.
As far as the difficulty of migrating, I’d hope that a cloud-based version of FrameMaker would open a traditional Frame file without any hassles. I’d hope that cloud-based software would enable you to store your files on a remote server or your local network or on your hard drive. So it would offer more flexibility there too.
In my past, I’ve used content management systems that stored XML strings on remote servers. Most of the writers who used this system complained that opening files and manipulating text was noticeably slower than authoring on your PC or local network. So these “performance issues” could be irritating for writers and would need to be addressed.
Hope this clarifies!
Hi Robert,
I am researching the current status of cloud based authoring. Can you comment on this?
I’ve been using FrameMaker for about 6 years, and each release just gets better and more reliable. I’ve been using version 7 for about a year now, and it has never crashed once, nor has any document become corrupted or unusable. That may sound like faint praise, but after years of using Microsoft Word and having large documents suddenly forget where chapters begin or having numbered lists re-number themselves nonsensically, I SO appreciate FrameMaker’s stability. I’ve made manuals of over 400 pages with FrameMaker with never a problem that wasn’t of my own making. This software is just really SOLID and RELIABLE and great for doing large documents. I’d never go back!
Hi Snehal!
I believe that cloud-base authoring is still emerging. Many on the mainstream software tools for technical writers don’t even offer this option. I recently read an interesting and related article, found here:
http://idratherbewriting.com/2011/12/09/technical-writing-in-the-cloud/
Hope this helps,
Robert