So over the past few days I've been working on migrating our e-mail hosting onto the Google Apps Cloud service offered by Google. What is the Google Apps service you ask? Well it's business style hosting of Google Mail (GMail), Google Docs, Google Calendars and is expandable to CRMs and Accounting packages, all stored securely and easily on "the cloud"

So what is "the cloud"? Well the cloud is a remote location by which up to date information can be pulled from any cloud compatible device at any given time. For example, the Google cloud can be accessed from any web browser, Android phone, web powered PC or tablet and any laptop with internet access.

The benefit? You are always working with the same information. If I update a contact on my phone, that contact is immediately updated on all of the other devices connected to the cloud. If any of my devices fail, such as my laptop, all of my e-mails, contacts, calendars and documents are safe – I just need a cheap piece of hardware that can reconnect to the cloud.

The cloud also has redundant data backup and storage, and also allows for users to pull down and backup that data using any service they wish – as long as it can connect to the internet.

So how much is Google hitting us for this amazing piece of technology? Expensive right? No! I couldn't believe it, but for $5 per user per month they give 25 gigabytes of storage on the cloud.

We will be starting with all of our e-mail services and then moving into the calendars. All of our employees will have real time access from all of their devices to all of theirs and other employees up to date calendar and contact information (assuming that information was shared).

Sounds to good to be true, but that's where everything is going – and thats why you've heard so much about "the cloud" lately.