Full Text [PDF]

A case study for evolution of office productivity suites

Mr. Aditya Singh

Bansal College of Engineering, Mandideep, Madhya Pradesh

ABSTRACT The growth of net and cloud infrastructure has reworked the means businesses operate, particularly within the field of application software system. Earlier (pre-cloud days), people / businesses were needed to shop for their software system licenses, install the software system, manage it and run it for as long as they found it usable with support from the developer. Now, technology permits U.S. to use software system that we want on subscription (pay per use, monthly, annual) basis. Users needn't install or maintain any IT infrastructure, all of it's managed by the supplier. Users access the software system through the internet (via a browser / mobile app). This delivery model is named software system as a Service (SaaS). during this paper, we discuss shortly concerning evolution of workplace productivity suites, however the market is moving towards a SaaS model and so compare product of the highest three vendors (Google’s Apps, Microsoft’s workplace 365 and Zoho’s Docs) across a spread of parameters.

1. EVOLUTION OF WORKPLACE Productivity Suites Office productivity suites or software system packages that facilitate perform tasks like document creation / written material, spreadsheets, presentation creating, electronic communication (email / chat etc) are around in one type or different since PCs became in style (email came a little later, i.e when internet). within the time of DOS (1980s), such software system were sold-out individually (and not as a package) by totally different vendors, primarily as a result of every vender had one strong product in one in every of these areas. as an example, the subsequent were in style - WordPerfect for word processing, Lotus 1-2-3 or Quatro for spreadsheets, dBase for info, Harvard Graphics for displays etc. The idea of mixing these productivity programs into a package giving them as a set to customers was logical and a latent market want. So, within the late 80s and early 90s such packages were introduced by numerous vendors. Lotus Symphony and IBM Works (which ran on OS/2) were one in every of the primary prepacked product to hit the market. throughout a similar time, Microsoft had discharged Windows (version three.1) and it became highly regarded as Associate in Nursing software. Seeing its quality, Microsoft came out with the primary version of its workplace suite (in 1990) that contained Word, surpass and Powerpoint. The coupling of Windows and workplace diode to the surge in quality and user base of MS workplace. The smaller players couldn't match the dominance of Microsoft within the scheme. It had management over the software market of PCs and its competitors complained that it forced hardware vendors to shop for and install workplace on with windows. it had been one in every of factors that diode to success of MS workplace. a number of the opposite factors were Broad Focus (consumer and business), Quality & Market Turmoil. workplace was a comparatively higher product (catering to the needs of the biggest client base) than those it had been competitory against. It greatly benefited from the turmoil within the market because it ne'er featured head on competition from any single player. as an example, Word good & Quatro professional were nonheritable by Novel, that discharged its own suite PerfectOffice in 1994. it had been not well received and Novel sold-out Word good and Quatro to Corel in 1996. Lotus was nonheritable by IBM and targeted on the enterprise customers solely. The open supply movement of the Nineties additionally came out with their product to supply an alternate to Microsoft. Their mission was to own Associate in Nursing workplace suit which will run on all major platforms and supply access to all practicality Associate in Nursingd knowledge through open-component primarily based genus Apis and an XML- based file format. Sun Microsystems nonheritable a product known as Star workplace in 1999 from a German company. In 2000, it discharged the source code of it as open supply as OpenOffice.org beneath each wildebeest LGPL and also the SISSL (Sun trade Standards supply License). It sponsored the expansion of the program for next ten years. In 2010, Sun was acquired by Oracle World Health Organization then became a key contributor to Openoffice.org. On Gregorian calendar month 2011, the merchandise (OpenOffice.org), its license, trademark, etc were given to the Apache Foundation. Besides Apache Open Office there area unit few different derivatives of the Open workplace platform like Libre workplace (by The document foundation), modern workplace (for Macs), KOffice additionally obtainable within the market. While all this was happening, Microsoft unbroken change its workplace suite with newer options (bells and whistles) and additional new tools to its package to satisfy wants of business users (like outlook, publisher, lync).

Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2015 Page 1

As a result the package (in size and system demands) got heavier and heavier. as an example workplace 2010 could be a package of 12+ product (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, Infopath, Sharepoint, Project, Visio, Lync, etc) and needs a minimum of 3GB fixed disk house, 256MB RAM, and 500MHz processor. 2. Movement towards SaaS (Software as a Service Model) In a bid to avoid wasting on infrastructure and licensing prices of managing productivity software system, businesses 1st adopted a client-server model. Applications were put in on the server and accessed via a thin-client (or remote desktop) by user machines. With advent of Virtualization technologies (like Microsoft’s App-v), it became attainable to own virtual instances of the applications running on the native desktop. The internet boom recently Nineties / early 2000s took this concept additional by moving hosting of those packages on the cloud by ASPs (Application Service Providers). Applications were hosted in ASP knowledge centers and maintained and updated by the suppliers. Originally coined by IDC, the term "Application Service supplier (ASP)" referred to firms that met a strict set of process characteristics. These enclosed the subsequent (as per a white paper from software system & info Industry’s Association, www.siia.net): - Application centrical. The core price of the ASP service is providing access to Associate in Nursingd management of an application that's commercially obtainable. - Associate in Nursing ASP "sells" the applying access. a part of the worth of the ASP services is that customers gain access to a replacement application atmosphere while not creating up-front investments within the application license, servers, people, and different resources. The ASP is ready to feature this price to those services either by owning the software or having a written agreement agreement with the software system vender to license access to the software system as part of the ASP's giving. - Centrally Managed: the applying service is managed from a central location instead of at every customer's web site. - One-to-many service. The ASP service is meant to be a one-to-many giving. - Delivers on the contract. There area unit several partners operating along to supply and ASP resolution. The ASP is that the firm that's accountable, within the customer's eyes, for delivering on the client contract; that's, seeing that the applying service is provided as secure. Key edges for the Consumers: i. get Vs Rent : Customer’s not required to pay direct prices in shopping for software system licenses. Only needed to pay operational expense/subscription in an exceedingly pay as you go model. ii. No head-ache of managing infrastructure: No ought to maintain servers / get computers with enough processing power to run these suites. iii. automotive vehicle upgrades: Upgrades to the software system are going to be managed by the seller. Newer versions are going to be available to client to be used while not paying any new fees on a similar subscription rates. iv. convenience & High Uptime: 24x7 convenience with nominal period. It measured smart in theory, however it didn’t estimate thus well in observe as a result of several firms that failed to meet these criteria additionally known as themselves ASPs and created confusion within the market. one in every of the challenges was that the applications themselves weren’t designed to be delivered over the web and information measure speeds at customer / client ends wasn't high that created their use even tougher. As a result, customers got less output than they expected and suppliers were additionally unable to create cash and plenty of of them went bust. With the appearance of net, higher process speeds, quicker bandwidths, newer technologies – vendors started building applications to be delivered via the web (ground up). and that they concluded up extending the ASP model into SaaS (software as a service). The key variations between ASP and SaaS approaches area unit (as per Wikipedia entry on software system as a Service): - Whereas most initial ASPs targeted on managing and hosting third-party freelance software system vendors' software, as of 2012 SaaS vendors generally develop and manage their own software system. - Whereas the software system design employed by most initial ASPs mandated maintaining a separate instance of the application for every business, as of 2012 SaaS solutions unremarkably utilize a multi-tenant design, in which the applying serves multiple businesses and users, and partitions its knowledge consequently. In the world of cloud primarily based productivity suites, we have a tendency to saw the arrival of Zoho Docs(a internet primarily based word processor) in 2005. Zoho needed to ride the online a pair of.0 and SaaS wave and over time enlarged its portofolio into Zoho Office Suite which incorporates applications like spreadsheets, Mail, a calendar, contacts list, and additionally began to offer different business-oriented programs like CRM, Survey Tools, Accounting Tool, hour tool etc. Most of the Zoho Suite product provide a free edition and a number of paid editions for business wants. It depends on subscription model from businesses for its revenue. Google additionally ventured into this market with the launch of Google Mail for business (in 2006). It had nonheritable a company known as Upstartle in 2005, that had a web world processor product known as Writely. Which was modified and discharged as Google Docs. Google then nonheritable an organization in 2006 known as 2WebTechnologies which had a web programme product known as XL2Web. that was changed and discharged as Google Spreadsheet beside Google Docs (made from Writely). each of those product were combined and released in an exceedingly package beside Gmail - known as Google Apps in 2007. Google continuing to initiate and added additional product to its portfolio of productivity tools. Like Google Forms, Google Drawing, Equation Editor, etc. Google Apps is unengaged to individual users however it charges $5 /month from businesses (goes up to $10 if option of Vault is employed for mail trailing and archiving ). Microsoft was a little late in responding to the challenges exhibit by these and different cloud primarily based suites because it continued to

Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2015 Page 2

IPASJ International Journal of Information Technology (IIJIT) Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJIT/IIJIT.htm A Publisher for Research Motivation ...... Email:[email protected] Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2015 ISSN 2321-5976 the dominant vender in offline world. However, once several businesses with straightforward productivity needs / ones that required collaboration on the go / lower prices, started shifting to such suppliers, Microsoft was forced to unharness its workplace internet Apps (in 2010) and was rechristened it as workplace 365 in 2011. this enables users to edit / produce documents used applications programme primarily based versions of its workplace family of product like Word, Excel, Powerpoint. the online primarily based versions have similar look and feel as offline versions however area unit lightweight weight in terms of options that area unit obtainable in them compared to offline versions.

2. CONCLUSION Based on our assessment, we are able to see that Zoho edges out Google and Microsoft in terms of providing good options / practicality. Google is extremely competitive on valuation whereas Microsoft offers the choice of integration with offline workplace & offline licenses with its workplace 365 subscriptions to stay competitive. Whether Zoho are going to be ready to build an even bigger dent into this market attributable to its product; whether or not Microsoft are going to be ready to reclaim its lead within the cloud (like it's in offline world) from Google given however strong Associate in Nursing influence it's on the web (gmail/google) and mobile world (due to android) – solely time will tell. There area unit several factors which will push a business towards one in every of these players (or even a player that we've got ex-directory here) as every business can have its own criteria for deciding that cloud primarily based productivity suite they'll wish to use.

REFERENCES [1]. http://thecloudmagazine.com/one_billion_people_to_the_public_cloud_before_2020_part_deux/ [2]. http://www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/comparing-online-vs-traditional-software [3]. http://www.cloudcomputingadmin.com/articles-tutorials/saas/your-office-cloud-part1.html [4]. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa905319.aspx [5]. http://www.liventerprise.com/compare/Office_365_vs_Zoho/ [6]. http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/MagazineArticles/Technology-Infrastructure-Microsoft-Office- 365-vs-Google-Apps-for-Business.asp [7]. http://www.pcworld.com/article/236722/office_365_vs_google_apps_vs_zoho_docs.html [8]. http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/cloud-office-suites,2-690.html [9]. http://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Google-Apps-vs.-Microsoft-Office-365-An-Analyst- Evaluation-and-Comparison-2012-2016-Executive-Summary.pdf [10]. http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/MagazineArticles/Technology-Infrastructure-Microsoft-Office- 365-vs-Google-Apps-for-Business.asp [11]. http://rcpmag.com/articles/2013/04/23/google-apps-vs-microsoft-office.aspx [12]. http://blog.useractivation.com/2013/07/18/office-365-vs-google-apps-showdown-market-shares-by- geographiclocation-june-2013

Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2015 Page 3