Cloud Computing Can Lessen Dependence On a Single Device

Diane Darling flies around the country, speaking on “Effective Networking” – not coincidentally her company’s name.

But this column isn’t about her networking tips.

This is about Darling’s born-of-experience advice to entrepreneurs whose laptops hold their work. And it’s particularly about those who schlep their laptops from place to place.

At a recent speaking engagement, Darling returned to the car – where her laptop had been hidden under the car seat – and found the car broken into and the laptop stolen.

On that laptop were her slide presentations, a book draft and her Outlook e-mail files.

For many sole practitioners, a theft like that could have been disastrous. For Darling, it was a massive inconvenience, but survivable.

“Good news is that I use a fair amount of ‘cloud’ computing,” Darling wrote in an e-mail to business contacts.

She stores most of her crucial information on “cloud” computer servers that back up her files.

Darling uses Dropbox, a cloud server she migrated to after testing another online system. She says Mozy and Carbonite are options.

She’s also investigating e-mail alternatives to Outlook (such as Gmail or Yahoo) to store her contact lists other than just on her personal computer.

And she’s a big fan of Google’s calendar function that syncs with her BlackBerry, as well as EverNote.com, a tool that syncs her notes between computer and phone.

Darling isn’t afraid of technology – a barrier to many entrepreneurs who are groping through the cyberspace world. Her message is that it’s not that scary.

Jump in! You must have backups. And that can include a backup external hard drive on your home computer.

Darling has decided to gravitate toward a tablet computer, such as an iPad, to make the hardware more portable.

“Keep your laptop at home and your tablet with you,” she suggests. “You need something smaller than a laptop but bigger than a phone.”

And don’t get comfortable with one solution for long.

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Brian

Managing Partner at meshIP, LLC

Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

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