If there's one thing you could change about the way cloud services work, what would it be?
Cloud-based systems such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Xero, Saasu, Salesforce.com and hundreds of others have completely changed the way small businesses operate.
For me, being able to create quotes and invoices wherever I am is immensely helpful and accessing my documents and other files from any device makes it a snap to answer client questions.
The trouble is – I'm not always connected to the Internet and most of these apps and services require a reliable Internet connection.
Here's an example:
Over the last few weeks I've done a lot of international travel. In that time, I've had many hours where I could have ploughed through a bunch of administrative tasks such as preparing quotes for upcoming work, preparing invoices and getting my BAS in order.
The ideal time would have been while I was on a plane, where I could not be interrupted by phone calls, emails, social media or other distractions.
So, here's my wish. Cloud providers need to find a way to make some functions accessible while people are disconnected. I'm not saying I want the full functionality replicated to an application I can install to my desktop. But being able to carry out the three or four most common tasks would help me take advantage of time that is otherwise boring and unproductive.
For businesses on less reliable Internet connections, an offline mode would allow them to only connect as needed for replicating or sending data.
Is there something you wish cloud providers would do differently?
