Marking Your Appointments and Events In The Cloud

Too often, my friends ask me if it is possible to use Calendar application on the cloud with the same performance that we get on local computers. My answer is yes, but they are always having more questions.

Based on this premise, I decided to put this article and enjoy some advantages of using a program based on Cloud Services, to give a more comprehensive view for those who still fear to position their commitments in this virtual environment.

Although we find many products in this platform, I will rely only on Google Calendar, which is a set of application programs and the Google Apps that seamlessly integrates with the other members of this family.

Google Calendar is a tool for anyone who needs to manage their time and / or company.

Project Agendas

With it, you can use your Personal Organizer and also create Special Schedules: Schedules Projects / Shows / shares / etc. So you better organize your events / commitments and does not pollute your Personal Organizer.

Integration with Gmail

Can integrate your Address Book with Gmail, or from a message you can create an event right into your agenda to be out of it. Using Send Invitation, you can edit an appointment and invite attendees viewing the schedule availability of each without leaving Gmail.

Globalization

We can schedule appointments with two different time zones, so if you want to know if you can schedule a virtual meeting with a client in another country, just add the name of the city / country to see if the time is during working hours or late / too early or until dawn.

Video Conferencing

An interesting detail is that, recently Google Calendar is integrated with Hangouts, so you have a video conferencing tool with the ability to speak to voice / video chat with up to 15 Users (Business version) 10 users (Free version).

Alerts

You can make appointments with email alerts, POP-UP and SMS. With SMS you receive messages on your Mobile / Smartphone informing the proximity of the event (You set the time for these alerts).

Repetition

Possibility of marking events recursive (With repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever required).

Special Agendas

Using interesting calendars like English, Jewish, German, etc.., Time, temperature, moon phases, etc..

Schedules Equipment and Resources

Agendas for features such as rooms, auditoriums and other important equipment for your events. You can register them and when someone in your company try to mark an event on the same day and place, the first to make use of this feature prevents marking the second event.

Integration with Google Maps / Google Street View

When the event takes place at an address outside the company, guests can view the location on Google Maps directly (appears below the address the site / link MAPS clicking it has access to the map). In addition to this, we can also use within the Google Maps Street View and so view the 3D images of the site, this is important for those who want to know the place before you get there.

Compatibility with marking events in MS-Outlook

The Google Calendar is compatible with Outlook Calendar. If a user who has MS-Outlook, mark an event on his calendar and invite you to have Google Calendar, the appointment will appear smoothly on Google Calendar. The converse is true with appointments in Google Calendar with guest users who have MS-Outlook.

Search The Best Time

Opportunity to seek the best time, or rather, a time where all guests can attend an event. In short, you do not need to open the agenda of each guest to set a date / time where everyone can participate, Google Calendar does this for you if you wish.

Additional Features

You can supercharge Google Calendar with LABS (Experimental features), which can be optionally installed by your users and allow new features in Calendar. There are Labs that display the next meeting, Local Time, Annual Planning, Go to a specific date, etc.. If you like any of these things, just keep it installed if it is not enough to remove it, nothing is imposed within the Google environment.