With all the hype going out there for Google Docs & Spreadsheet online applications, and how the real-time online editing & service-as-software movement (which we definitely love!) I have just one small question to all business users & companies considering using Google Docs, Spreadsheet, Calendar etc.

Would you like your business plan to be indexed by Google? Your financial statement / report? Your private or business sensitive data? hmm…

The thing about Google on-line apps, is that although it is revolutionary, extremely useful and just simply great, its still… Google. And that means you don’t control your data anymore - they do. Your files are on their servers, your data is indexed by their bots. But, your will say, they don’t appear in search results! So what? If its not on your computer - do you really control it anymore? With some kiddie or private docs its no problem -  but I’m sure many businesses will have serious headache figuring out just how secure their on-line documents really are.

Solution? Quite simple I think. Office 2.0? Software as service? YES! But keep your sensitive data off-line on your computer, or at least on some private, secure storage online. Its secure only if you control and own it. Just like you don’t put all eggs in once basket when it comes to business decisions, in exactly the same way its somehow strange to let one company handle everything about your online presence - search, office apps, data storage… its just too much to feel secure anymore!