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Google Drive |
You may have noticed that Google Docs is now called "Google Drive." For the most part, this change is just a re-branding of what Google Docs has already been able to do. As stated in previous posts, it's been possible to upload all different types of files to Google Docs for quite awhile. "Google Drive" is mainly just Google deciding to make it official. They will be rolling out the change in three phases. By the end of the third phase, everyone's "Documents" choice in Google Apps will change to the name "Drive."
The web interface will change slightly, but for the most part the experience will be the same.
There is another aspect to "Drive" that would require a significant amount of changes if it were to be applied within the district. "Drive" has a downloadable desktop app that functions as a local repository for documents and files stored on Google Apps. Installing this app would require administrative privileges, which is why it would require a larger conversation about whether it should be implemented or not. There are also apps for iOS and Android smart phones.
The "Drive" desktop app allows users to setup offline access, so that they can edit Google Documents without an Internet connection. Then, when the computer has access again, the "Drive" app syncs the files edited on the local computer with the files stored in the Google Apps cloud.
