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By Ethan Roberts, Special Guest Blogger
As a consultant I've been able to enjoy working from both client offices and my home remotely. We've all run into clients that lock down their systems (and if you haven't yet, you will), so you may not have access to the apps you need to get the work done. As consultants, we need a way to work that lets us handle whatever comes our way. I've taken advantage of the Cloud and here are some of the apps that have made my job much easier. <continued>
A note about portable apps: Yes, they run from a thumb drive, but if the policy at your client's company is not to run those apps, you shouldn't be trying a workaround.
As a software developer, much of my time is spent giving clients a visual view of the application. Gliffy is a great way to show your clients what you're thinking from a design perspective. It's Visio on the web, and the free version will take you miles towards completion of your project. I'm thinking of going pro on this one for the extra features. The cost is small enough that it is totally worth it.
The number one thing that clients respond to is a "visual," whether it's just showing them how to use the app, or showing them something you have a question about. Jing is brilliant in this respect. You can share a screen shot with your own comments, a video of how to accomplish a task, pretty much anything you can envision. I've already gone with the pro version and it only set me back $15/year. This is a must-have for the remote worker.
Dropbox is possibly the most useful app I've ever run across. On any given day I work on more than one machine, let alone my smart phone, and Dropbox is always there for me. You upload files to Dropbox and they sync to every machine you have Dropbox loaded on, including your phone. You can share out your folders with a client so that they can get your latest updates. For one of my current clients this is the way we share all files and it's been invaluable.
For note taking, it's a toss-up between Simplenote and Evernote. Simplenote gives you the easiest way to store your notes, but Evernote has more options for what you can add to the note, like pictures or attachments. It really depends on what your needs are.
Lastpass is a clear winner for managing your passwords across multiple sites. The hacks of the last few months have shown that having a single password across multiple sites just makes you vulnerable. Lastpass (the last password you'll ever need) can generate secure passwords to any site you register on, and then, with a simple browser add-on, can log you into those sites securely. For $1/month it can also let you use your smart phone to log into those same sites. Totally worth it.
If your client isn't averse to streaming music, Grooveshark is a great music service. It's free, lets you build multiple playlists, and has thousands of songs on it.
Subversion is a developer's best friend. Source control is integral to development, and this open-source software gives you the ability to work remotely with confidence. If you aren't using this with your remote clients yet, I highly recommend you suggest it to them.
Google bookmarks are a great way to save your best sites. Even the most locked-down client will probably give you access to your Google bookmarks. It's simple: grab the toolbar shortcut and you can save any site, with tags, to your Google bookmark account. No matter where you are, you can find the resources that you've marked. This is wonderful.
There are so many great cloud services out there that I know I've only scratched the surface. Please leave your own suggestions in the comments so we can all benefit.
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Smart Solutions, Inc. | 200 River Place, Ste. 230, Madison, WI 53716 | Phone: 608-204-9299 | Fax: 608-204-9177