While I’m still waiting for an invite code to try out Docs myself, it looks like it’s built on top of Office Web Apps, which itself is an impressive service — Office documents uploaded to the web apps look and feel almost exactly like they do in the desktop version of the software. However, I’m left puzzled by this specific integration; sharing and collaborating on Office documents is just not something that I envisage myself doing on Facebook, and I really can’t see my Facebook friends doing it, either.

Unlike links, status updates, photos, videos and events, documents are just not “social objects” that I’d like to share with my friends, comment on and “like.” Document sharing is something I might do via a private corporate social network, like SocialText, or perhaps even via a business-focused public network like LinkedIn, but Facebook is (for me, at least) a place to find out what my friends are up to. While Facebook might be the world’s biggest social network, it’s not necessarily appropriate for every use — something I discussed recently in a post for GigaOM Pro about social media marketing (subscription required), but the point also applies here.

I don’t want to be too critical, though, as Docs is currently only a beta of some experimental software (FUSE Labs’ Lili Cheng calls it “an exploration”). It’s entirely possible that if Microsoft was forward-thinking enough, it could offer similar integrations of Office Web Apps/Docs with project management and corporate social networking apps, which could make it a much more compelling offering, and might even tempt some users away from well-established cloud office suites like Google Docs and Zoho (for more on cloud computing, check out our Structure conference in June).

What do you think? Would you use Docs in Facebook?

Zoho CRM, Zoho Mail and Zoho Docs all get new abilities to interact with and use documents from Google Docs, which should be welcome news for anyone wanting to try out the Zoho alternative without either starting from scratch or going through an arduous migration process with their existing library of docs.

Zoho CRM

Attach files directly from your associated Google Docs account to Leads, Accounts, and Cases within Zoho CRM. All you have to do is authenticate using your Google credentials when prompted, and voila, your Docs should appear for you to choose from, in addition to your Zoho Docs and files on your desktop.

Zoho Mail

Adding an attachment when you’re composing an email is as easy as clicking on the little arrow next to the “Attach” link, and selecting Google Docs from the list of sources. If you haven’t done so already, Zoho will send you to Google to authenticate, and then your files will appear in a list with checkboxes next to them so you can select multiple attachments at a time. Zoho also allows you to filter your Docs, so that you can view only text, spreadsheet, or presentation files.

Zoho Docs and Projects

The same interface is used to get documents directly from your Google Docs account to both Zoho Docs and Projects, although you might want to note that with Zoho Docs, uploading directly from Google is supported only in the dashboard view. Trying to do so from the dedicated Docs window only allows you to import from Google Docs files you’ve downloaded to your desktop.

I’ve always been a Google user myself, but upon revisiting Zoho’s offerings for the purposes of this piece, I find myself wondering why. I’m not a Gmail or Google Calendar guy, and short of forthcoming integration with Google Wave, which I’m not crazy about anyway, there’s really no reason I should stick with Google when the competition is clearly much more obliging. For now, I’m going to test the Zoho waters and see how things turn out.

Does Google Docs integration give you a reason to give Zoho a try?

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What this really means is that I finally have a decent reason to use Google Groups. In the past, I think I’ve belonged to a maybe one Group, and it didn’t work out all that well. The members generally forgot it existed, and it acted more or less as a glorified mailing list. Now, though, since I already use Docs and Calendar and often want to share content from both with multiple people, Groups has matured to become a full-featured business tool.

Replacing PM Tools for Small Teams

There are a lot of online project management and collaboration tools available free online that do the same sort of thing Google’s new sharing features do, but most of them are overkill for small team work. Say, for example, that you’re tasked with forming a small team at work with three or four people. The entire purpose of your team is to draft a new statement of purpose for your annual holiday dinner and year-end review.

Using a complex tool like Basecamp to manage this kind of task is unnecessary, and could be distracting for the team. Setting up a quick Google Group for those involved, and then sharing drafts and meeting times via Docs and Calendars with members of said group is a much simpler and more effective solution, especially if everyone already has a Google account, which, at this stage, shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Simple, Single-Solution Event Planning

If you already have a Google Group set up for your work place or professional network, then there is no easier way to plan and prepare for an event than using the new sharing features.

Your invitee list is built-in, as long as everyone in your work group is invited to your work-related function or unit-wide meeting. Scheduling a time should be easy, thanks to Google Calendar access. Finally, drafting, finalizing and circulating agendas and meeting documents and supplementary material is a snap with Docs.

Maybe best of all, you can solicit post-meeting feedback from all of your event participants without having to email people individually, or prepare a paper-based survey or feedback form.

Freelancer Resource Sharing and Collaborative Solution Sourcing

If you have a like-minded group of colleagues you consistently go to for tips and advice, and who you help out in turn, then you may already have a Google Group in place for that purpose. If you don’t, the addition of resource sharing gives you a reason to start one.

It’s cleaner and less complicated than Twitter, doesn’t have the character restrictions, and allows for file sharing in addition to discussion. It’s a nice, private way of sourcing solutions for hiccups in your projects, away from the prying eyes of clients. Asking questions on public message boards always carries the risk of an embarrassing discovery.

Another good way for independent freelancers to use Google Groups with sharing is as a document template store. Having less to leverage from is one of the major downsides of being a freelance consultant. Sharing blank templates is a great way for a group of independent contractors to gain some IP to leverage from.

Share and Share Alike

Google Groups always used to be a bit like an awesome collector’s edition comic book. Really seemed like a good thing to have, but at best you put it on a shelf and never really look at it again. Now, it stands a chance of becoming a well-thumbed paperback, thanks to Google Apps integration that really should’ve been there from the beginning.

Does tighter integration with other Google products make Groups more attractive to you?

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Manymoon is well-designed, with a clean interface throughout. Of course, that’s true of a lot of project management web apps, and especially the free ones targeted at the independent, rather than the enterprise, user. Commands and tools are housed in submenus and tabs to keep visual clutter on any given page to a minimum. And I do find that everything is located where I intuitively expect it to be, which is not necessarily always the case in other apps.

Your home screen looks more like a Facebook newsfeed than the dashboard-type interface you might be used to from other comparable services. You receive updates here based on the recent activities of members of your project team. Things like the creation or completion of a task or a project, what any member is currently working on, and additions to the project team will all show up here as they occur.

Setting up a project is easy, and assigning sub-tasks within that project is as complicated or as simple as you need it to be. By default, task addition is shown in a convenient quick entry mode: all you need to enter is a title. Clicking “Show options” allows you to add more detailed information, like a due date, priority, project staff responsible and file attachments.

One really nice feature that sets Manymoon apart from other similar services is its Google Apps integration. You can tie your project and task deadlines to Google Calendar, right from within the web app, automatically. And you can attach documents directly from your Google Docs account, as well as those you upload from your hard drive. It’s definitely a huge plus if you depend on Google Docs as much as I do.

They’ve taken some cues from Facebook and Twitter, in that you can quickly and easily post about what you’re currently working on, or a useful link, from entry fields on the right of the home page. This certainly comes in handy when you want to draw your team’s attention to a useful resource without going to the trouble of sending a mass email.

While the basic version is free, Manymoon also offers two levels of upgrade, which offer you more storage space, and other custom options, for $5 and $10 a month. Since, for my purposes the 5MB allowed on the free version is more than enough, I highly recommend Manymoon as an inexpensive project management solution, especially to those who already depend heavily on Google Apps.

Does the Google Apps integration in Manymoon appeal to you?

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