7 things you should know about Google Apps

This is one of the "7 things you should know ..." series from Educause. The 7 things are:

• What it is - "a collection of web-based programs and file storage that run in a web browser, without requiring users to buy or install software";
• Who's doing it - especially higher ed students and institutions;
• How it works - via a web browser, with the ability to set permissions, see different versions of the documents, and much of the functionality is available on mobile devices;
• Why it's significant - saves costs (the institution doesn't need to provide IT support) and it's shareable;
• The downsides - loss of control, security ...;
• Where it's going - "increased integration across the family of Google companies"; and
• Implications for teaching and learning - facilitates building a more collaborative environment.