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Earlier this week, stealth startup CloudOn released a free iPad app that aimed to bring the functionality of Microsoft Office to the iPad. One day later, the company declared the app "sold out" and pulled it until they could expand capacity.
It has since been relaunched for some users, and will be opening up to more over time. In a post about the first day of CloudOn's public availability, the company shares some additional information about its privacy and security policies.
We enable you to be productive without overstepping our boundaries as a platform. Our privacy policy can be found at: www.cloudon.com/legal/privacy. We follow this privacy policy diligently across every part of our system.
From a security standpoint, none of your files are stored permanently on any of our systems. Your files are pulled only when you need them. Once you’ve finished editing them, they are saved back to Dropbox and wiped from our systems. We encrypt your credentials and also have 256-bit encryption between our servers and your client. We take pains to audit our security processes and improve them on a regular basis.
To determine if the application is available for download and if the service is active, visit the Status page on CloudOn's website. The CloudOn for iPad app is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
Back in stock, I suppose. Silly marketing tactics.
I woldn't be quite so cynical.
There may have been bandwidth issues
It's just a VNC or RDP connection to their server, where an actual instance of MS Office runs. I don't like that, because that means that all files I edit would be on their computers at some point. Plus access to my derpbox.
Of course it has to be something like that. What were you expecting? A MS Office version for for HTML, JAVA or PHP? It has to be hosted somewhere.Regarding security... well, I guess some level of trust has to exist. If you think about it, your files are exposed every time you send them via email.
And you trust Dropbox to store your files, right? How do you know they are not going to read them or steal your personal information?
Plus, your files are not even safe inside your own computer, considering it's exposed to the internet, and other people in your environment. Plus most people don't use a password or have their computers log in automatically when started.
I don't plan to use this service 24/7, as I run iWork on my iPad and I'm happy with the results, plus I can always access my MAC via LogMeIn, but it could be a day server in some cases.
ON :)
After trying to figure out for 15 minutes how to CLOSE a document that I had opened, I gave up. How the hell can you make an app where closing a document is so hidden and obscured ?
-t