Productivity scores points

Zoho.com is never going to be the trendiest website out there, but in terms of productivity, it may offer more than any one else online.

The site includes a word processor, a spreadsheet, a data base and even web conferencing, to name just a few of the site's 17 services.

While many sites that offer web applications usually only offer stripped-down versions with minimum support, Zoho offers high-end, commercial applications. The word processing program, called Zoho Writer (Zoho gets lots of credit for innovation, but low marks for style), offers drop down menus and push-button formatting.

While there wasn't any information on how often the software is updated, the software is a product of AdventNet Inc, a company that has been around since 1996. It's likely that updates will be regular since the company is trying to sell the site as a package.

There seems to be some concern that the site is too good to be free, but AdventNet says it plans to keep some entry-level applications free permanently. As of this writing, 10 of the services where free to individual users, 5 were subscription-based and two were still in testing. There are also four utilities currently offered for free.

It looks like the company will really start to make subscription fees through the connectivity the programs offer to businesses. Document created in Zoho Writer can also be used in a number of other Zoho web applications, such as Zoho Sheet, a spreadsheet program. Companies can organize projects, edit calendars and even manage customer relations through the web site. There is also a plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, so customer data doesn't have to re-entered.

The site offers a number of other services, including the ability to share document in Facebook and view document on the iPhone and mobiles with the Windows OS. For really advanced users, the site offers an open Application Programming Interface (API) which lets anyone who knows how to integrate Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show data into their own applications.

Like I said, the site doesn't get many points for style, but it gets massive points for productivity, perhaps even rivaling Microsoft Office and IBM's Lotus Suite.