workflow," says Cross. "When the person confirms the appointment, it goes on my [Google] calendar, and I'm alerted on my phone. So between the collaboration of those two features, it works great for me." According to Cross, Google Apps for businesses is quickly becoming a necessity and less of a neat product to try. The interoperability of the apps, along with the accessibility of the cloud, he says, provide many people the opportunity to leverage office technology efficiently for the first time. "It will be interesting to see how other software companies survive going forward, because Web-based apps are more than just a fad," says Cross. "It's not the 'wave of the future' -- it's right now." Dig Deeper: 5 Great Software Packages for Bootstrappers J.J. McCorvey is a reporter at Inc. magazine, where he covers a wide range of topics, including technology and business research. He has covered metro news for The Detroit News , and his work has been featured in Men's Fitness . @jmccorvey