Hosted calendar tool

Google"s much-rumored online storage service should be available in a few months, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal late on Monday that cites unnamed sources. The service would allow people to store any kind of data on Google servers and access it from any computer with an Internet connection. An unspecified amount of storage would be offered for free with additional amounts available for a fee, the report said. Google spokespeople did not return calls seeking comment on the report. A spokeswoman for the search company reached by the newspaper declined to comment on any specific plans but said "storage is an important component of making Web (applications) fit easily into consumers" and business users" lives." The news is hardly new and certainly not surprising. ***

Outlook can do a lot, but you"ve got to do a lot to get it there. Very small businesses that aren"t willing to invest the time or money in setting up a slick Outlook/Exchange installation can now get decent communication suites online. Previously I"ve covered Joyent (see also their limerick), and most recently I got pitched on HyperOffice, another online suite with email, a calendar, a contact manager, and collaboration features. (Credit: CNET Networks) I took the suite for a quick spin. It"s got solid workgroup functionality and a lot of the collaboration features that small businesses will need. ***

Siebel Systems, the customer relationship management software giant, has introduced the latest update to its online hosted software, adding new tools for workplace collaboration and product marketing. Wednesday's launch of the hosted software, dubbed Siebel CRM OnDemand Release 8, marks the fifth revision of the online tools that the company has released in the past 12 months. The software maker has been increasingly focused on the market for hosted CRM as rival Salesforce.com continues to grow at a rapid pace, while Siebel has struggled to meet earnings and sales expectations. ***