by Juan Carlos Perez

Zoho apps can now be embedded as gadgets

news
Apr 16, 20092 mins

Data becomes accessible in Facebook, Gmail, and other sites compliant with OpenSocial APIs

Users of Zoho’s Web-hosted software suite will now be able to embed and access some of those applications’ data in external Web sites.

Zoho, which offers SaaS (software as a service) communication and collaboration applications for individuals and organizations, now lets users integrate Zoho data via gadgets in Facebook, Gmail, and any site that is compatible with the OpenSocial APIs.

[ See how Zoho fared against Google, IBM, and OpenOffice.org in InfoWorld’s Test Center review: Office killers pack some heat | Discover what’s new in business applications with InfoWorld’s Technology: Applications newsletter. ]

Zoho currently has gadgets available for its word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, e-mail, calendar, tasks, contacts, and planner applications. Gadgets for other Zoho applications will be available later, the company announced on Thursday.

Zoho Business, a suite of hosted Zoho collaboration and communication software designed for use by small and medium-size companies, is free for up to 10 users. Thereafter, it costs $50 per user per year. Zoho also has a set of applications available for personal use by individuals for free.

Zoho is one of a new wave of vendors that offer a SaaS-based alternative to traditional on-premise productivity and communication suites like Microsoft’s Office and Exchange. Zoho specifically targets individuals and small and medium-size businesses.