# MS Project and the cloud **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072 "2017-09-11T17:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/1 "2017-09-11T17:48:49Z")
I have an idea for work but I need to figure out if MS Project will work for us. Does MS Project in any flavor do this? Projects are available via the cloud, preferably needing a google drive account to access. Along with this, projects are secure meaning private to a couple of people as selected by the project manag (We have FERPA to contend with). In addition, multiple people can update the project as tasks are accomplished. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/2 "2017-09-11T19:00:21Z")
In theory, many people can access one MS Project database and update the project, with all changes being available to all users. In theory. In practice, I’ve seen the files get hopelessly corrupted just about every time, and we ended up having only one person doing all the actual updating to the file, based on email updates sent to that one person. It saved a world of problems. This was on a LAN-based system, not a cloud-based one, but I can’t imagine that would make things go any smoother. This was also several years ago, so it’s possible the program has become more stable. But I wouldn’t bet on it. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/3 "2017-09-11T19:47:35Z")
Look into Ms Project Online. It’s the cloud based version of Project. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/4 "2017-09-11T20:16:22Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > … > Along with this, projects are secure meaning private to a couple of people as selected by the project manag (We have FERPA to contend with). In addition, multiple people can update the project as tasks are accomplished. I’m not following the above. Only a couple people have any access at all to the project but lots of people can update it? What does that mean? Or are you trying to say that only a couple people can restructure the project by creating tasks, adding WBS, timelines, resources, etc. But anyone who is assigned a task can update its completion status? But nobody else’s tasks? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/5 "2017-09-12T14:55:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m not following the above. Only a couple people have any access at all to the project but lots of people can update it? What does that mean? Means nothing because that’s not what I said (I never said “lots”). If Adam, Betsy and Carmen have access to the project they can also update it or maybe only Adam and Betsy can update it and Carmen only has read-only access. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-project-and-the-cloud/796072/6 "2017-09-12T22:07:20Z")
We have the same requirements and we’ve moved to using Smartsheet for most of this (with file collaboration in Box). We have done some very large projects in Basecamp, which is great for collaboration but sorely lacking for task management and timeline visualization.