Can Facebook Connect turbo charge Zoho's user growth?

Zoho really wants you to try its apps. And that means lowering the log-in hurdles.

The alternative office software company on Tuesday said that it will accept Facebook Connect as a log-in mechanism. With Facebook credentials accepted, Zoho will now accept the social networking site, Yahoo, Gmail and Google Apps as a way to use its applications.

Thus far, about 25 percent of Zoho's more than 2 million users come into the apps via another log-in. The hope: Zoho, which already enjoys a decent following among students, will convince some of Facebook's 400 million users to give the company's software a whirl.

In a nutshell:

• Zoho accepts Facebook credentials.
• Users with existing Zoho accounts can link with their Facebook credentials.
• Zoho users can share documents with others that don't have an account.

Zoho is currently adding 100,000 new users a month. We'll see if Facebook Connect can turbo charge that rate.