After Google launched a corporate package that includes mail, calendar and Page Creator, the question that rises is: will they be successful?
I think Google will only be successful with their program for schools and will have a moderate success only for small organizations.
Why? Businesses don't want to lose control over their information. Storing mails, documents, web pages on Google servers sounds tempting, but businesses want predictability and control. They'll also fear that Google's services aren't that reliable (Gmail has problems daily) and their image will suffer. "I couldn't answer you mail, dear client. Gmail was down for about an hour."
A solution like Page Creator is useful for students that want to have a personal page, but a small business won't be satisfied with such limited options.
Then there's the problem of privacy. A compromised Google Account might result in the disclosure of a lot of sensitive data. Google also has the right to close an account without giving any explanation. Furthermore, revealing to much data about your business to Google would seem unacceptable to many people.
August 28, 2006
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I agree.
ReplyDeleteThey have a lot of work to do before businesses will use this.
--Ioannus de Verani
You know, you have a point. And i am a google fan. What stinks is this they release a corporate release after i made my capstone talking about gmail for domains. My capstone project was a presentation for a mock college.
ReplyDeleteI see another source of problems for Corporate Google Office in this version, this problem are admins. For now many companies hire admins to keep theirs mail and web servers, even if those servers are hosted by another companies, but Corporate Google Office is too simply in administration, admins aren't needed, so admins will blocks this solution.
ReplyDeleteI think better way for Google will be creation of Corporate Google Office as separated servers [ex. like Google Mini], which will be placed internal in companies.
i actually find the MOST difficult obstacle for the success of this endeavor won't be so much the product reliability or privacy, but for my company it'll be delving into anything with a remotely foreign interface.
ReplyDeletei can't even get people to try OpenOffice with toolbars customized to look like MSOffice because it's slightly different. Their immediate withdrawal is any type of learning curve. It's infuriating to think that even a simplified interface like Writely or Spreadsheets would intimidate these people.
End rant, continue fume.
I think the privacy issue can be moderate by the fact that Google could lend all the infrastructure. If we look at what they are doing with the search box, we can think about a container with CPU, storage and so on. Then, the lient just plug into its network and roll. Many start-ups (in biotech for example) pay a lot at the beginning for all that crap. Google offer gives a quick and powerful tool to use. And I didn't mention the fact that every one will have the habitsof using G applications at home.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that in big companies, it's not the admins that rule but $$$. So, if managers say so, good luck to us.
The Bell Tolls For Microsoft
ReplyDeleteToday Google released a new service named Google Apps for Your Domain. Notice I didn't say software package. Reffering to this new service as a software package would be doing it a disservice.
This is not merely a collection of free software/services that Google is offering. That in itself is pretty nice for small business owners. I owned a small company during the late 1980's through the late 1990's, and I would have loved not having to spend all the money I did on software packages, that were no more functional than what Google is offering now for free. What Google is offering business owners, is the chance to re-think the way they do business, at no financial cost.
How nice would it be to buy "packaged" software, and then get your money back a month later when you discover it really doesn't meet your needs? If you're anything like me, you have a lot of software collecting dust, because it didn't do what you thought it would. Google is offering the chance to try a new business model for free, and if doesn't work, you can always go back to over paying Microsoft for average software.
Every day the web-centric world moves a little further away from the desktop as we know it. Every day Microsoft pretends that they still are a player. Every day the true web players, distance themselves further from the desktop world. The bell tolls a little longer, a little louder, every day. I'm guessing Microsoft can hear the ringing in their ears.
I’m Guessing
http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com
imguessingblog@gmail.com
I agree with Thomas: little business, independent professionals and micro-companies will be good clients. There is a market outside USA and Europe. In many cases Google will be more reliable than local ISP and local hosting services.
ReplyDeleteI've signed up for this service and have to say that I thoroughly enjoy it. It's super easy to adminstrate, the spam filtering works extremely well so far with only 1 false positive. Not only that but it allows for collaboration with people not physically based in your doffice using the calendar. If I want to back up my email I can simply POP it into my Outlook. Privacy issues? Does Google really care what my small enterprise is up too? Probably not and I think it's a moot point. Sure they don't guarantee data integrity, but most ISP's do not either and neither does my local hd. The sense that email is private in any regard once it leaves your outbox is a fiction no matter what service you're using. All in all, I can't wait for more services to be added in such as domain based documents and perhaps even remote storage.
ReplyDeleteAs a small business owner, I like to see the big outfits trying to offer a solution to M$ marked up, overloaded software. Of course everyone in the corporate world is using Word/Excel/PPT, but they have the IT budget IN PLACE! What about the start -ups that can barely purchase new desktops, let alone $500.00 software!
ReplyDeleteEvery new machine I build has a few keys software packages pre-installed:
1. OpenOffice.org (latest build)
2. AVG Anti Virus
3. Adaware, CCleaner, Spybot S&D
4. Adobe Acrobat Reader
5. Google or Yahoo Toolbar
6. Link on Desktop to Google or Yahoo for ease of use.
I have not had one computer come back for software issues, and rarely have I had a user 'complain' that they 'needed' Microshaft bloatware.
George Boyce
Owner
www.gbpluspcrepair.com
I think that google hits the spot here, why use expensive machines and software when you can run your business in the cloud.
ReplyDeletethe only downside of this is that if google changes something that it is for everybody that is on the boat. but then again that is the same for updates etc.. aswell so i think its a good thing
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