SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Google Inc. is planning to offer a free bundle of services, including email and scheduling tools, as it moves to complete with Microsoft Inc. in the business and education market, according to a media report Sunday. Google (GOOG : google inc cl a News , chart, profile, more Last: 373.26-0.47-0.13% 4:15am 08/28/2006 Delayed quote data Add to portfolio Analyst Create alert Insider Discuss Financials Sponsored by: GOOG373.26, -0.47, -0.1% ) plans on Monday to begin offering "Google Apps for Your Domain" that will allow organization to use email, calendar, instant messaging and Web-page creation services, The Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition. See Wall Street Journal story (subscription required). The offerings are based on Google's free consumer versions of the applications and are designed to allow organizations to provide email and other services to employees, students or members without having to manage the software or hardware the services run on, The Journal said. It follows Google's February release of a similar offering for organizations called "GMail for Your Domain," focused solely on Web email, according to The Journal story.. Google later this year plans to release a fee-based "Google Apps for Your Domain" offering for larger organizations that will come with additional features such as extra data storage and technical support, The Journal reported. Google's move puts it in further competition with Microsoft (MSFT : Microsoft Corporation News , chart, profile, more Last: 25.85+0.11+0.43% 4:11am 08/28/2006 Delayed quote data Add to portfolio Analyst Create alert Insider Discuss Financials Sponsored by: MSFT25.85, +0.11, +0.4% ) , which caters to organizations of all sizes with sales of its Outlook and Exchange email, address book and calendar software , programs that are installed on its customers' computers, The Journal said. The competition with Microsoft could intensify if Google eventually adds its online spreadsheet and word-processing applications to its Apps bundle, according to The Journal. Google Enterprise General Manager Dave Girouard said those applications were "really good candidates" to become part of the "Google Apps for Your Domain," The Journal reported. Girouard played down any competition with Microsoft, saying some organizations would likely use both the Google Apps and Microsoft products, according to the story. Alan Yates, Microsoft's general manager for information worker business strategy, said that he didn't know to what degree Google's new bundle of services would compete with what Microsoft provides, according to the report. "It depends a lot on who they're targeting" in terms of customers, The Journal quoted Yates as saying. End of Story Soruce - marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7BB4F20C1C-A04B-4A5C-A570-DB1D9F7D0F7A%7D
OK, so I was pretty excited to see that my early predictions for a Google CRM (http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=65107) have come true. Although the word processor and spreadsheet aren't included yet, it's still a hefty offering. However, Google is missing a serious gaping hole: lack of synchronization If they really want to compete with hosted Exchange services ($5/month per user), they need to nclude syncing. Think about it: no one is always connected. Business users are mobile, they need offline access to their email/calendar/contacts/files on their laptop or PDA Until this is insluded, I won't even think of recommending it for any clients.
Google made moves Sunday to enter the business software market by introducing a suite of applications that include e-mail, communications and calendaring capabilities that are already offered separately by the search provider. The Web-based applications will be offered for free, and seem to be a competitor to Microsoft's Office Live product. Google Apps for Your Domain includes the e-mail service Gmail, a Web-based version of its Google Talk software, Google Calendar, and Google Page Creator, a Web site design application. While in beta the service would be free, although Google may charge those who sign up for the product after the beta ends. In its current form, Google Apps is intended for small businesses and organizations. However, by the end of the year the company plans to offer a version of the service useable by large corporations and government agencies. While IT administrators would have complete control over branding, color scheme and content, all data would be stored by Google on their own servers. The services would use a company's own domain name, which Google said would require some changes to domain settings in order to accomplish. In a further challenge to Microsoft, the search giant is considering adding both its Writely Web-based word processing application as well as Google Spreadsheet to the service. If Google does include those applications, and markets it widely, it would be the first serious challenge to Microsoft's Office productivity suite in several years. However, Google executives are quick to play down any talk of "replacing" Office, saying the services would likely run side-by-side on many office computers. Instead of replacing, executives say they are "looking for new ways" to solve common productivity issues. Analysts disagree with the executives, however, saying Google's moves clearly position it to directly compete with Microsoft in the business software industry. Officially Written by Ed Oswald
Interesting read. I like a good fight. But I wonder what content will be stored on G's servers - The color/branding config or actual data?
Thank you for the article but please do a little bit of cleanup before posting it as it is. It is difficult if not annoying to read.
It will be interesting to see what happens when they add Gsheet and Writely to the mix.. Writely is great.. I think Gsheet (google spreadsheet) is a little cumbersome compared to excel.
Hello Everyone, I just wanted to share this news with everyone, What are your thoughts?? http://blogs.zdnet.com/Gardner/index.php?p=2338
http://www.webpronews.com/2006a/0829.html I think it's good idea to start using https://www.google.com/a/
Google launched a free packaged business solution for enterprises on Sunday, August 27th including online chat, email, calendars, and hosting. More info here: New Google Software Your opinion? What brings this Software from your point of view?
I have serious privacy issues using any google service. They are out to collect data and I think most business would be fools to make someone in the data collection business the keepers of their information. It's crazy, but poeple will use it I bet. Go figure!
Nor do they meet the requirements for privacy that MS apps do. The same type morons that have been convicted of crimes for posting stupid shit on blogs are the only people that will ignore common sense and use these google apps. This is of no threat what so ever to MS. A real business will buy the MS apps, hell, even use OS apps and keep the data private and on the internal computers. PT Barnum would be a gazzionair if he could have been using the internet. There's a sucker born every minute!