Thursday, June 11, 2009
Google Targets Exchange
It is not a secret that Google has sights set on Microsoft's enterprise jaugernaut - Exchange. Google Apps has begun a reseller program that has a lot of sales and promotional materials for sellers. Google's sync with nearly any smartphone strategy is working well.
The good news is that Google has a plug-in on the way that will synchronize Outlook with Google Apps email, calendar, and contacts. Google is light on details on options available or the frequency of synchronization. A release date is also missing from the details. You can watch the video here for more information.
This subject does bring us back to a previous post about Cemaphore. If you cannot wait for the Google plug-in you can option Cemaphore MailShadow Desktop Edition. Cemaphore also offers other products that backup your Exchange server to Google Apps.
One problem does persist. Some users will never leave Outlook. They have built their most basic communications and work flows around Outlook. It is a tough transition moving from the world of folders to labels. Yes, Outlook can work with Apps but it is not elegant by any stretch. The other factor is that some business applications rely on Outlook to communicate via email.
The good news is that Google has a plug-in on the way that will synchronize Outlook with Google Apps email, calendar, and contacts. Google is light on details on options available or the frequency of synchronization. A release date is also missing from the details. You can watch the video here for more information.
This subject does bring us back to a previous post about Cemaphore. If you cannot wait for the Google plug-in you can option Cemaphore MailShadow Desktop Edition. Cemaphore also offers other products that backup your Exchange server to Google Apps.
Labels: Apps, Cemaphore, Exchange, Gmail, Google
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Cemaphore - Using Outlook with Google Apps
Many have fallen in love with Google Apps including Gmail and Google Calendar, but there are those that still have gotten used to the Outlook interface and folder work flow. Good news for Outlook lovers. A start up called Cemaphore is developing an plug in for Outlook that will interface with Google Apps in much the same way that Outlook interfaces with Microsoft Exchange server.
Robert Scoble has a demonstration video. The execution is still a bit shaky in this video, and they have user preference issues to work out. Overall, the product looks very promising.
This will place Google into a position to be a killer-application for business users. One instance where I can see this to be useful is where Outlook is the bridge between a business application and email. Much software today relies on Outlook to manage email such in sending quotations or communications directly from the software. This will free companies up to use centralized, always-available email with their business applications.
This tool will also eliminate the need for expensive and IT-task-intensive Microsoft Exchange. This will satisfy the same 24/7 email access without the need for a server in the office running day and night. The main advantage of Exchange has been the always backed up central repository of email and scheduling. Google will be able to satisfy this need even more readily with their massive data infrastructure.
Some will argue that this is already available with hosted Exchange. That is true, but the pricing cannot even compare. I have reviewed hosted Exchange plans that cost from $10 to $12 per month compared to Google's $50 per year. The other problem is that a hosted Exchange provider does not exist that can offer the data integrity and availability that is available from Google.
All right. Enough Google-loving for one day.
Labels: Cemaphore, Exchange, Gmail, Google
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