Google Apps for Your Domain 1

[dennisbbb]

1) "Google Apps for Your Domain" will provide hosting for your company's domain. Does this spell the end of Microsoft's Exchang+Outlook franchise in the next 5 years?

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Gmail for your domain email
Calendar
Google Chat
Google Web Pages
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2) If google then add the Office package such as Word and Excel, does that also spell then end Microsoft's Office?


What do you guys think?

 

[strongm]

Well, not for a fair number (actually probably all) of our clients. They mostly don't like the idea of a 3rd party that isn't under their full control hosting their email. At all.

 

[Grenage]

Web-based services are great, I love them and use them all the time - on a personal level. On a company level I want all services and services localy hosted. I don't see many companies abandoning the level of control they currently have.

As for Word/Excel clones, if Open Office cannot make a serious dent in Microsoft's coverage then I see no reason for any other product to fare better.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[grande]

Google Spreadsheet is currently in Beta.
Writely was just recently purchased by Google.

-------------------------
Call me barely Impressive Captain.

 

[dennisbbb]

Like it has been before, give it some time, people, and ultimately companies, will jump on the bandwagon to hosting these services in-house.

I suspect initially small business with no IT department will be the first to jump onto this service.

 

[kHz]

Large enterprises wouldn't do it on a large scale - if at all. Security and customization of applications are tow of the biggest reasons.

 

[addy]

if Open Office cannot make a serious dent in Microsoft's coverage then I see no reason for any other product to fare better.

I suspect Google may well have a few more dollars to play with when it comes to advertising their new products.

Plus, they can advertise them on their homepage which is accessed by millions on a daily basis - open office just doesn't have this level of market exposure.

 

[Grenage]

That's a good point, addy. One I had not considered.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[pmonett]

I'm with Grenage on this one : I don't see companies put business-critical information on a server over which they have no control, hosted by a company that can change its ToS whenever it pleases it. Not to mention that Internet connectivity is still a sight more fickle than basic LAN connectivity nowadays.

I don't think it happen professionally before quite a while, whatever the size of the company. Besides, if a company is too small to have an IT department, installing a network to make all PCs connect to the internet won't be any easier than simply installing a network. And if they can't install a network, then the PCs probably won't have Internet connection either. Plus, it's useless if there is only one PC (yes, some companies only have one PC and very few know how to use it).

So, Google might make a killing for hosting personal stuff (thus creating even more danger to the privacy of those who trust the service), but really, I doubt companies will sign up for it in any significant numbers.

Pascal.

 

[kHz]

Google. Shmoogle.

I am as tired of Google as I am of Microsoft and Linux.

Really. How can a company have stock that is 5 times higher than IBM? How can a company have stock that is higher than GE?

How can a company have that much value without holding real estate and other liquid holding? Because of their algorithm? Their is a chance they will lose their lead in a couple of years with the pace of change in technology. They do have some value, but it shouldn't be valued more than IBM; Google in my eyes is overvalued and is just a current bandwagon.

I won't put a dime of my money into a Google or Amazon.

 

[buck2506]

I don't think a company would(or should) trust sensitive documents, e-mail, etc. to a third party company that can be coerced into giving up the data. Especially when the third party is a company like Google whose primary business is indexing and retrieving search queries.

Can you imagine the lawsuits after some company's private data/trade secrets were made public through a search?

 

[AlexCuse]

I agree with kHz. I think Google is kind of grasping at straws to get some kind of actual production out of their company. Without real production they will not be able to maintain the high stock prices they are currently enjoying. I certainly don't think they have found the golden goose here.

Alex


It's a magical time of year in Philadelphia. Eagles training camp marks the end of another brutal season of complaining about the Phillies.

 

[jsteph]

Hosted spreadsheets? What happesn when the network's down? Or when you want to work on the train and can't get a wireless connection? Why take the chance? In my opinion, you'd have to have it locally installed for these types of apps--period.
--Jim

 

[dennisbbb]

Guys, all your concerns will be taken care of by the almighty Google enterprise. Give it time.

1) Google can offer a locally installed spreadsheet/word app based on java.

2) You want redundancy? Google wil ALWAYS be up. Your own network dies before Google is ever offline.

3) Security? They can encrypt your files with private keys. They also allow you to download and store your own files as backup.

4) Value of their stock is really based on the market. Tangible assets are only a small part of the market price calculations.

5) Mission critical application to the company's vitality with Google is equal to or much more dependable than relying on a few IT guys.

Regards!

 

[AlexCuse]

re: Security

I sincerely doubt that companies holding sensitive data (ie prospect social security numbers) would want, or even be allowed by law, to place it on google's servers.

re: Stock Value

Value of any stock is really based on the market, but when demand in the market is driven by hype and how 'cool' it is to own google stock, things are bound to 'cool' off.

This will generate some real production out of their company, and I guess it not really a very risky proposition for them, as they are just seizing the opportunity to market applications originally developed for internal use. With that, I think I could justify paying 1/20th of the current price of google stock ;-)


I really like google for a variety of reasons. Despite being a SQL Server guy, I really think that Microsoft needs some competition so they stay sharp (nobody wants to see another windows 2000!).

So while I will never agree with Google's insane stock prices, and I have my doubts about how well this enterprise of theirs will do, I will be hoping that it succeeds, just to provide the thorn microsoft needs in its side for motivation.

Alex


It's a magical time of year in Philadelphia. Eagles training camp marks the end of another brutal season of complaining about the Phillies.

 

[pmonett]

The fact that Google is always up is more or less undeniable, unfortunately if my LAN is down it is also irrelevant.

And I do not see why a company would want to install yet another spreadsheet application from a company that can require an update as much as every day, when Office 2000 does the job more than adequately locally.

Sorry, but the problem I have with online resources is not the fact that it is a company or another offering the service, it's just that there are too many intermediaries between me and my data for me to trust the whole thing.

One day the Internet will be on five 9s as far as availability and bandwidth are concerned, that day we'll be sure that online apps are fine. Right now, any number of reasons can take your ISP down, and any one of them means your data is unavailable.

A local spreadsheet is available until the electricity goes down, and that happens a lot less often than the Internet.

Pascal.

 

[dennisbbb]

http://docs.google.com

Google Inc. is making its word processing and spreadsheet programs available for free to all comers on its Web site, marking the Internet search leader's latest effort to provide an alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s dominant software applications.


This is the beginning of the end of MS Office domination for the last decade. Once Google makes it part of the GoogleDesktop, it will be game over.

 

[kHz]

This is the beginning of the end of MS Office domination for the last decade. Once Google makes it part of the GoogleDesktop, it will be game over.

And free Linux was the end of Windows. Oh wait! Windows still exists, as much as before Linux.

 

[Grenage]

True, although windows doesn't cost £350 (or whatever today's prices are on Office). I welcome competition, but aye, Office is heavily utilized by more than just end users writing letters. So many bespoke systems are coded to work specifically with MS word/excel/access.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[AlexCuse]

Following on Grenage's comment, What about other applications?

Are you going to be able to call GoogleSpreadsheet from a VB, Access, SQLServer, etc... Application? Are you going to be able to automate tasks? Are people going to have to learn GoogleBasic v 1.0 to debug macros?

These applications may be fine for a casual home user but I still don't think they will cut it for business purposes.

Dennis- do you own work for Google, own Google stock, or do you just hate Microsoft? To say that this is the beginning of the end is laughable. This could be progress, but it will take at least fifteen years in my opinion for these google apps to enjoy the kind of following MS Office has today.

Professor: But what about your superintelligence?
Gunther: When I had that there was too much pressure to use it. All I want out of life is to be a monkey of moderate intelligence who wears a suit. That's why I've decided to transfer to Business School.
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