Google Apps : What’s in It for My Organization?

As part of the Google Apps program, Google hosts your e-mail, documents,spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, and more at little or no cost. A team,business, school, or organization of any size can have Google Apps up and running quickly. When you use Google Apps, your IT resources aren’t so drained because Google takes care of the technical details. Oh, yeah and they keep your information safe and secure.

Here are a few additional features of Google Apps that may grab the attention of decision makers and your IT department:

1. You don’t have to purchase or set up any hardware.
2. Because Google Apps are Web-based applications, you don’t need to download, install, update, or pay for software again when new versions are released. (Except for a Web browser, of course, and at least you don’t have to pay for that.)
3. Your organization can use its own domain name for e-mail addresses and Web pages when you use Google Apps.
4. Google boasts a 99.9% reliability rate, which means that the service rarely, if ever, goes down.
5. Google takes care of all the data backup and support operations.
6. Google provides online support resources for free and gives 24/7 support — including phone-based support — for Premier Edition and Education Edition users.
7. You can set up users quickly by using the Dashboard.
8. A single sign-on adds convenience for Premier Edition users. Users can sign in once and access all their Google Apps in addition to other corporate intranet or school resources.
9. Gmail can support an existing e-mail gateway.
10. Administrators can access e-mail migration tools for Premier Edition and Education Edition customers.
11. Gmail protects users by constantly updating and running very effective and efficient spam-blocking, virus-protection, and filtering software. Don’t forget one of the biggest advantages of using Google Apps: Whether you’re at the office, traveling, working from home, or sipping a latte in a café that has a wireless hotspot, as long as you have a live Internet connection, you can log into your Google Apps account. Also, you can check your e-mail and do other tasks from your mobile device.