What is it?
Google Apps is a great tool for businesses of all sizes, but especially good for small businesses and non-profits due to the fact that there is a free version. Google provides email, an office suite (including a word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation designer, and more), video storage (for the paid version) and it’s all on your own domain so potential clients, website visitors, and anyone else will have no idea that your email is being hosted by Google, and for free! It may or may not be a full-time replacement for your Microsoft or other office suite, but its getting closer every day.
What can it do for me?
Here are some of the reasons you should consider using Google Apps for your domain:
1. Gmail
- Google Apps for Domains makes it totally transparent that you’re using Gmail as your email provider
- You are provided with over 7GB of email storage
- It features great spam protection, without installing any additional software
- Your email will have the same great search capability that Google web searches offer
- Access it from anywhere you have web access
- IMAP/POP3 option. You don’t have to use the web interface. You can still use your favorite email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc…)
- Google Talk, the Google chat application is integrated into the web page
2. Google Docs
- Create, edit and update documents, spreadsheets and presentions online
- Online Storage. No need to worry about making off-site backups!
- Collaboration. You can share your documents with anyone and allow them to view and/or edit.
- Share documents privately or publish them publicly.
- Access your documents from any place you have web access
- Offline option, you can view and edit documents even when you can’t connect to the web
3. Calendar
- Share your calendar with others
- Sync with your mobile devices
- Create events and invite others
- Publish your calendar and even embed it in your website
4. 3rd Party integration and tools
- The Google Apps Marketplace has been launched and is growing quickly
- You can find 3rd Party applications that work with Google Apps, many of which are free
There is also some pretty good free support for Google Apps and other Google products on their support forum.
The Bottom Line
Google Apps is a great product that can save you money and increase your productivity. And as I mentioned, it’s FREE. There really isn’t a reason not to try it. We recommend it to all of our clients, and in fact, we do not even host email any longer. I encourage you to check out Google Apps for Domains and see how it can help you run your business better.
Leave a note and let everyone know how you have or will use Google Apps to help you and/or your business.
