Microsoft has problem: Google Apps
Microsoft can probably expect some problems quite soon. The reason is that Google announced a new package of communication and office software known as Google Apps. This is aimed mainly against Microsoft and his bundled software or Microsoft Office, which basically dominate the market. The package, called Google Apps, combines two sets of previously available software bundles. One included programs for e-mail, instant messaging, calendars and Web page creation; the other, called Docs and Spreadsheets, included programs to read and edit documents created with Microsoft Word and Excel, the mainstays of Microsoft Office, an $11 billion annual franchise.
There’s one huge difference: Google Apps will be storing your data at Google computers. No localhost, no C:, but internet. I’m personally not completely sure if this is a good idea: I can easily imagine crowds of people who won’t be too happy of idea storing their files online “somewhere” on the internet. Google will continue to provide the extended bundle of software free to businesses and educational institutions. But it will also offer businesses additional e-mail storage and customer support for an annual fee of $50 a user.
By comparison, businesses pay on average about $225 a person annually for Office and Exchange, the Microsoft server software typically used for corporate e-mail systems, in addition to the costs of in-house management, customer support and hardware, according to the market research firm Gartner. Google said more than 100,000 small businesses had been using Google Apps for Your Domain, as the earlier package of e-mail and messaging programs was known. Docs and Spreadsheets had 432,000 users in December, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Microsoft says Office has 450 million to 500 million users. Well, still a long way to go…
Comments(11)
Many people will like the idea of an alternative Office pack, but the storage system is disappointing.
OpenOffice has been out there for ages. However, there was always something about it that I couldn’t like, despite the huge similarity to Microsoft Office, even version 2003. Now that 2007 is out, I can’t imagine myself using anything else other than that. Just the easiness in which you can format and create documents, spreadsheets and presentation is amazing.
What Google is doing here is offering an online alternative, not a free alternative. I’m not saying it’s not free, I’m saying that OpenOffice has been free since …forever. Google is trying to provide an all-around browser-accessed package of Office applications to continue its legacy around web applications that everyone can use.
The fact that users have no idea where their documents are saved doesn’t really wet my appetite, neither will it excite other potential users, in terms of security especially. And it’s another thing double-clicking a file in My Documents, and another thing browsing through 5 or so webpages before you can access the file you want.
Let’s give it some time and see how it goes.
i´ll just send google an email with my name, adress, age, phone number, email, a curriculum vitae, 2 photos, all my contacts etc and agree that they may use my data for whatever they want to .. just faster then using google aps …
…I’d do it too, if they promised to give me a good sum for my soul.
Wait so after working a day on the financial situation in company using my google spreadsheet software, they want me to give them all the files that have this information? Sorry, but this makes microsoft look like choirboys. What the hell are they thinking?
Good idea google. THey always come up with useful apps. Think, no more worrying about your hdd failing with your docs on it… with google you’re guaranteed stable and forever-ability.
The only way corporations will adopt this is if Google were to allow it to be hosted on the LAN or local httpd. I mean, run it on a local HTTP daemon, not a remote one.
A Google appliance would work good for this, a little box that is an http daemon and serves Google Apps up to the LAN. This is a real possibility …
Until then, not many really warm up to the idea of having their documents stored with Google. What makes matters worse is the sheer volume of information Google collects and can collate. If you were to use all Google services I have no doubt enough information would be collected to essentially know everything about you. Even if Google doesn’t use their data for nefarious purposes, the fact that it exists creates a huge risk.
This is a really bad idea. Google is really opening them selves up to huge law suits. As good as google is, everything is hackable, just look at HD DVD, and they will get hacked, and some one will steal all that data, and then the lawsuits will ensue.
I think dbcch is right, the information absolutely has to stay on local servers, at least that way Google can not be blamed for it, too much. Further, I would feel very insecure about having my data saved on some remote server.
Finally, I think google really needs to work on some stand alone calendar, email, and office apps. Perhaps something in C++ with independent widget set. The online apps have really good functionality, but even on my 6mbps connection they do not have the kind of snap normal apps have.
– Bogdan
Google is becoming more evil and vile than Microsoft could ever think to be. They are well on their way to owning all of the worlds information, regardless of whether they do it legally like this, or illegally like with YouTube. They are truly becoming a company to be hated. Who knew they could do it so quickly?!
No fucking way I’m storing ANY documents, etc I type on THEIR servers.
I rather Google help OpenOffice come up with an awesome file conversion tool…That flawlessly converts ANY MS Office doc, xls, etc regardless of version, into the ISO format that OpenOffice, KOffice, AbiWord, etc uses.
They’re wasting time, money and effort with such nonsense like this.
I know quite a few people that already use this. It fills the niche for small groups and companies that are widely dispersed. Having files online makes sense when you have several people scattered across the globe writing and reviewing the same doc. Have you watched people deal with this now? Confidential docs sent via email in the clear. Stored in known exploited Exchange “Public Folder” and FTP servers. And upload by browser to Kinkos for printing. Come on.
And for the paranoid, if you’re doing anything on a corporate machine you’ve lost any rights to ownership and privacy already. Based off the Fortune 500’s I’ve seen, standard corp security and BCP/failure mode is laughable. Trusting Google is no worse than trusting the “Microsoft Certified Infrastructure Technician” that some pin-headed IT boss hired.
Google was never a not-for-profit company. They’re now and have always been as evil as every other corporation. They want your money. Everyone just ignored that because they were too busy googling their own name.