Many businesses make use of a Microsoft Exchange Server to manage their emails and files. True to its name, it requires a server, which is essentially a hard disk which runs all of the office applications and filters them down to each user on their computers. For example, it will collect all emails addressed to a specific domain (e.g. mysmalloffice.co.uk) and will then send the emails that correspond to each user to their inbox.
The system works well, and allows users their own emails, shared folders and calendars and even remote access for those who need to work away from the office, but an exchange server licence will set you back a considerable amount of cash, not to mention the actual server itself. Its also very complicated, so any company running an exchange server will need some form of IT support on hand for those times when things just stop working. Add on an extra server based anti virus plus the requirement for more exchange licences when your company takes on more people, and any other optional extras such as back up power supplies or VPN ultra secure access and you are looking at a very expensive option for a seemingly simple task.
Enter: Google Apps. Once you have bought a domain name, Google Apps will host all of the services you may currently be familiar with on Gmail, including emails, calendar (shared or not), documents, spreadsheets, presentations, chat and web space.
If you opt for a family or group account, the service is free, although subject to the up-time and support options of gmail. Paid for accounts come at $50 per user per year and offer better support and larger mailboxes. Benefits of Google Apps family or group version include:
- Email from your own domain e.g. john.smith@mysmalloffice.co.uk
- Thousands of users, free. Each user has their own account.
- Mail storage per user equivalent to Gmail. Set to reach 6 gigabytes on 1st January 2008
- Excellent Gmail spam filters
- In built Anti Virus checking of emails
- Integrates seamlessly with Thunderbird, Outlook, and most other desktop clients.
- Access anywhere, including on your mobile phone or Blackberry.
Calendar
- Award winning Gmail Calendar interface
- Shared or private
- Free calendar alerts by email, screen pop-up or even text message.
- Access anywhere, including on your mobile phone or Blackberry.
Chat
- Within your company or with other Gmail users
Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations
- Online functionality only, with the ability to save your work to your computer. You can also upload existing documents to Google Apps
- Access your documents anywhere, auto saves your work regularly.
- Share and collaborate. Allow multiple people to edit and draft the same work in real time from different computers anywhere in the world.
- Access anywhere, including on your mobile phone or Blackberry.
Webspace
- 100 Megabytes of free space
- Drag and drop, no HTML knowledge required.
- The functionality is limited but Google are working on it.
Administrator Functionality
- Create and delete new users with ease
- Limit functionality on certain services
- Far more simple to administer than Microsoft Exchange
- Create start pages, include your own company logo on emails and calendars, plus give your employees their own dedicated login page, e.g. mail.mysmalloffice.co.uk
Pros and Cons
This is a matter of debate, but the fact that your emails, documents etc are stored externally on Google servers has both its advantages and disadvantages. Some critics of “Big Brother” Google question its privacy policies, and storing your valuable and potentially secret data with Google, some say, is insecure. If you are less of a conspiracy theorist, one may fear that their company is at the mercy of Google up-time – if things go wrong you have to wait for Google to fix the problem, in their own time. The flip side is that you don’t need your own company server, only an internet connection, and many small companies argue that they would rather have a team of Google engineers working on a glitch than a private IT consultancy sweating away in an overheated server cupboard in your office.
Regardless of all this, if you need integrated office and email functionality for little to no cost, Google Apps is undoubtedly the best place to start.
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