[Updated] Seems Taylor Woodrow (large UK construction company) also gained savings by moving to GMail and beyond - CIO Magazine report
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Rod Drury (local entrepeneur) has suffered from a lack of Google Docs functionality and made the statement, Google Docs is not a team collaboration tool. His point isn't limited to a select piece of functionality but the overall experience/approach/culture of Google:
I questioned whether the tool was the right tool for what he and his team were trying to do.
However, I would question the underlying belief that Rod and others have about Google "not being good enough for the 'enterprise'*". If your organisation is not limited by legal issues (as NZ Government agencies maybe - learn more) then I believe all sizes of companies will gain immediate benefit from moving to 'cloud computing' which I believe is currently best served by the Google Applications (although Zoho is most certainly not to be sniffed at).
Note that this is work that your 'knowledge worker' carrys out - information creation, dissemination and collaboration. I don't advocate using Google Spreadsheets to run your accounting system (Xero can do that for you).
Having said that I would not necessarily advocate you dump what you have and start afresh with Google Apps - if using the network drive and Word 97 works for you, stay there - I would challenge that being unconnected really works for you as words love to be free.
Maybe the approach is similar to the newly announced Auckland University GMail roll out and start using the simplest 'cloud computing' application, email. Once you have people in the cloud then you have many more options, GMail + Zoho Docs + Xero + ... you are free(er) to choose. Of course it may be easier to use the Google offerings but hey, that's your choice(ish).
Other related posts:
* Can you define "enterprise" for the world?
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Rod Drury (local entrepeneur) has suffered from a lack of Google Docs functionality and made the statement, Google Docs is not a team collaboration tool. His point isn't limited to a select piece of functionality but the overall experience/approach/culture of Google:
I’m sure Google themselves do this all the time and for that very basic scenario not be handled shows a staggering lack of enterprise empathy or knowledge.
I questioned whether the tool was the right tool for what he and his team were trying to do.
However, I would question the underlying belief that Rod and others have about Google "not being good enough for the 'enterprise'*". If your organisation is not limited by legal issues (as NZ Government agencies maybe - learn more) then I believe all sizes of companies will gain immediate benefit from moving to 'cloud computing' which I believe is currently best served by the Google Applications (although Zoho is most certainly not to be sniffed at).
Note that this is work that your 'knowledge worker' carrys out - information creation, dissemination and collaboration. I don't advocate using Google Spreadsheets to run your accounting system (Xero can do that for you).
Having said that I would not necessarily advocate you dump what you have and start afresh with Google Apps - if using the network drive and Word 97 works for you, stay there - I would challenge that being unconnected really works for you as words love to be free.
Maybe the approach is similar to the newly announced Auckland University GMail roll out and start using the simplest 'cloud computing' application, email. Once you have people in the cloud then you have many more options, GMail + Zoho Docs + Xero + ... you are free(er) to choose. Of course it may be easier to use the Google offerings but hey, that's your choice(ish).
Other related posts:
- Free Event: Google in the Public Sector (Fri 25th July: 8:30am-10:30am)
- Google Docs ... so what - the ONE reason why you should care
- Will the Google revolution engulf IT departments? No.
- How close is Google Apps (with Sites) to Microsoft's SharePoint?
- Google Apps ("docs" + calendar + talk) is getting easier for teams
* Can you define "enterprise" for the world?
I'm sure that internet-based services are the way of the future, but Google has a long way to go to be enterprise-grade. (The jury is also out on whether Microsoft can switch its stuff to cloud based - as you and i both well know!)Both might get a viable solution by acquiring someone with a smarter solution, e.g. Zoho, but Google still has to get its culture to support enterprise-grade apps right.
ReplyDeletePS I own some Google - it's an awesome money machine and I can't see anyone close to knocking its place in search and ads for some time.