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Google has found a new way to push its applications out to many business users

While Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL are bickering with each other, Google is trying to pad its own lead by making deals of its own.  Google expanded its collaboration deal with Salesforce, a leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution provider. 

Google and Salesforce worked out a deal that will integrate Google Apps, including Gmail into Saleforce's software.  Saleforce's user base will now have access to these integrated options neatly inside their standard CRM software.  The software had previously only had the Google AdWords component built into it.

Many see Google Apps as a direct assault by Google on Microsoft's Office suite, one of Microsoft's most long-standing and most valuable businesses.  With Google pushing for an offline version of its Apps, which include an office suite, and it incorporating the programs into business software, many see the move as an attempt to cut away at Microsoft's Office business.  Said Garett Rogers of the blog Googling Google, "Google Apps is quickly becoming a pain in Microsoft’s side."

The deal has yet to be officially announced by Google and Salesforce, but the two companies published several papers on the deal.  According to Salesforce, clients can use Gmail, Google Chat, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Startpage with sales and marketing dashboard components.  Users can associate Google Docs with sales data inside the Salesforce apps.

It is clear that Google Docs lags behind the capabilities of Microsoft Office, and would not meet all the needs of power users.  Also, many business users likely write off Microsoft Office license fees as business expenses.  And many note that Salesforce users already likely have Microsoft Office on their notebooks, making Google Apps less critical.

Nonetheless, Salesforce is touting a few of its clients as Google Apps success stories.  Many hope that these examples will both encourage Microsoft's Office team to stay competitive and innovative, and likewise will motivate Google's Doc team to improve on its bare bones functionality.

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really?
By omnicronx on 4/14/2008 4:48:35 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Many see Google Apps as a direct assault by Google on Microsoft's Office suite
'Ooops, internet is down, too bad we are running off internet based google apps, go home people you can have the day off'

Google Apps will not have an impact until they reach the desktop market, I would argue that currently its only used to edit, and fix up documents, or maybe at the most using it if office is not installed on the computer you are currently using. My friends and family have enough trouble saving their work as it is (you know, the kind of people who type up an entire document before saving), an internet based app is not going to help things.




RE: really?
By SlipDizzy on 4/14/2008 5:25:27 PM , Rating: 2
RE: really?
By feelingshorter on 4/15/2008 12:15:23 AM , Rating: 2
Google is thinking ahead. Way ahead. They are thinking, "what would people want in a connected, wireless, world." Iphone + plan for internet access everywhere? See people with their sidekicks (phone that a lot of people use w/ AIM and surf web with)? Or the 700mhz spectrum that was just actioned off?

Its thinking ahead that made them what they are in the first place and even I sometimes use google docs. Its just sometimes more convenient to type something on google and save it directly to google docs without having to save it to your friend's or school's computer and email that same doc file to yourself. Seriously, as a student, i don't know how many times i've had to email my self doc's and what not!

I also get the sense that you have never used google docs. Most definitely otherwise you'd know that google docs automatically saves your work. And you can save your docs to their servers also.

quote:
'Ooops, internet is down,'


Or oops your hard drive crashed. Wish you had emailed it to yourself before that happened? Or more likely, oops the program froze (even in office 07, this has happened to me before. Usually due to me browsing the web and some stupid website with java pops up, freezes the browser and the computer), now you have to reset your computer! But wait your using a college campus computer and they automatically clear ANYTHING that is saved on it when you restart the computer and everything you just typed is gone. Boy wish i had online version of office that saved to microsoft's server as i typed that also intergrated with live mail so i wouldnt have to email to myself anyways huh?

Its much smarter for them to make the online version of google Docs first, and then make the offline version. Again, they are thinking ahead. Google knows that office dominates the offline arena. Despite the small market for google doc's, the fact remains that they got to market first and the few people that NEED such services will flock to google FIRST.

They are taking the "Wii", approach. Taking the people that NEED online appls like google docs, and giving it to them. Your just like the people who dont understand why the Wii outsells its competitors. Google is simply creating a new market by finding a different audience that needs their product, instead of fighting on battle grounds that's already consolidated.The people behind google knows how to run a multi billion dollar company. Your advice is no advice at all to Google............As though they don't have Harvard/Princeton/Yale graduates acting as their think tanks.

quote:
Your post


Summarized: I'm not in the market for this.

Move along. I use it.


Google IT
By Sunday Ironfoot on 4/14/2008 4:05:19 PM , Rating: 3
Nice combination of image and news category :)




OpenOffice
By Screwballl on 4/14/2008 4:15:27 PM , Rating: 2
I know someone was waiting for this post to arrive... so here it is...
I am just waiting to hear that one of these major companies signs a contract with Open Office. Put a thorn in MS and Google's sides.




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