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Google Apps Marketplace Now Has YouTube Channel

Posted on 26. Mar, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments

The Google Apps Marketplace was announced a few weeks ago, with fifty partners offering applications that further extend the base Google Apps functionality beyond key features such as Gmail and Docs. While this was a major announcement, the YouTube channel that has been announced today is a tool for which many of these companies that are working with Apps can get their message across.

That means communicating to users that the Google software suite can go above and beyond what Microsoft or IBM can offer in a business suite. For example, check out MindMeister, which looks to challenge the expensive Microsoft Visio:

All of the applications in the partner YouTube Channel can be thought of as “extensions” to what Google Apps already offers. Many companies have found that they can save money in software licensing and IT administration by switching over to Google. That’s because a per user license for Apps is $50 per year. The partner applications in the Apps Marketplace vary in terms of cost structure.

But when you compare Microsoft Visio to MindMeister for example, Visio costs over $500 for a license. MindMiester? It’s only $9/month per user. Meaning that if a certain user doesn’t like it or stops working with the software you can cancel that license if you want.

Compared to some of the costs in the enterprise market for software, some of these Apps Marketplace partners are offering companies a pretty good deal.

Using Online Storage to Collaborate in Google Docs

Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments

In my previous post, I showed an example of a company that decided to make the switch to Google Apps as an enterprise solution. I find this interesting, since for as many years as I can remember there have only been a few companies that have dominated this segment of the technology industry with Microsoft being the bellwether and IBM pulling a distant second.

It’s never a bad thing in an industry to have some competition, but the reality is that we don’t hear too often about companies that have switched over to Google as an enterprise solution. At least, not yet. Fortunately, those of us who just want to use the regular version for now can have some of the benefits of the souped-up business version.

So, all in an effort to help people further understand some of the functionality that exists in the non-enterprise version of Google Docs which is free, here is a way to use online storage to share files with others. You are able to share out 2GB at no cost, and there are some cheap options available for an upgrade. For example, you can get an additional 20GB for just $5.00 a year to share between Picasa, Gmail and Docs.

This is really a good option to use for large files that may not get to a recipient if emailed or if the file in question is one that would be picked up by a spam filter as dangerous such as an archive or a configuration file. To do so, it’s really easy, so here is how:

While in Gmail, click on the Documents link up at the top:

From here, you’ll see Google Docs open up in a new tab. Go ahead and click on “Upload” at the top left:

From here you will be in a window that allows you to upload several files at once:

Once you have chosen your files click and your files will be stored on the servers. This may take some time depending on file size. You will then be able to see the file(s) in you main Docs window. You can select a document you want to share, hit the “Share” button:

Then you can invite someone to be able to use your file from their Docs account:

Again, this is very useful for when you need a way to send files that are too big to email or read by Postini as dangerous. Plus, it’s free, integrates with existing Google Applications like Gmail and is easy to use. The business purpose of this would be valuable, and I know in the enterprise edition the feature set is even richer in terms of options available.