Google offers new challenge to MicroSoft
Google has stepped up challenge to Microsoft as the later upgrades its Windows, Office franchises.
By INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK |
NEW DELHI: The competition between Google and Microsoft could intensify as Google Inc on Monday announced the launch of Google Apps for Your Domain (http://www.google.com/a), a set of hosted applications for organisations that want to provide high quality communications tools to their users without the hassle of installing and maintaining software or hardware.
In addition to customising the user interface with their own branding and color scheme, organisations can tailor the service to their needs by mixing and matching the email, messaging, calendaring and other tools offered through Google Apps for Your Domain. Over time, Google will offer versions of Google Apps for Your Domain that are oriented toward the needs of a variety of organisations, from family websites and community groups to non-profits and small businesses, as well as universities, large enterprises, and ISPs.
The move marks a stepped up challenge to rival Microsoft Corp as the software giant prepares to upgrade its Windows and Office franchises.
Anticipating Google's moves, the world's biggest software maker has responded with Windows "Live" - Web-based software for small business and consumers. But Microsoft's unwillingness to deliver its software until it is "fully baked" gives Google an opening to win adherents to its approach, the analyst said.
"There is simplicity and there is s-i-m-p-l-i-c-i-t-y," Feldman said. "If you are used to using Microsoft Outlook, you may need many more features and you will want to use them whether you are connected to the Internet or offline."
Martin Pyykkonen, an analyst with Global Crown Capital of San Francisco, says Google's bid to host business software may give pause to companies mulling when to upgrade to new versions of Microsoft Windows, Office and Outlook due in the next year.
In addition to customising the user interface with their own branding and color scheme, organisations can tailor the service to their needs by mixing and matching the email, messaging, calendaring and other tools offered through Google Apps for Your Domain. Over time, Google will offer versions of Google Apps for Your Domain that are oriented toward the needs of a variety of organisations, from family websites and community groups to non-profits and small businesses, as well as universities, large enterprises, and ISPs.
The move marks a stepped up challenge to rival Microsoft Corp as the software giant prepares to upgrade its Windows and Office franchises.
Anticipating Google's moves, the world's biggest software maker has responded with Windows "Live" - Web-based software for small business and consumers. But Microsoft's unwillingness to deliver its software until it is "fully baked" gives Google an opening to win adherents to its approach, the analyst said.
"There is simplicity and there is s-i-m-p-l-i-c-i-t-y," Feldman said. "If you are used to using Microsoft Outlook, you may need many more features and you will want to use them whether you are connected to the Internet or offline."
Martin Pyykkonen, an analyst with Global Crown Capital of San Francisco, says Google's bid to host business software may give pause to companies mulling when to upgrade to new versions of Microsoft Windows, Office and Outlook due in the next year.
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"For all the complexity of Microsoft software and how long Vista has taken, a lot of corporate executives are going to be wary: Do you update to the complexity of Vista or would you be better off just using something simple like Google Apps?" he said.
Google Apps for Your Domain, an expansion of the Gmail for Your Domain service that launched in February 2006, currently includes Gmail web email, the Google Talk instant messaging and voice calling service, collaborative calendaring through Google Calendar, and web page design, publishing and hosting via Google Page Creator.
Domain administrators use a simple web-based control panel to manage their user account list, set up aliases and distribution lists, and enable the services they want for their domain. End users with accounts that have been set up by their administrator simply browse to customised login pages on any web-connected computer. The service scales easily to accommodate growing user bases and storage needs while drastically reducing maintenance costs.
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