Microsoft updates free Office Apps

Microsoft introduced several updates to free Office Apps. Now when you edit a document in Word, you can print the document without having to open it in the desktop application. Read the full story.

Quick Poll

Thanks for your patronage!

Over the past several weeks we have received overwhelming response and a large number of requests concerning Google Apps Premium vs. Microsoft BPOS blog post. We would like to thank all our valued customers, readers and friends for their ongoing patronage.

We are working closely with our business partners to bring you the most comprehensive tools that will support your decisions when it comes to selection of SaaS and Cloud computing vendors.

Our team is always ready to help your business. Please contact us for further information, and we will strive to respond within 2 business hours.

Stay tuned…
The Driz Group

What is Cloud Computing?

So, what is Cloud Computing? You probably heard many different versions from different people. It is interesting because depending on your area of expertise, and your professional network, Cloud Computing seems to be different things for different people. Some time ago, while browsing trough YouTube, we came across an interesting video from Web 2.0 Expo 2008. Have a look and have fun!

Google Apps vs. Microsoft BPOS – Comparative Analysis

Friends,

Over the past two weeks we were busy testing Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, or simply BPOS offered as a part of Microsoft Online Services, and as a part of Microsoft’s new software plus service strategy. The offering includes Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Microsoft Office Communications Online*.

While Microsoft is clearly playing catch-up with Google Apps, and firmly believes that they are number one player in the cloud computing, based on the independent test of both offering performed by our team, we must conclude that at present Microsoft BPOS falls short in terms of collaboration security, data storage offering, video and audio conferencing quality, and overall solution’s price tag.

One of the key differences is storage space offered by both vendors. Google comes on top with no-nonsense 25GB per mailbox, and additional 10GB for files, Sites and web storage for the organization, plus an additional 500MB per user. For example, if you business consists of 10 employees, with Google Apps Premier Edition you will get:

• 25GB email storage per user, a total of 250GB
• 15GB file, sites (Google Sites), web and video storage

With Microsoft BPOS you will get:

• 1GB – 5GB email storage per user (Microsoft advertises 5GB mailbox with hosted Exchange only) configurable to up to 25GB
• 2.5GB file and site (hosted SharePoint) storage – aggregated, meaning that an administrator can allocate different amount of space on a per user account basis

Another major difference is the quality of audio and video conferencing. We have used and compared hosted Microsoft Live Meeting and Google Talk. While Microsoft Live Meeting offered more off the shelf features, both audio and video conferencing  was not a match for Google Talk. We have used Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 web-cams. Google has done a wonderful job with a complete and seamless integration of the chat client with the email. The video is delivered encoded in Flash and looks smooth and crisp. We did not notice any lag for either video or audio while using Google Talk.

With Microsoft Live Meeting, both audio and video were the same quality as if we were using Windows Live Messenger or Skype. While video had a significant lag, audio was interrupted by some background noise, and a notable echo.

As for online collaboration, Microsoft does not offer real-time document editing unless you are using Live Meeting. Google Apps offers this feature off the shelf and provides a great collaborative environment, and extras that include coloured user name tabs within the document that allow you to quickly identify which user edits a parts of a document. In addition, the instant messaging is fully integrated within Gmail while working on the same document.

By default, Google Talk chat history is automatically saved under “Chats”, and is fully searchable. Users can always go “off the record” at anytime.

We offer complimentary copies of a complete document that includes Google Apps Premier vs. Microsoft BPOS Standard feature-for-feature comparison table. The analysis document is updated frequently. You can request your free copy by contacting us.

Until next time,

The Driz Group

*Any trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Cloud Computing or SaaS Disadvantages

Friends,

To continue the previous blog post that quite frankly only mentioned “Cloud” computing advantages, I thought it would be beneficial to examine “Cloud” computing, or SaaS disadvantages.

Unfortunately, in the technology space, there is no such thing as one size fit all. It would be nice however to develop a solution that can equally benefit any size business, like those nice and cozy bath robes in hotels that are always One Size.

Many businesses still look at SaaS offerings with caution, since they are terrified of losing control over applications and data, and/or don’t trust third-parties to manage their proprietary information. It may or may not change in the near future based upon many factors. As SaaS vendors become more aware of issues through constant communications with prospect and existing customers, and secure such certifications as SAS 70, businesses may change their minds and jump on-board potentially realizing substantial cost savings.

Another major concern mostly affects Canadian (eh!), and European businesses simply due to existence of the U.S. Patriot Act. Knowing that your corporate data can be subject to an audit for virtually any reason by virtually any U.S. government agency makes many corporate executives anxious. Some businesses went as far as develop internal policies prohibiting data storage on the U.S. soil. Can you blame them?

Some industry specific software applications such as complex Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are either not mature enough as SaaS offerings or simply not yet available in the Cloud.

To conclude, while many businesses could benefit from SaaS today realizing significant cost savings due to lower up-front capital cost, unless they have clear vision and well defined business objectives no software or system would help improve their processes.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend!

The Driz Group

 

Cost Saving Tech Trends for 2009 – Cloud Computing

Friends,

“Cloud” computing has been on minds of IT professionals for several years. Like any other IT infrastructure approach, cloud computing has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the key advantages is that because software applications are in the “Cloud”, and delivered as a service, it does not require any additional hardware or software on premises in order to take advantage of the latest and greatest in technology.

Compared with legacy approach to IT infrastructure that some call “give me all your money, upfront please”, cloud computing approach a.k.a. Software as a Service, or simply SaaS, seldom requires any up-front investments, and can help businesses save significant dollars not only on hardware, software and appliances, but also on maintenance and support.

Have you ever come across a business (non-IT) with less than 100 employees, all in a single office location that had 10 IT professionals on staff? I have, and trust me, I asked the question. The answer did not surprise me. The company utilized eight disperse systems developed on an ad-hoc basis. No wonder they needed so many managers, developers, and systems administrators.

While this example may not be as common, many businesses have no concept when it comes to IT staffing. At times they hire IT professionals to please CEOs, board members and other powerful stakeholders that start panicking the minute one of the core systems goes down. Under standard scenario, CIO runs into CEO’s office with his eyes wide open and a bit red due to high blood-pressure, and asks for more support staff to “support” and “maintain” that “god forsaken” system. More effective and visionary CIOs may decide to provide additional training to the existing staff, or outsource maintenance and support all together, so that there is a vendor to blame should anything go wrong.

Bare with me. I will get to the point in a jiffy.

We all know that the biggest asset of any corporation is its human capital. At the same time, it’s the biggest cost. When you have a 60k a year employee administer a 10k server, something just doesn’t add up. In short (I am getting right to the point, promise), something needs to be done to run lean and mean making money in the process, or serving public providing high quality services.

Cloud computing or SaaS, may provide your business with competitive advantage, reduce or eliminate IT support and maintenance costs, and protect your electronic assets. In addition to that, many SaaS offerings provide excellent disaster recovery and business continuity platform. For example, if on premises datacenter, a.k.a. server room burns down, or gets flooded, and your network administrator did not check integrity of backup tapes that you are sending to the bank vault on a weekly basis, you will lose vital business information. What’s going to happen next? A business will most probably will go out of business in the next three months. Gloomy picture, isn’t it?

Now imagine that you are using let’s say Google Apps to run your business. Your email and documents security reside within world-class datacenter, and even if your office is gone off the face of the Earth overnight, you and your colleagues can conveniently stay in their homes and still have access to the corporate data without interrupting your business. Sounds good? Hang on, it gets better.

Let’s say your company is working on securing a new contract with a large client, and needs to expand, and upgrade some of their back-office and information security systems in order to successfully secure the contract. Legacy approach to IT infrastructure suggests that you have to quickly call your suppliers, and order a lot of large and small boxes, software licenses, maintenance agreements, software protection plans, hardware warrantees, antivirus licenses, antispam solutions, extra data storage, more boxes, backup software licenses, backup tapes, more maintenance agreements, extra bandwidth, and the list goes on. And, when you think it’s over, you get hit with a dilemma. All this stuff you just purchased, needs to be unpacked, tested, setup, configured, administered, and… Wait, there is more, it needs to be supported and maintained on an on-going basis.

Google Apps addresses most of the issues above since it’s virtually maintenance free, and there are no boxes or licenses to purchase. Or, and it costs only $50 per user, per year. How much did you spend on coffee last year? You do need internet bandwidth though in order to access your systems, but considering that cost of bandwidth is declining, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

As I already mentioned, SaaS offerings have disadvantages, but that’s another story.

By the way, if you’d like to learn more about SaaS and Google Apps specifically, follow this link. It will change your life.

Until next time,

Steve Driz

Cost Saving Tech Trends for 2009

Friends,

Over the next several days, we will be posting information that may help business leaders and technology professionals to get trough the financial crisis without sacrificing quality of service.

Latest forecast by InfoTech Research provides businesses of all sizes with top cost saving technology trends such as broader adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS), short-term outsourcing of IT services, integration of the Cloud and better social collaboration. We will try to add to this comprehensive research by providing our dear readers with additional food for thought in a form of possible solutions that would allow to further reduce cost of running technology departments.

To be continued…