A little while ago I signed up to have Google manage my email accounts because I wanted to take advantage of their excellent spam filtering. It looks like they are beginning to go beyond managing your business’s emails and want to do much more.
As you can see in the screenshot above there are a few other services available to me now: chat, calendar, and domain web pages. The real question is where are the collaborative services that Google currently offers such as Spreadsheets and Writely? I think some smaller businesses would really find those useful being integrated into the new list of services. Larger businesses, however, probably wouldn’t want to risk having their information located on a server that they don’t own.
Google really needs to be on top of things because other companies, like Zoho, could step in and offer features that would be appealing to large corporations. Maybe Zoho would sell a server with their whole productivity suite on it. That way you could have full control of the server and the documents all while giving the entire office access to a planner, chat, word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation applications.
I also believe that Zoho’s services are beyond what Google has to offer for Online Office alternatives. Google Spreadsheets couldn’t even open one of my documents because it said the file used more than 50,000 cells (which it definitely has less than that) but Zoho had no problem. Google should be worried that a company, like Yahoo, will snatch Zoho up and then be way ahead of them in an instant. This competition is good for us because it just means we will see better products at little to no cost. 
Thanks for the tip Ed!
Google Apps For Your Domain Homepage
well chat is nice.. gogogo google
I have tested this morning the Google packet. In just 2-3 hours (not of working all the time, just wait for settings to activate/propagate) I had everything working! Email with my domain (2GB), calendars, gtalk and page creator. All working fine (well, with some minor problems – the speed, but maybe it was a problem of my internet connection).
I wait Google to include Photos and to remove the 250 limits. It will be great than.
You know, I never thought about them putting Picasa Web Albums into this list of services for businesses. I’m not sure if that would help a business’s productivity (at least I can’t really think of a way).
I hate that 250MB limit as well but I am sure they will have to eventually raise it to keep up with competition.
[informationweek.com] details about this, and according to them, google will add writely and spreadsheet pretty soon.
as for Picasa, some businesses could use it, like photo development shops (although it make sense they would have something more advance), or tourist companies who would display images of locations.
but i think for many businesses (maybe the high end side of the “middle class”), would like to have a bit more advanced project management system, or a presentation maker. things i think zoho have, and zimbra goes even furter with its email system.
Google have more manpower than these small companies yet there being outdone. They really should bind and intermingle there products together more, eg ocurt or however its spelt isn’t used in anything! Things like Picasa and then Google talk have separate display pictures you can set, why not have them the same automatically? And other ideas like Google web accelerator just seem to go nowhere!
Google Web Accelerator was a nice idea but I don’t like when something prefetches a Web site. But you are definitely right that they need to combine more of their applications. Maybe they should focus a little on integrating their products before they develop anymore. They are probably just afraid that if they stop releasing new products that other companies will gain on them.
I agree Ryan. I’d hate to see Google get caught up in the “release it first” whirl. Integration & improvement of what they already have would be to their benefit I think.