“Larger enterprises, however, face a challenge: though they want to deliver simple, useful hosted applications to their employees, they’re also required to support complex business rules, information security mandates, and an array of legal and corporate compliance issues.”
I do not prefer Google Apps for small business organizations if their email and other applications are business confidential (e.g., docs, sheets, calendar & IM). Especially, if they are dealing with intellectual properties, mega deals with government agencies, doing patents related work etc..Following are my five key reasons why those companies never prefer Google Apps.
Trust - Companies are not comfortable with storing confidential documents on Google Public Server.
Wireless Email Service - No Push mail Support for PDA users.
Appliance - Google Apps does not have appliance concept. Appliance concept will be good to attract companies who does not have any trust in Google’s Public Server.
Support - Support is not based on any SLA (Service Level Agreement). Use it on your own risk
Interoperable - No proper interoperability with other commercial application and no guarantee that it will exist tomorrow.
There are very many other things that Microsoft office does better than Google Apps. We haven’t heard that enterprises are using it with confidence except testing and long term piloting here and there. If you are more keen to see the demo of Google Apps, here you go:
The fundamental idea of Grand Central is “Have one phone number for all your phones, for life.” Generally, when you change jobs, homes, relocate to new cities and change cell phones, you will need to let others know your recent phone numbers and it cost in many ways.
So the Grand Central comes into this picture to solve your problems whereby you can provide a single phone number and let rules handle all your phone numbers. In other words, whenever a person calls your “one number”, the call will reach based on the person’s relationship you set in the rules and the your “presence” at that point in time. There are so many other features they are offering, check this here.
I guess the following demo gives a better picture of understanding how Grand Central service works, click below on the YouTube from the founders Craig & Vincent
Sounds cool..! Great innovation..and no wonder why Google behinds this most exciting startup. You can count on Google as they begin to integrate Grand Central with Gmail & GTalk. Eventually, Google presence in small business sector will get strengthen to next level.
After all, this innovation will simplify the users life by having a single phone number and handle the calls based on the rules.
Forget about iPhone! Think Windows Mobile 6.0 if you are business user using Exchange 2007 as mail server.
If your current activesync setup is on the exchange version 2003, windows mobile 6.0 will still support. Nevertheless, the currently implemented activesync in exchange 2003 will not take advantage of all the new features introduced in windows mobile 6.0.
In a nutshell, the following self explanatory chart will help to explain the key difference between Windows Mobile 6.0 & Windows Mobile 5.0
If you look at the below picture of Windows Mobile 6.0 Device, it is clear that iPhone is not the only new kid on the block giving a trendy great new-look with sensitive touch screen interface. Here is a great demo on youtube
The iPhone is lacking core business features such as Wireless Email using “Push Mail” technology. The below picture shows Microsoft Exchange support, but it looks to me potentially is IMAP support. My first reason to guess this way is due to lack of official announcement from Apple regarding Exchange ActiveSync availability in iPhone. This could be one of the main reasons why corporates sent out mail to its employees worldwide advising not to buy iPhone, because employees might be in an impression that they can hook this iPhone into their corporate mobile messaging system (e.g., BlackBerry, Exchange ActiveSync OR Good)
Enterprises needs Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Blackberry connect or Good Technology compatibility for its employees to use the phone on the road to check email, calendar & contacts.
I guess Apple will introduce business support on its next model or through some kind of software upgrade/update. As of now, Windows Mobile Device works better for me as “smart phone” usage.
After all the noise and drama in launching iPhone, I still cannot understand why iPhone storage is limited to 8GB. It should have come up with at least 16GB.I wish we had a Zune Phone, converged from Windows Mobile 6 & Zune I suggest you read this tips before buying iPhone.
People are complaining for not having 3G in iPhone. I think, Apple chose EDGE rather 3G due to more coverage world wide. Again, it will not be a big deal for Apple to come up 3G, hopefully Apple might consider this in its next model. According to Microsoft, Exchange ActiveSync Licensing is extending to interested parties, read the quote below and more here.
“Microsoft offers a commercially reasonable, nonexclusive license so that other companies can use the Exchange ActiveSync Protocol in their own products. Microsoft will license its trade secrets and necessary patent claims for implementation of the protocol specification.
Microsoft offers a license for this mobile device synchronization protocol for Exchange Server 2003 and 2007 with documentation. The Exchange ActiveSync Protocol license is for a five-year term and based on annual projected sales volumes. Standard pricing is $100K or first-year’s royalties, whichever is higher, with a per unit royalty thereafter. Other pricing options are negotiable when appropriate.”
I suggest you read 
