New Playing Field

Over the last few years many universities have been turning to Google or Microsoft to outsource their student email for free. I did not disagree in principal but I did not see enough value to make the move, which means I did not want to explain to my campus why privacy would not be a issue. But the ballgame is changing. What Google offers us with their Apps may just be to good to avoid. Good means an excellent collaboration suite, the key Office Apps and more flexible group ID management options then I can afford to purchase. Add in all of the solid aspects of gmail, calendar, chat and video and you have all of the important components required for computing today. So we are going to explore enabling our GFU accounts to be Google activated to leverage these services for our users.

There is a bigger story-taking place with these decisions and that has a lot to do with Google’s hidden agenda to offer a legitimate alternative to MS Office. The real Microsoft stranglehold on business computing is MS Office. Alternatives trying to compete on the same playing field have never had a chance. But the playing field has changed to the Web and that is where Google is very close to having a complete solution. With the introduction of their new browser, Chrome, Google will enable their Web Apps to become fully functional while disconnected from the Internet. If they toss in a generous amount of personal storage, you have the most powerful collaboration solution available, and it is free to higher education.

I will have to author another post talking about what Microsoft’s response will need to be, but it has become obvious that Microsoft will no longer dictate our computing requirements.