July 6th, 2007
Monkcast #8: Goodbye Zimbra, Hello Google Apps (for RedMonk)
Although we took a circuitous route to get there, the bulk of this week’s discussion had to do with RedMonk’s migration off Zimbra to Google Apps (a process that was apparently managed by RedMonk’s Stephen O’Grady who, ironically, wasn’t present for the podcast). But before we found our way to the Google Apps discussion, we started off with a discussion of the state of mind in the UK where several terror attacks were recently thwarted. RedMonk principal analyst and co-founder James Governor lives in London and, referring to the I.R.A., noted that the threat of such violence is nothing new to those living in the UK.
Eventually, we found our way to a discussion of the way a maverick Google employee rose to the defense of the healthcare industry’s reputation (after it was shredded by Michael Moore in his recently released movie Sicko). That led to a brief mention of the new law passed here in Massachusetts making it illegal for residents to not have healthcare insurance. And then, circling back to Google, we spoke at length about the virtues of Google Apps, where it is today, and how it could be streamlined to better serve its users.
For example, I noted how Google Apps has at least three separate HTML editors; the word processor (a.k.a. Google Docs), Page Creator (for editing HTML pages that are hosted through Google Web hosting service) and the Start Page editor (for editing Google’s portalesque Start Page that, once properly “programmed,” can be used as a Google Apps user’s main access to point to any and all information they need to get their jobs done (this includes access to e-mail, calendar, etc.).
However, as noted in the podcast, Google’s Start Page functionality is not functioning the way it should be. In my experience, when I add something to it (for example, a box containing bookmarklets that all of my Google Apps users should have access to), that something appears before users are logged into Google Apps (a minor security issue… they still need credentials to get into the services that the bookmarklets point to) but disappears once they log in. I say this acknowledging that there could be some form of user error on my behalf as a Google Apps administrator. In my last discussion with Google over the issue, I was told that they have some adjustments to make to the Start Page service. But I’m still waiting for more details.
Of course, no Google Apps discussion can be had without inclusion of the impact on Microsoft. One issue I raised was how, from a running-a-software-business perspective, the fact that Google doesn’t have so many SKUs in the marketplace, each of which is at some patch level or another, must make it easier and cheaper to support users. All that complexity must come at a dramatic cost (a cost that eventually gets passed onto users). Cost of one support call for Microsoft Office? $49. Cost of one seat of Google Apps for the entire year (includes telephone support)? $50. Hmmm.
Of course, just like with all the other MonkCasts, we digressed about a million times. But hey, that’s what these Friday podcasts are for.
