Most of us tend to think of online search when we think of Google. However, Google Apps, a full-featured suite of applications which is delivered online and accessible through a web browser, is one of Google’s hottest offerings. There are 2 versions which interest businesses, a professional version ($50 per user per year) and a free, standard version.
With Google Apps, all of the services are offered and accessible through a domain of your choice. You can use an exiting domain name or any new, available one.
I will focus on the free version, which consists of Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google Sites. The paid version offers increased reliability and some features which are appealing businesses with more than 50 users.
Signing up for a free Gmail account will give you access to the applications which I mention here. Gmail is Google’s version of email. It features integrated search, tracking of email conversations and large mailbox capacity. Gmail accounts can be integrated with Microsoft Outlook.
The main attraction of Google Docs is that all of your documents are available and editable by you anywhere with a web browser. Additionally, Google Docs can free you of having to purchase expensive productivity suites like Microsoft office – documents can be saved as Word or Excel files and downloaded.
Google Docs consists of separate applications for creating and editing Documents, Spreadsheet, Forms, Drawings and Presentations. Once a document has been created, it can be easily shared with others within your company or among other Gmail or apps users.
Google Calendar is an excellent way to keep track of your time and activities. I use it to keep track of the entire schedule for my business. With Google Calendar, it’s possible to create and maintain multiple, color-coded calendars within is single calendar, which is great for businesses that must view and coordinate multiple schedules among their employees. Google Calendar is easy to setup and maintain.
The taskbar option at the right of the calendar is a good way to maintain a list of things to do in a less time-oriented manner
Google Sites is a free and easy way to create and share webpages. It can also be used to plan club meetings and activities, share information on a secure company intranet, collaborate on a team project and stay connected with family members.
Google is continually adding to their wide array of online services. Which are the ones that you find most useful?
