Helpful Hint: Google Apps Contacts
Do you have duplicate contacts? Select the contacts and use the “merge these contacts” link.
Archive for month: February, 2009
Incremental Features Address Security Concerns
In a feature enhancement for Google Apps Premier Edition in January, Google greatly enhanced security with the addition of new administrative features.
Administrators can now:
- Set minimum and maximum password length requirements for their users
- View visual indicators of the strength of their users’ passwords
With these features, administrators can now better implement password requirements in line with corporate and regulatory guidelines.
Spreadsheets and Forms Get A Boost
The following new features are available in Google Spreadsheets:
- A mobile-friendly view with filtering, sorting and row-by-row editing
- The ability to define attributes of a cell and require that input meets those data validation rules, improving how spreadsheets can be used to gather and manage data
- A form summary page with information about completed responses, making it easier to review response information saved in the underlying spreadsheet
With these features, Google has improved the capabilities of Forms as a tool for data gathering and entry.
Google Calendar User Interface Upgrade
Last week, Google added five new User Interface improvements and features to Google Calendars (all editions):
- Collapsable screen area for all-day events
- Ability to add Google Docs files to events
- Streamlined settings for sharing, unsharing and deleting calendars
- New ‘Save and send emails’ option for new events
- Better accessibility with improved support for screen readers
Being able to include documents with event invitations and the streamlined buttons for sending emails when you save the event both enhance Calendars for most users.
Previewing the Print Preview Feature
In early February, Google announced a new Print Preview feature for Google Apps (all editions). For those familiar with Google’s nearly flawless PDF generation capabilties, the preview function looks familiar.
In fact, Google is using the PDF engine to provide the Print Preview, with a helpful index of page thumbnails as well.
If you haven’t created PDFs from your Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Presenations, try it out as you try out the print preview. The accuracy and clarity is impressive.
Google “gets it” with Groups
Google Apps Premier Edition has been update with new email list features. As importantly the provisioning APIs available to qualified resellers makes it easier to use these features.
Google Apps email lists are now called “groups”
Admins can now set permissions to determine who can send to each group:
- Group owners
- Group members
- Domain members
- Anyone in the world
Groups can now contain other groups, making it easier to reuse frequently-referenced groups of users.
Verdict Out on ActiveSync and Google
In “Google Time”, the availability of ActiveSync for calendar and contact synchronization with iPhone, Windows Mobile, and other PDA’s is old news (announced on 09-Feb-2009).
Currently, the team at Horizon is prepping our contacts and calendars so that we can fully test the new features.
The big caveat is that starting up ActiveSync replaces all Calendar and Contact entries. As we juggle multiple calendar and contact lists, we are “cleaning things up” before we test.
I will post again in a few weeks with the results. In the meantime, feel free to share your experiences with ActiveSync and Google Apps Premier Edition
If Microsoft Resellers Don’t Like Licensing Options …
If Microsoft’s resellers don’t like the licensing options available to small and mid-size businesses (SMB’s), why should you?
Yesterday, ChannelWeb (A CMP Publication) reported that Microsoft was mulling over changes to its SMB volume licensing programs, again. This is just another salvo in the ongoing debate over licensing complexity championed by David Schrag and other SMB experts for years.
Microsoft Licensing is overly complex. For every server, there are Client Access Licenses (CALs) to be bought. Volume licensing gets you access to features, training, and a limited number of support calls. Tracking and managing licensing and its related benefits burdens your IT staff with more administration.
Why bother?
For many applications and services, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions meet your business requirements without the licensing hassle. Most SaaS solutions include a reasonable startup fee and annual per-user fees. While user fees for services like Salesforce.com have tiers based on functionality sets, others like Google Apps include all service and application options at a single fee.
Either way, the licensing is relatively simple, you pay as you go, and your IT staff do not need a MS in Licensing (pun intended!).
Pundits Mix, Match, and Misunderstand Google’s Enterprise Solutions
On February 11, Keith Ferrell posted a blog entry at bMighty.com entitled Google Apps: Right For The Small Business Buck? (And Does Google Even Want Your Bucks?). In the article, Mr. Ferrell confuses the market positioning of Google’s Message Encryption Service, part of the Google Apps Security and Compliance Suite, with Google Apps Premier Edition as these services apply to small and mid-size businesses.
In my response, I clarify the differentiation between services targeting companies with internal messaging infrastructures and those for which Google Apps can provide the messaging services. I also point out that Google is not walking away from companies with fewer than 50, or even 250 users.
More Offline Features
Google Apps Premier Edition offline (Beta!) now includes offline, read-only access to your calendar.
This represents another example of the continuous, incremental development and improvement strategy behind Google products and services.
