Public Service or Extortion?

Earlier this week, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) petitioned the FTC to force Google to shut down operations of Gmail, Google Docs, and other services (PCMag coverage here). Their justification was the resent security issue with Google Docs that impacted fewer than 0.05% of Google Doc users. Sounds like EPIC is very concerned about […]

Cloud Computing = Innovation Without a Budget

So you think your budget is tight? Just image being an innovative educator in the San Diego Unified School District. In his blog, Doug’s Dirt, Doug McIntosh explains the problem and his solution (hint: it includes Google Apps). Next, look at the Google Apps in the Classroom, a Google Site he created that tells other […]

New Federal CIO prefers Software-as-a-Service

The US has a CIO for the first time. In appointing Vivek Kundra the federal government’s first CIO, President Obama acknowledges the role information services can play in effective management and service delivery.Vivek Kundra, the former CTO of Washington D.C., is best known for moving the District onto Google Apps. In addition to big savings […]

Google Voice is Coming as an upgrade to GrandCentral

As reported in the Official Google Blog, Google is preparing to replace its GrandCentral voice service with Google Voice. Google Voice is designed to provide you with a universal number that will ring your office, home, and mobile numbers while providing a single voice mailbox and a rich set of features. For now, only existing […]

Smaller Collaboration Firms add Validity to the SaaS Market

Smaller companies, like drop.io, are coming out with innovative, feature rich offerings to strong reviews. While these solutions compete with specific collaboration functions, they do not yet offer an integrated communications and collaboration solution.

A Rational View of Google’s Recent Minor Security Glitch

David Schrag, author of Stop Buying Servers, offers a rational assessment of Google’s recent security glitch … read it here

Microsoft to VARs: Never Mind

In a major shift, Microsoft has changed its mind and backtracked from its decision to allow VARs to bill directly for SaaS solutions. Here is the story.

Google Docs now has Footnotes

Google Docs now supports footnotes! Here’s how …

Publish Results with Forms and Spreadsheets

When you create a form, associated with a spreadsheet, you can now elect to share results — a summary of responses — with your collaborators, or with everybody that fills in the form. Learn more here.

“Spreadsheet Lite” Improves Access from Mobile Phones

Google has added “List View” to Google Spreadsheets. List view is a basic, fast-loading view of a spreadsheet, with simplified editing features. It makes it easy to access Google Spreadsheets: On a slow Internet connection From some mobile phones When there are more than 50 users trying to access a spreadsheet at the same time […]

Google Spreadsheets Get Data Validation

Google has added data validation (lenient or strict) to Google Spreadsheets. You can now: Validate numbers, dates, and text. Prevent users from entering text that doesn’t match your criteria, or show them a comment on the cell when the data doesn’t match the validation rule. Add text to the cells you add validation to, to […]

Microsoft Changes Controversial SaaS Billing Policies

After a generation of confusing and frustrating licensing policies, Microsoft may actually be listening to its channel partners. Reported by ChannelWeb, Microsoft will let channel partners bill customers for SaaS services.

Google Starts Down Certification Path

Google announced that they are offering on-line courses and a certification test for Google Analytics. This is a good start in helping business owners understand if they are engaging qualified resources. We look forward to Google expanding the program to their other product lines. We also encourage Google to consider a practicum or customer references […]

Microsoft Gives Hosting Firms Toolkit and Ability to Build More Infrastructure

As reported in Web Host Industry Review, Microsoft has released a Data Center Toolkit designed to help web hosting firms host and manage other services on the MS Platform. In doing so, Microsoft is asking web hosting firms to further expand their capital infrastructure. Why not provide web hosting firm with access to a cloud […]

Google Provides Blog Converters

As part of it’s open source initiatives, Google has released Google Blog Converters 1.0. Kudos to Google for helping users move from as well as to Google’s Blogger service.

Google Leaks Sneak Peak at Offline Tasks

An avid Google-watcher, Google Blogoscoped caught a glimpse of offline Tasks when Google temporarily allowed access beyond their Trusted Tester network.

Cloud Computing May Be Better Than Teenage Sex

In a blog from the Cloud Computing Expo, Walter Pinson asks, “Is Cloud Computing Like Teenage Sex?“. His premise is that while everybody is talking about Cloud Computing, few corporations are actually doing it. Here is what he is not seeing. Cloud Computing covers a variety of types of services, which I generally divide into […]

Cisco Steps into Cloud — sort of — With Email Security Product

Cisco, leveraging its Ironport appliances, has announce email security capabilities that can sit in-house, in a Cisco-managed environment, or both. As reported by NetworkWorld, Cisco will provision dedicated or virtualized systems for each customer. In other words, this is not a cloud-based service. Cisco offering a traditional, managed hosted service.

Maybe Microsoft Does See Google as a Threat in the Cloud

While Steve Ballmer failed to mention Google Apps as a threat to Microsoft’s email and collaboration products and services during a recent strategy meeting, the corporate VP of Microsoft Online Services sounds like he is fighting a street brawl. Phil Wainewright provides the blow-by-blow in is blog, Microsoft pumps cloud, trumps Google with GSK. What […]

ITworld: SaaS: The Better Way to Buy

David Coursey at ITworld is on the mark!