Posts

Better Drawing Tools in Google Docs

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Google has added several new drawing tool features to Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations, including:

  • Custom shapes and lines: Use the new ‘Polyline’ tool to create custom shapes, close shapes, fill them and reposition points
  • Snap to Guides: Helps you align shapes with the canvas and other shapes when dragging and resizing
  • Draw multiple lines:  Start drawing a new line immediately after finishing a line, without having to re-select the line type

These enhancements are included in all versions of Google Apps.

Templates Enhance Usability of Google Sites

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In October, Google Sites gained the ability to create page templates.  Templates can include settings and layout, as well as content you want on each page that gets created.

Combining templates and the ability to copy sites, gives users powerful abilities, particularly with respect to customer and project portals.  Once a portal has been designed, you can copy the site and build it out using templates to ensure consistent layout and content across sites and pages.

The update also includes the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds from ‘announcement’ pages, letting users track posts and conversations via your favorite RSS reader.

Click here to learn more about these features for all versions of Google Apps.

Google Spreadsheets get Translation Functions

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You can now use translation functions in Google Spreadsheets that detect and translate languages.  This enhancement is in all versions of Google Apps.

Click here to learn more.

Upload Larger Files to Google Video

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If you have Google Gears installed locally on your system, you can now upload video files up to 16GB in size to Google Video.  By raising the limit, Google Apps users can now share and manage longer videos within their organizations.

Click here to learn more about this feature for Education and Premier Editions

OffiSync Intro and Training

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See the features of OffiSync Premium first-hand.  Learn how to use OffiSync to save, share, and collaborate using Google Docs and Google Site from a toolbar within Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

When:  Friday 11/13/2009 — 1:00 PM ET

Click Here to Register

Click Here to Learn More

OffiSync works with

  • MS Office 2003, 2007, and 201o
  • Google Apps Premier, Education, and Standard Editions
  • Google Site and Google Docs

Horizon Info Services Named Exclusive North American Distributor for OffiSync

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WESTBOROUGH, MA – November 12, 2009 – Building on its growth as a Google Apps Authorized Reseller, Horizon Info Services (www.horizoninfoservices.com) announced its selection as the exclusive North American distributor for OffiSync (www.OffiSync.com).  OffiSync is an add-on for Microsoft Office lets users save, share, and collaborate using Google Apps from menus and toolbars within Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  OffiSync also includes content and image search features.

“The launch of OffiSync is another turning point in the evolution of Google Apps as a business computing platform,” notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Horizon.  “OffiSync lets businesses and individuals continue to use their current desktop productivity tools and Google’s innovative cloud-based applications — either as a migration path or as part of a long-term strategy.”

Users are more comfortable changing email software since many already use more than one email program – at work and personally.  Many users are not as comfortable changing word processing and spreadsheet applications.  OffiSync solves this problem.

In a recent interview with eWeek, Matt Glotzbach, Google Enterprise Product Management Director noted that “…it’s a great set of functionality and helps a business or enterprise bridge that experience gap between users that want to work in native Office apps and those users who want to work in the cloud.”

Horizon is actively signing up resellers throughout North America.  In addition to the community of Google Apps Authorized Resellers, Horizon sees strong interest from consulting companies and IT firms that help companies deploy and use Google Apps.  It is a win-win solution.  Customers benefit from easier migrations and better integration; resellers gain from accelerated sales and an incremental recurring revenue stream.

OffiSync is designed to work seamlessly with all versions of Google Apps used by companies, educational institutions, non-profits, and individuals.  Oudi Antebi, Founder and CEO of OffiSync adds that “We created a solution that works with all current versions of Microsoft Office and every version of Google Apps – Premium, Standard, and Education, as well as individual Google Doc and Google Site accounts.”

OffiSync is available as an annual subscription starting at $12 per year per user or under a traditional perpetual license starting at $30 per user.  Both licenses include support; the subscription includes enhancements, upgrades, and future releases.

About Horizon Info Services

Horizon Info Services is offers industry-leading technology services to small businesses at affordable prices, specializing in solutions for businesses and non-profits with 1 to 500 employees.  Based outside of Boston Massachusetts, Horizon is an Authorized Reseller of Google Apps and Google Postini Services and offers a range of online backup solutions.

About OffiSync Corp

OffiSync enhances the way information workers use productivity applications by bringing together their familiar desktop environment with innovative cloud computing services.  OffiSync extends the way users use desktop software and allows them to store their files on Google Apps for better collaboration and accessibility, as well as integrates with web and image search that make it easy to bring content from the web right into document and presentations.  OffiSync is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Growth in Cloud Computing Market Accelerates Rapidly

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According to research firm Gartner, worldwide sales of cloud computing Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and solutions will reach US$7.5 Billion in 2009, a nearly 18% increase over 2008.  Gartner further expects sales to more than double, reaching US$14 Billion by 2013.

These estimates represent an increase in prior Gartner estimates, as growth in cloud computing now is happening faster than originally predicted.

Our view is this:

Big, highly-publicized moves to Cloud Computing, such as the City of Los Angeles moving to Google Apps, establish credibility and signal the market that cloud management and security is up to the task.

Small and mid-size businesses have much to gain.  Cloud-based solutions free smaller businesses from the disproportionately high overhead and operating costs of many in-house solutions.  While cloud-based solutions may not meet the needs of all businesses, for many they provide better capabilities with greater reliability at lower costs.

OffiSync Launches

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If you follow our blog posts, you have heard us mention OffiSync.

OffiSync is an add-on for MS Office that lets user save,  share and collaborate via Google Docs and Google Sites from within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

OffiSync lets users keep working with their familiar office suite applications while taking advantage of the collaboration features of Google Apps (all versions).  The add-on also minimizes user concerns about functional differences with Google Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations.

Learn more here.

Hamilton Beach Blends Savings with Gmail

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Reviewing newsletters, I ran across an interesting article from TechTarget in mid-January. Hamilton Beach Brands made the case for moving from an in-house email solution to Google Apps Premier Edition. With a large IT staff, they managed the project in-house, buying direct for Google.

For many SMB’s, reseller expertise can speed the planning, implementation, and integration effort for a successful transition.