Microsoft Throws Daggers At Google Apps

Microsoft Throws Daggers At Google Apps
Following a deal with Capgemini to push Google Apps into global companies, Microsoft comes out swinging.

Microsoft(MSFT) faces the first formidable threat in years to its desktop domination from Google(GOOG) Apps, and it is taking the threat seriously. The proof? A scathing statement the company issued Monday in response to Capgemini's announcement that it'll offer Google Apps through its desktop outsourcing service.
Microsoft's statement covers eight questions it says companies should consider before choosing Google Apps, even after both Capgemini and Google executives haves stressed that they're not looking to outright replace Microsoft Office desktops. Rather, they're looking to put in Google Apps where it "makes sense." That includes organizations where employees don't have their own personal computers, or rely heavily on mobile devices.

They've also suggested that some companies might want to deploy Google Apps alongside Microsoft Office. Capgemini is trying to walk a tightrope of neutrality as it already offers Microsoft Office through its desktop outsourcing service. Microsoft says that when considering Google Apps, companies should question the actual number of users Google has "within the enterprise." It also points to Google's history of releasing "incomplete products, calling them beta software," and says that desktop costs will rise for companies trying to offer both Microsoft Office and Google Apps.

Microsoft takes shots at Google's primary focus on ad-funded search -- even as it looks to expand into that area. It also criticizes features lacking in Google Apps, such as support for headers, footers, tables of content, and footnotes, and says it's not appropriate for "power users." That's something Capgemini and Google agree on, too.

Microsoft says companies should be concerned about how they would meet government regulations and standards for data management if data within Google Apps is hosted on Google servers. But this argument could apply to any company that's hosting software for customers -- something that Microsoft does, too, with its Dynamics enterprise apps. And Microsoft criticized Google's limited technical support hours: certainly a potential problem if you don't go through Capgemini or some other service organization that has expanded technical support hours.

In sum, Microsoft makes some good points about Google Apps, including ones neither Capgemini nor Google would argue with. But its response underlies something else neither Capgemini or Google appear willing to own up to: in many cases, business going to Google through Capgemini's desktop outsourcing service would have otherwise gone to Microsoft.

By : Mary Hayes Weier
Keyword : Google Apps

Capgemini To Offer Its Customers A New Option -- Google Applications

Capgemini To Offer Its Customers A New Option -- Google Applications

Google has found an ally to help it challenge Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) in the desktop services market.

Capgemini, a global consulting company, is slated to begin marketing Google's GOOG office software services on Monday to thousands of its customers worldwide.

The Web's search leader is trying to build a business around Google Apps -- a set of business services that offers many of the features found in Microsoft's MSFT Office software, including text documents, spreadsheets and e-mail. Instead of installing software on their own computers, though, Google Apps users store files on Google's servers, so they're available anywhere there's an Internet connection.

Google offers the services free to consumers and sells a premium version to companies that has more online storage and technical support.

Most paying customers of Google Apps have been small businesses. Capgemini aims to help Google take the concept to next level, says Steve Jones, head of Capgemini's service-oriented architecture unit.

"This is not about delivering these services to mom and pop shops; it's about delivering it to the Global 2000," he said.

Teaming with Capgemini serves another purpose for Google, says Ray Wang, an analyst for Forrester Research. (NASDAQ:FORR)

"This move is squarely aimed at Microsoft," he said. "Google went out and found some trusted advisers with relationships with the enterprise market who have been providing these services already -- it's another way to attack this market."

Google launched Google Apps last year and followed up in February with the $50-per-year premium version, which offers 10 gigabytes of e-mail storage and other features. So far, more than 100,000 companies worldwide use either the free or paid versions of Google Apps.

Google is hoping that Capgemini can sell the service to a new audience, says Kevin Smith, head of Google's enterprise partnerships.

"They have a global presence, a trusted adviser status," he said. "Having Capgemini aboard will help bring those features to companies of a certain size."

It's the first time Google has teamed up with another company to help sell Google Apps. But it might not be the last, Smith says.

The company wants to build a network of partners large and small to offer a range of products and services to different types of customers.

With $10.2 billion in revenue in 2006, Capgemini is roughly the same size as Google. Its customers run the gamut from professional services provider PricewaterhouseCoopers to Global Pharmaceuticals, a drug company.

Many of those customers use desktop software from companies including Microsoft.

Capgemini will examine each customers' communications systems and suggest changes if necessary.

The Capgemini deal came about almost by accident, Jones says. The consulting firm had approached Google about offering an enterprise search product to customers.

"We started talking to them about search, and they asked us if we could do anything with Google Apps," Jones said.

Google will pay a commission for each paid Apps customer the consulting firm signs on. But neither company is saying how much.

Despite the financial incentive, Jones says his company won't push Google Apps onto customers.

"We are not a software reseller," he said. "If this was software reseller agreement, we wouldn't be interested in it. Companies pay us to get the right services for them -- that is where we make our revenue."

Even when it recommends Google Apps, he adds, that won't mean dumping Microsoft or other wares.The goal is to see whether Google's software can make companies more efficient -- and save them money.

By : Sep. 10, 2007 (Investor's Business Daily delivered by Newstex)
Keyword : Google Applications

Data Recovery Can Solve All Your Problems

Data Recovery Can Solve All Your Problems

Let's go through a few data recovery tips that might help you recover those accidentally deleted files and stay you from deleting them again.

Loss of data is a plague that can hit anyone and anytime, regardless of technical ability, conducting care, operating system or hardware configuration. In many cases, data loss is caused by factors that are out of our reach and unfortunately, in some of these cases data recovery is impossible. A scorched out hard disk is the clearest example that comes to mind. It's often not your fault that it breaks down and data recovery is impossible. This is a rare case still and most data loss problems can be fixed with the help of data recovery tools, professional software, some technical knowledge and a bit of common sense.

Guidelines to prefer a suitable data recovery company:

1. Sufficient Amenities: Constant and organized facilities is the only way you can save some data that would be otherwise impossible to recover, due to a physical problem like the one described above. Do not endeavor any form of data recovery on your own unless you are a professional. Messing with the hard drive or other constraint of your computer can intensify any data losses you may have already experienced. Have patience. Remember to think sanguinely and get your computer to a repair tech as soon as possible, and chances are your data will be salvageable and safe.

2. Corporation and Collaboration: The conclusion is yours to make, but unless you absolutely know what you're doing and know how to use the data recovery software by yourself, its best if you employ a specialized company to do it for you. Don't build a technical ego just because you supervise to install Windows by yourself, with data recovery, you'll be dealing with much more sensitive matters. If you fumble up your Windows installation process, you can simply start over. If you have a numerous drive setup and your computer boots up fine, then it will merely be a case of getting the downloaded software to read the files and then copy them to another drive - make available you have a drive with enough space on it. If not, you'll need to attach the hard drive to another machine with enough spare aptitude.

3. Be acquainted with your requirements: Whether the data on the hard drive can be recovered or not depends on the degree of the dilemma. A hard drive can be dented due to firmware altered form, electronic malfunction, mechanical breakdown or a logical collapse. Many times your hard drive may lose data due to the combination of the above mentioned factors. A hard drive may also develop bad sectors due to which the data on those sectors is lost or becomes unreadable.

4. Take Professional Help: In case of data loss it is fundamental to call the data recovery experts. In most cases, the information on the hard drive is important and you cannot bear to lose it. The experts enhance the possibilities of hard drive recovery in the case of failure of hard drive due to software malfunction, virus attacks and other reasons mentioned above. The experts may take the hard drive to their workshop in order to recover the lost data and then return it to you in a few days. Most of the data recovery experts have their own laboratories that are involved in testing the hard drives and repairing them.

By : David Faulkner
Keyword : Data Recovery

What Is The Best LCD TV Size For Your Room?

What Is The Best LCD TV Size For Your Room?

Are you the type of person that hugs the huge LCD TVs when you're walking through the electronics store? I know how you feel, bigger means better.

However, when you're choosing the best LCD TV size for you, there are some things you need to take into consideration.

First of all, how big is the room that you will be placing the television in? If it's a fairly small room, you will want to choose an LCD TV that works well with the room. If you're too close to the television when you're watching something, the picture can look distorted.

Look at the width of the television, and remember that three times that number is how far away you want to be. So if your television is two feet wide, you want the sofa or chairs to be around 6 feet away from the TV. This will ensure the best LCD TV picture quality and clarity.

Another thing you want to determine is the angle view. Depending upon what type and size of television, you will have a view of a certain angle. Further than your allotted angle, and you will experience distortion.

You will also want to measure your entertainment center, the wall you will mount it on, or the stand for the television. You don't want to get home with a television that is too large, or one that your entertainment center dwarfs.

If you're going for around a 40 inch TV, Sony has some great models that are amazing picture quality and clarity. The good thing about these is that the picture still looks great even when viewed off center. This is important for large areas, because not everyone in the room will see the picture from dead center.

So, you want the best LCD TV you can find that's large enough to fill your wall nicely? Panasonic features their monster 61 inch LCD TV.

Imagine watching Monday night football on this baby. You could see the player's nose hair! Especially with your high definition.

However, you had better be prepared to shell out some serious bucks for this bad boy. If you're prepared to spend the money, this television is incomparable.

It's not hard to find the best LCD TV size for you if you follow the tips and advice in this article. Remember that you want to be able to watch the television comfortably from any area in the room. That's a good guide to follow to get the best TV you can get. http://www.bestlcdtv.thebestreview.net/reviews/best-lcd-tv-size.html

By : Amy J
Keyword : LCD TV