Is Google ready to take on the enterprise market?

Is Google ready to take on the enterprise market?

Google recently announced that it would start charging small companies for using its business applications.  This signals a move that Google is starting to look beyond the consumer and is now ready to tackle the enterprise market.

Over the last five years, Google has added a lot of features to its cloud-based productivity suite Google Apps, and has rolled out new services like Drive (storage) and the Compute Engine (cloud-based compute power). Gmail has also become a viable alternative to Outlook.

Still, enterprise makes up less than 4% of Google's revenue, and the company readily admits it builds products for consumers first, then takes features over to the enterprise later on. Meanwhile, while Google has gotten some big wins, Microsoft Exchange and Office remain steadfast corporate standards.

In 2013, we'll see if Google starts thinking enterprise first, with rapid product development and acquisitions of key enterprise startups, or if it remains a nice but relatively small side business for the company.

Google Chromebook is a Tablet Killer

The secret is out!  The Google Chromebook is a tablet killer.  The Chromebook has been around for a while but is now available for the super low price of $199.00 to $249.00.  Holiday shoppers are gobbling them up, and it is quickly becoming the hot tech product of Christmas 2012.

We have all watched as all the big technology companies battle it out for tablet supremacy.  All along Google has been pushing the Chromebook to anyone that will listen, and is now doing a national ad campaign.

The Chromebook is a scaled down laptop that relies on cloud based applications.  More and more I find myself using cloud based applications like Salesforce.com, LinkedIn, and all the Google applications.  The Chromebook comes with 2 years of Google Drive cloud storage and 12 free sessions of Gogo Inflight Internet.

The Chromebooks offer a low cost alternative to pricey laptops and tablets. The Samsung Chromebook runs Chrome OS, which means it has Google apps built-in, it’s easy to share, and stays up to date automatically.  The Chromebook come in three flavors from vendors, Samsung and Acer, and you will pay a bit more for the 3G enabled option.

If you are currently in the market for a new laptop or tablet, I would urge you to take a look at the Google Chromebook.

Battle of the Titans

Recently I wrote an article about the smartphone wars, and did my best to present all the best options available to consumers. This article has also made me think about all the other technology options available to the average consumer.

It is obvious now, that when it comes to search engines, smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and all the other technology we touch every day.  Your choice is quickly narrowing down to the top three vendors, Microsoft, Google, and Apple.  This trend will only keep growing.

Smartphones were just the beginning, now Microsoft is getting into hardware with their new tablet, and rumored smartphone.  Google is launching its own operating system and is also introducing its own tablet and cloud based laptop.  Microsoft also announced that they were getting into the music business.  Apple is facing more and more competition from both Google and Microsoft.

Competition is good, as it generally bring more innovation and lower prices.  However, I am afraid to make a commitment to one of these vendors, but I feel I am being pushed in that direction.

I use a mix of technologies today, I have an iPhone, a Windows PC, and I use a ton of Google applications.  Would my life be any easier if I just made the plunge and went all in with just one vendor?  Who would you bet on for the future ........Microsoft, Google, or Apple?

Smartphone Wars

We are all anxiously waiting for the new iPhone 5 to be released. The hype has been overwhelming with plenty of speculation and leaks of all kinds. Of course, the devote Apple fans will line up for the new iPhone, but for some of us it is pushing us to consider the alternatives. Other mobile vendors continue to battle for market share. You now have a choice between Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, Windows Phone and dare I say RIM’s BlackBerry?

In the past I used to say that if you want simple to use go with Apple, and if you want a more technical experience go with Andriod. However, Windows is putting up a fight to gain market share, and RIM will soon be releasing the Blackberry 10.

Choice is a good thing, and despite the legal battles between the vendors, it is healthy to have competition out there. Here is a quick update on the four major options:

iPhone from Apple: Great if you love everything Apple, and have multiple Apple devices and accessories. You also have thousands of applications to choose from. This is a great solution if you want to keep it simple.

Android from Google: Favored by techies and backed by Google. Great if you use many of the other Google applications. The list of Android applications is starting to rival Apple. Motorola is also making a bet on Android.

Windows Phone: Samsung and Nokia joined forces with Microsoft to boost their arsenal in the smartphone wars. Microsoft will continue to invest in mobile technology, anything to compete with Google.

BlackBerry from RIM: Great if you really miss your old BlackBerry and the unique features it provided.  This could be the last chance for RIM and they will be working hard to win back their old customers.  Still have one of the strongest networks out there, especially if you travel internationally.  You will need to wait until next year for the BlackBerry 10.

If you can afford to wait, it might makes sense to compare all four options to find the best fit for you.

LinkedIn Gets a New Look

LinkedIn has become a vital part of doing business these days. I find myself spending more and more time on the site. If you are like me, and you do not like change, then the recent roll out of a new user interface from LinkedIn probably has you scratching your head.

The facelift combines elements from Facebook and Google+ and has debuted following the loss of the Twitter feed from its site. Now, the homepage includes a less cluttered design with quick links at the top and a revamped view that gives the latest updates without having to refresh the page.

LinkedIn has also added social gestures such as “like,” “comment” and “share”. The site is attempting to become more of a daily social networking destination, especially now that Facebook plans to create its own social job recruitment product.

The new design arrives just after some recent controversy. LinkedIn has had numerous security issues.

This is just the beginning for LinkedIn as they are working hard at offering more customization and functionality later this year. Change is hard, but as the battle continues among the social media giants, we can expect to see more of it soon.

Back Up and Protect your PC

The recent news that a global DNSChanger malware virus was about to knock out my internet connection, got me thinking of how I try to protect myself from such things.

First of all, I make sure that I back up all my important data i.e. pictures, music and any financial data. I have two options here, I can use my external hard drive or I can back up my files in the cloud.  Once I have backed everything up, I make sure that I schedule periodic backups moving forward.

When it comes to anti-virus software, I have many options, and most of them are free.  I use a combination of free applications such as Microsoft Security Essentials, SpyBot, CleanUp, and Advanced SystemCare.  I always use more than one and I keep them up to date.   I also run them on a weekly schedule, usually on the weekend.

I also pay attention to any news stories I hear about viruses and other malware issues.  They often include helpful tips, like the one I got for the latest virus at www.dcwg.org

So remember to identify all important files on your computer and back them up.  Then update and run your favorite anti-virus applications on a regular basis.

Xobni a Smarter Way to Track Emails and Contacts

I was recently re-introduced to a cool piece of technology called Xobni.

Xobni (the word inbox spelled backwards) is a plug in for Outlook and it helps you organize your inbox and contacts in a unique way.

Xobni finds all the people you know through your emails, SMS messages and phone calls, and automatically creates a rich profile for them. Profiles include a photo, job title, company details, email history as well as updates from your contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Xobni is available in a free version, and a paid version.  I use the free version.  You can download the free version and install it in under five minutes.  Xobni displays a sidebar that slides in an out from the right and over the reading pane.

Unlike many other Outlook add-ons, both free and upgraded versions of Xobni add functionality without greatly dragging down Outlook's performance. The interface doesn't get in the way, and, in fact, makes communication easier.

I recommend Xobni for any Outlook user.