Using Google Apps
31 March 2011 1 Interna/onal Crisis Group – Using Google Apps
Our Business
• (field) analysis & research • policy prescrip/on • (high-‐level) advocacy
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Our History
• Founded in 1995 • 2001: First IT Professional Hired
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Our Structure
• Very Decentralized • +/-‐ 140 Staff Members in 50 Loca/ons • Presence (1-‐4 staff) to Office (8-‐30 staff)
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Our Opera7ons & Presence
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Our Business Cont’d
• INFORMATION
• Technology? • Infrastructure
– LAN in Offices
– Internet Connec/on in small offices
– Cellphones & Satphones • So]ware
– Standard Office So]ware
– Mul/media Applica/ons – Email
– Collabora/on & Conferencing Tools
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Our Past Email Solu7on
• Microso] Exchange
• Server • Storage
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Our Past Email Solu7on
• Microso] Exchange
• Server • Storage + Backup • Uninterrupted Power Supply • (Backup Server) • Opera/ng System + Updates, Patches
• Security • Support (24/7) -‐ worldwide • …
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Enter Google Apps
• Already using Google Sites • Migrated to Gmail • Gapps Extras: – Google Docs (office) – Google Talk (collabora/on) – Google Reader & Alerts (produc/vity) – and much more …
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Staff Perspec7ve
• Staff & End-‐users – For, Against or Indifferent – Change is Difficult
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Staff Perspec7ve
• Staff & End-‐users – For, Against or Indifferent – Change is Difficult
• IT & Support Staff – For or Against – Change is Difficult
– Old vs. New
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Opportuni7es
• The Good News – Outsourcing security, reliability, availability, … – Google has huge resources (we don’t) – Outsourcing accessibility worldwide (mobility)
– Low TCO
• Google Apps is much more then Email
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Concerns
• Data Integrity and Security • ‘Loss of Control’ • Legal Aspects of Cloud Compu/ng
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Lessons Learned
• Migra/on and Transi/on was SMOOTH
• It’s all about Training – People are used to what they are used to – Change is Difficult – Google’s Email Approach
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Recommenda7ons
• invest in TRAINING • perform a comparison of func/onality • perform business process assessment
• Don’t rush it (we had to) • Understand your User
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Perspec7ves
• Room for Improvement
– Calendar -‐ Sites – Contact Management
• A]er Gmail
– Consider Google Docs for Office – Collabora/on through Google – Google Reader and Alerts (beta) – Google App Engine – … and much more integra/on
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Ques7ons ?
• Thanks for listening!
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