Google has recently released a premium version of their Google Apps functionality. The new version provides additional storage capabilities as the main difference between the free version, along with their not being ads on the paid for service. The cost of the service is $50/yr per employee using the application.
Today, it introduces Google Apps Premium Edition, a software suite for companies that provides e-mail, instant messaging, calendar, word processing and spreadsheets. The cost is $50 per worker per year vs. about $500-$600 for Microsoft Office.
The question still remains though, is any significantly sized company going to actually begin using this as a serious alternative to having the actual Office software installed on their machines. Even if you don’t like Microsoft Office, I’d think OpenOffice would be a much more valid and workable solution to this need.
Privacy still remains the biggest issue with the Google Apps option as well. Erica Driver, an analyst at market tracker Forrester Research had this to say about the privacy concerns.
Driver says companies will have to weigh cost benefits vs. privacy concerns. With Google Apps, the files will be stored on Google servers, as opposed to internally.
Article Source: Google goes after Microsoft with software suite
