For the longest time, since Google Apps was released in fact, the question on my mind has been "What is Google's Real-World Business Strategy?" Well with one of their latest announcements it's seems they may have one. With Thursday's announcement of Google Apps Directory Sync they offer a nice bridge to the world of enterprise system administration. LDAP integration is a feature that will certainly help streamline user account management control, as well as help make one security model a reality. It's only one way though, so don't worry about Google screwing up your directory with updates from their side. Interestingly, this update comes via Postini and their directory sync tool.
So what is keeping you from embracing SaaS, or the cloud, or Google Apps? So here's what available via Google Apps in real-world business operations:
- Email = Gmail
- Word Processing/spreadsheets = Google Docs (still needs some work)
- Collaborative Calendar = Google Calendar
- Unified Messaging (IM and voice) = Google Talk
- Intranet = Google Sites
- LDAP Directory Services = Google Apps Directory Sync
UPDATE: Add to this list Google Apps Connector for Blackberry Enterprise Server coming in July! A simple plugin installed on your Blackberry Enterprise Server will allow for full integration between your native BB apps and Gmail, Google Calendar, and contacts! It even includes access to your Global Address List.
This list is shaping up rather nicely I think. What about you?
