Expanding APIs create simple database capabilities in Google Apps

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For the developers among us, Google has added two new APIs to Google Docs. Table Feeds and Record Feeds allow placement and management of tables and data in spreadsheets.

With these feeds, Google demonstrates how spreadsheets can be used to manage structured data for other applications.

Click here for more.

File under “Would you use this?” — Ads on Google Sites

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Google Sites is a powerful component within Google Apps. As a platform for document and information sharing and collaboration, most organizations see Google Sites as a means to provide Intranets, project sites, and secure customer portals.

Google Sites, however, can be made public. Some businesses (including Google) use this capability for open information portals.

Taking public and open the next steps, Google has integrated AdSense and Google Sites. If you have an AdSense accounts, you can now place ads and monetize their Google Sites.

Click here for more info.

Google Apps vs Exchange In-House

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Functionality, cost, and user experience all play into the decision to run Google Apps versus Exchange in-house.

Our latest take … we’ve added “the user experience” as our 8th consideration. With the addition of Outlook Sync for Google Apps, users can maintain their current client and services and have access to the additional features offered by Google Apps Premier Edition.

See the presentation here.

Mixing Google Docs and MS Office 2007

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Our position regarding Google Docs — including docs, spreadsheets, presentation, and forms — is as follows:

  • Google Docs offer great collaboration capabilities but are not mature enough to replace MS Office or Open Open office for most users
  • The formatting and controls in Google Docs are not yet mature enough compared to MS Office features used by intermediate and advanced users

That said, the integration between MS Office and Google Docs is elegant and effective. When uploading MS Office documents, Google docs generally read and maintain formatting and document features, even if you could not create those features directly within Google Docs. Once uploaded, the real-time collaboration — particularly in docs and spreadsheets — is effective and efficient.

Recently, Google added support for docx and xlsx formats. MS Office 2007 documents now import easily into docs and spreadsheets.

Click here to learn more

Google Apps vs. Exchange – Part 2

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Until yesterday, Part 2 of the comparison was going to look at some of the more esoteric feature comparison between Google Apps and Exchange. Specifically, I was going to cover how Google Apps new Tasks features integrate with email and calendar functions in comparison to isolated manner in which Tasks function in Exchange/Outlook (separate reminders, separate date tracking).

Today’s announcement by Google of a MAPI-based Outlook Synchronization solution, however, changes the focus completely.

With this capability, Outlook users can continue to use Outlook without the limitations of running as an IMAP client.

Click Here for Google’s Announcement and to Learn More.

We’ll be testing the add-on over the next week or so and I will post our findings as well.