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Infinity Plus One

Last week, Google made a huge announcement about the Google Docs service under Google Apps Premier Edition.  To summarize:

  • Users can now upload documents of ANY TYPE to Google Docs
    • If you upload a file that can convert to Google Docs, you have the option to convert or to maintain the native format
    • Documents you convert still have size and format/feature limitations
    • Documents you do not convert remain in their native format and may be up to 250MB in size
  • More Space
    • You now have unlimited storage space for documents in Google Docs format (Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Forms)
    • Storage for documents kept in native format has been increased from 500MB to 1GB
  • Even More Space
    • You will be able to purchase more space
    • While rumors abound about the cost, Google has not released final pricing and has not provided resellers with the ability to add more space for their customers … yet.

The impact of these changes amazing.  Google Docs can now be used as a virtual file server.  Over the next few weeks, we will be evaluating tools that leverage these new capabilities and will post our findings here.

Improvements for Google Apps Users Running MS Outlook

Many Google Apps users continue to use MS Outlook as their email/calendar software of choice.  The Google Apps Sync for MS Outlook makes this easy, and has recently improved.

  • New Calendars: If you create a new calendar in MS Outlook, the new calendar will be created in Google Apps and will Sync.
  • Multiple Calendars: You can now sync multiple calendars from Google Apps to Outlook.  The sync will include all calendars for which you have write permissions and that are not hidden in your Google Calendar list.
  • Free/Busy with Dual Delivery: We often configure dual delivery — where email goes to Google Apps and Exchange at the same time — so that we can migrate users  in groups and phases.  When running in dual delivery and other Google Apps/Exchange mixed environments, you can now query free/busy information from the Exchange server.  To do so requires installing a free connector and a registry key on each client,  a service that is included in our unlimited support package.

Click here to learn more about these new features.

Click here to learn more about our services.

Upload Larger Files to Google Video

If you have Google Gears installed locally on your system, you can now upload video files up to 16GB in size to Google Video.  By raising the limit, Google Apps users can now share and manage longer videos within their organizations.

Click here to learn more about this feature for Education and Premier Editions

OffiSync Intro and Training

See the features of OffiSync Premium first-hand.  Learn how to use OffiSync to save, share, and collaborate using Google Docs and Google Site from a toolbar within Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

When:  Friday 11/13/2009 — 1:00 PM ET

Click Here to Register

Click Here to Learn More

OffiSync works with

  • MS Office 2003, 2007, and 201o
  • Google Apps Premier, Education, and Standard Editions
  • Google Site and Google Docs

Horizon Info Services Named Exclusive North American Distributor for OffiSync

WESTBOROUGH, MA – November 12, 2009 – Building on its growth as a Google Apps Authorized Reseller, Horizon Info Services (www.horizoninfoservices.com) announced its selection as the exclusive North American distributor for OffiSync (www.OffiSync.com).  OffiSync is an add-on for Microsoft Office lets users save, share, and collaborate using Google Apps from menus and toolbars within Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  OffiSync also includes content and image search features.

“The launch of OffiSync is another turning point in the evolution of Google Apps as a business computing platform,” notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Horizon.  “OffiSync lets businesses and individuals continue to use their current desktop productivity tools and Google’s innovative cloud-based applications — either as a migration path or as part of a long-term strategy.”

Users are more comfortable changing email software since many already use more than one email program – at work and personally.  Many users are not as comfortable changing word processing and spreadsheet applications.  OffiSync solves this problem.

In a recent interview with eWeek, Matt Glotzbach, Google Enterprise Product Management Director noted that “…it’s a great set of functionality and helps a business or enterprise bridge that experience gap between users that want to work in native Office apps and those users who want to work in the cloud.”

Horizon is actively signing up resellers throughout North America.  In addition to the community of Google Apps Authorized Resellers, Horizon sees strong interest from consulting companies and IT firms that help companies deploy and use Google Apps.  It is a win-win solution.  Customers benefit from easier migrations and better integration; resellers gain from accelerated sales and an incremental recurring revenue stream.

OffiSync is designed to work seamlessly with all versions of Google Apps used by companies, educational institutions, non-profits, and individuals.  Oudi Antebi, Founder and CEO of OffiSync adds that “We created a solution that works with all current versions of Microsoft Office and every version of Google Apps – Premium, Standard, and Education, as well as individual Google Doc and Google Site accounts.”

OffiSync is available as an annual subscription starting at $12 per year per user or under a traditional perpetual license starting at $30 per user.  Both licenses include support; the subscription includes enhancements, upgrades, and future releases.

About Horizon Info Services

Horizon Info Services is offers industry-leading technology services to small businesses at affordable prices, specializing in solutions for businesses and non-profits with 1 to 500 employees.  Based outside of Boston Massachusetts, Horizon is an Authorized Reseller of Google Apps and Google Postini Services and offers a range of online backup solutions.

About OffiSync Corp

OffiSync enhances the way information workers use productivity applications by bringing together their familiar desktop environment with innovative cloud computing services.  OffiSync extends the way users use desktop software and allows them to store their files on Google Apps for better collaboration and accessibility, as well as integrates with web and image search that make it easy to bring content from the web right into document and presentations.  OffiSync is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Growth in Cloud Computing Market Accelerates Rapidly

According to research firm Gartner, worldwide sales of cloud computing Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and solutions will reach US$7.5 Billion in 2009, a nearly 18% increase over 2008.  Gartner further expects sales to more than double, reaching US$14 Billion by 2013.

These estimates represent an increase in prior Gartner estimates, as growth in cloud computing now is happening faster than originally predicted.

Our view is this:

Big, highly-publicized moves to Cloud Computing, such as the City of Los Angeles moving to Google Apps, establish credibility and signal the market that cloud management and security is up to the task.

Small and mid-size businesses have much to gain.  Cloud-based solutions free smaller businesses from the disproportionately high overhead and operating costs of many in-house solutions.  While cloud-based solutions may not meet the needs of all businesses, for many they provide better capabilities with greater reliability at lower costs.

OffiSync Launches

If you follow our blog posts, you have heard us mention OffiSync.

OffiSync is an add-on for MS Office that lets user save,  share and collaborate via Google Docs and Google Sites from within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

OffiSync lets users keep working with their familiar office suite applications while taking advantage of the collaboration features of Google Apps (all versions).  The add-on also minimizes user concerns about functional differences with Google Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations.

Learn more here.