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Chrome Support for Windows XP Ends

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As announced by Google in October, 2013, Chrome support for Windows XP will end on April 30, 2015 — a full year after Microsoft discontinued support for the Windows XP operating system.

This means:

  • Chrome will continue to function on Windows XP, but no new features will be added.  Chrome will continue to get updates on Windows XP until (at least) the end of 2015.
  • Google will no longer provide Google for Work support for any issue related to Chrome on Windows XP, including Google Apps for Work, Education, and Government. If you have an issue on an XP machine with Chrome, you will need to reproduce the issue on a supported platform to receive support.

That fact that Google will still provide updates, means Chrome users on Windows XP systems will continue to have a secure and reliable browser, with some additional time to move to a supported platform.

 

 

 

Be More Social with Secure Google+ Communities

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google-plusBusinesses often hesitate to use social media tools internally, fearing that information may be shared too broadly or outside the company in error.  Google has taken a major step to alleviate these concerns with the recent announcement of Secure Google+ Communities for organizations running Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government.

Going forward, all Google+ communities are only visible to people within your domain.

You can still create and share communities with external parties — customers, vendors, business partners — utilizing a new suite of management settings.

Why use Google+ Communities?

  • Encourage employees to share more information about themselves in their profiles, such as skills and interests, making it easier to find peer resources and discuss new ideas
  • Sharing files from Drive is easy, as is sharing videos
  • Threaded discussions and comments facilitate communication and teamwork, even across functional areas
  • Manage events, meetings, and hangouts
  • Better engage your Gen X and Y team members

You can learn more about the power of social tools, and other ways of getting more from Google Apps, by viewing the recording of our recent event in New York.  The event was co-hosted by Google with The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, The 4th Bin, and Google Gooru as supporting sponsors.

Breakfast With Google Apps and More …

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Good morning
We don’t often blog about events, but this one is unique.

On Thursday September 19th at 8:00 am, you can join us at Google’s NYC offices — or via live simulcast — for Breakfast with Google.  While enjoying a full breakfast, you have the change to meet, learn from, and discuss Getting More from Google Apps with some of the best Google Apps for Business and Government experts around.

Registration is easy, and required, given limited space and security requirements.

So, even if you cannot enjoy the eggs, french toast, and coffee in person, join us online for a unique learning opportunity.

Co-hosted by Google and Cumulus Global, we are joined by supporting sponsors The 4th Bin, Google Gooru, and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

Life in the eCity for Cumulus Global

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On August 14th, Google Inc. (GOOG) bestowed Westborough, MA with the honor of “digital capital” of Massachusetts as a 2013 eCity.  Research firm Ipsos and Google analyzed how small businesses in communities across the state utilize the Internet to market and grow their businesses.  Factors in Google’s and Ipsos’ analysis included the number of small businesses actively using web sites, web services, mobile apps, and cloud services.

Beyond a robust community of small businesses using Internet-based technologies to market their businesses and grow, Westborough is home to many firms that provide the infrastructure and services.  With more than 600 employees in Westborough, the electronic medical records firm eClinicalWorks, LLC provides advanced IT solutions for more than 236,000 providers and 472,000 healthcare professionals across all 50 states.

Smaller, and less well known, Cumulus Global helps small and midsize businesses, schools, nonprofits, and governments move to cloud computing solutions.  The eight person firm has resided in Westborough for more than 8 years in modest offices off Bellows Road, behind the Post Office.

A Google Apps Premier SMB Reseller, Cumulus Global offers a wide range of cloud and hosted solutions, including managed file services, cloud storage, cloud servers, and off-site backup services.  Cumulus Global is also authorized to offer Google Apps for Government and Chromebooks for Education and Business.

“We are proud to help local businesses, and those across the country, improve their IT solutions and profitability”, stated Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “And, our team finds working with K-12 schools inspiring.  It is great to see how technology can transform the classroom in creative and effective ways.”

As acceptance of cloud computing grows, Cumulus Global continues to see rapid growth. Sales jumped from under $1 million in 2011 to over $3 million in 2012.  The firm is on track to exceed $6 million in sales for 2013 with more than 1100 customers from Maine to Hawaii.

According to Paul Drotch, Cumulus Global’s CFO, much of the growth is attributable to expanding services to K-12 schools and districts.  “With schools moving to Google Apps for Education and deploying Chromebooks in the classroom, the opportunity has exceeded our expectations.”

To further the options available for small businesses, Cumulus Global recently began offering advanced cloud solution packages that give companies secure, managed file services and virtual servers in the cloud.  “We are going beyond email and calendars”, notes Chris Caldwell, Cumulus Global’s co-founder and COO.  “Our integrated solutions replace in-house servers with secure cloud services that increase accessibility and reliability.”
Going forward, Cumulus Global is continuing to expand.  In July, the company opened its first remote office in New York City, and is currently planning the launch of several new services.

Cumulus Global in the News in August

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NewsBeacon.150Cumulus Global is active in the cloud solution provider channel and markets.  Allen Falcon, our CEO, has been quoted several times recently in the trade and industry press.

Forrester: Global IT Pushed to $2.06 Trillion in 2013
Unified Communication Strategies, July 29, 2013
Our View: Spending focus is on business value, not technology.

Microsoft Mobile Office Heads To Android OS, But Still Not Tablets
CRN, July 31, 2013
Our View: Microsoft needs to move faster to keep up with its customers

Microsoft Drops Surface Pro Tablet Price
CRN, August 5, 2013
Our View: Microsoft blew it; new pricing is too little, too late

BetterCloud Launches Management Console for Cloud Services Brokerages
PR Web, August 21, 2013
Our View: We can better serve our customers

Map It Out: The Best States To Start A Solution Provider Business
CRN, August 21, 2013
Our View: Massachusetts is chasing service providers away.

PC Sales Set For Comeback In 2014, Piper Jaffray Says
CRN, August 21, 2013
Our View: Cloud-centric clients no likely to help Intel much.

 

 

Cumulus Global In The News

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NewsBeacon.150

Cumulus Global is active in the cloud solution provider channel and markets.  Allen Falcon, our CEO, has been quoted several times recently in the trade and industry press.

IT Spend To Grow 2 Percent In 2013: Report
CRN, July 2, 2013

Solution Providers Increasingly Focusing on Encryption
Unified Communications Strategy, July 4, 2013

3-Click Cloud Transition from Appcara
Unified Communications Strategy, July 12, 2013

Software To Propel 2013’s Global IT Spend To $2.06 Trillion, Forrester Says
CRN, July 17, 2013

Google Says It Will Be Investing More In Its Enterprise Business
CRN, July 19, 2013

 

 

Google Apps, PRISM, and the NSA

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With media attention and hype, leaked documents, Congressional hearings, and a great deal of explanation and back-peddling, the world now knows that the United States government spies on people.

Okay, we already knew that.

So, we learned that about a secret “FISA” court that can issue secret subpoenas letting the government look at information about us.

Okay, we already knew that, too (many of us just did not pay attention or really seem to care very much).

So, we learned that the Government had issued subpoenas for huge amounts of data about phone calls from Verizon as part of secret program called PRISM.

Now must be the time to panic?

As our 24-hour, instant, news machine struggled to find alleged experts on this top-secret program, we began hearing reports that the National Security Agency has direct, unfettered, complete access to all of the data on all of the servers of all of the major public cloud providers, and that they were capturing, recording, and saving all of this information.

Unfortunately, the cloud service providers are prohibited by law from disclosing the the number of FISA subpoenas and/or the number of users subject to those subpoenas.  We do know, however, that all of the service providers deny any direct connection between their systems and the NSA.

Without accurate information, myths become ‘facts’.

For those of us that promote and rely on the cloud, including those of us running Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government, we want assurances that our data remains private.

Google Apps and Your Privacy

On June 7th, Google posted this statement on the Official Google Blog regarding the matter.  In short:

  1. The NSA and other agencies do not have unfettered access to customer data
  2. Google was not participating in, nor aware of the PRISM program
  3. Google actively works to limit the number and scope of FISA requests

Coincidentally, CIO Magazine reported on June 4th (before the FISA/PRISM revelations in the media) about Google’s efforts to modify or restrict FISA subpoenas.  You can see the article here.

Media reports have been largely inaccurate about the scope of the PRISM program and FISA warrants and its use on American citizens on US soil.

Google is not allowed to release the numbers and scope of the requests by law.  On June 11th, Google made public an official request to release that information so that Google customers will have a more accurate picture and will understand that their data remains secure.

Conclusion

The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government have very specific rules for how private Google keeps your data and how Google responds (and lets you respond) to subpoenas Google receives for customer data.

There is no evidence, or any indication, that Google has acted outside the bounds of these terms and conditions, even as Google vigorously defends the privacy of customer data in court.

 

Microsoft to iOS and Android Users: “Never Mind.”

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Are we really surprised?  In the flurry of Microsoft’s marketing blitz for Office 2013, Microsoft promised that the “new office” would be available across every platform.  That Mac, iOS, and Android users would not be left behind.

Fast forward a few months and Microsoft  delaying MS Office for the iOS and Android platforms by a year.  Already facing erosion from Google Apps as companies are moving into the cloud, Microsoft is neglecting one of the fastest growing user markets in the “post-pc” era.

Meanwhile, Google is offering Quickoffice to Google Apps customers at no charge and Quickoffice PRO is available to iOS and Android users for $19.99.  MS Office users can now more easily integrate their legacy applications with mobility with Google products than those from Microsoft.

As noted in ZDnet, iOS and Android users — and Google — have the most to gain.

Cumulus Global Publishes Google Accessibility Overview

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As more businesses, schools, government offices, and non-profits move to cloud computing and Google Apps, user accessibility becomes and important part of the evaluation, selection, and implementation processes.  To help organizations understand and plan for accessibility, Cumulus Global has published a Google Accessibility Overview report covering Google Apps, Chrome, and Chromebook / Chromebox devices.

“Accessibility goes beyond ADA and Section 508 compliance, it is about enabling individuals to work to their full potential,” notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “Our intent is to make it easier for organizations to understand how Google products and services fit with their accessibility needs.”

The report provides current information, along with links to all source materials so that readers may track updates and new capabilities over time.  The report is available for free at: http://goo.gl/sfu66.

CFO Research Report: The Business Value of Cloud Computing

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In May 2012, CFO Research conducted a survey among senior finance executives at large U.S. companies to examine their views on the business value of cloud computing, as well as their plans and priorities for adopting cloud-based systems in the years ahead.  This report presents the findings from interviews with 310 financial executives across 15 industries.

Reading this report, you will learn:

  • Key motivators driving the move to cloud computing
  • How CFOs view the business advantages of cloud computing
  • How real experiences with cloud computing compare with expectations
  • Which factors CFOs see as the greatest barriers to cloud adoption
  • The role of employee performance in cloud computing decisions