Joe Cincotta: Thoughts and such…

After using Google Apps for the Enterprise for nearly two months I have rounded up everyones key likes and dislikes and combined them all in a single blog entry with the key desirables which should be in upcoming versions of Google Apps. 

1. Notebook
   This tool kicks the ass of OneNote to the CURB! How is it not in the Google Apps package? Notebook is the essential meeting tool. As Google Notebook has native sharing built in which is the half baked ‘killer app’ of OneNote today, all you can do is email your meeting notes.

   Imagine then, using the real time collaboration that Google Notebook provides with the ability to share notes amongst team members or external users you invite in – and the ‘view only’ mode which does not require a login is just brilliant as it is.   Anyways, it should be in Google Apps.

2. GMail: Checkboxes on Labels
   It sounds so simple. If the mail labels had checkboxes next them to control visibility the  you would be able to see your emails as if you had multiple folders.
3. GMail: Keyboard Controls
   GMail is so intuitive until you try to use a keyboard and then you feel like you’re using VI or some other unix command line tool with insane keyboard shortcuts. This should be replaced with commonsense keyboard shortcuts as well as cursor key controls and delete key (delete selected message)
4. Start: Moving ToDo Widget data (Tasks) from GPrefs to its own proper place
   GPrefs is a sort of data limbo where widgets from the start page store their data when you play with them on your Google Apps account Start page. Think of how the Start page remembers which feed widgets you have placed on the screen and your scrap book and other things. This data is unstructured and therefore can not really have anything useful done with it. ToDo (Tasks) should be a first class citizen just like on every other organizer platform around. It should also have its own API for third party integration.
5. Providing a native Google SyncML platform for Contacts, Calendar and Tasks
   How could this not exist? I am shocked. Part of being in the enterprise of today is the ability to be mobile. SMEs need this like air.
6. At least providing API support for Contacts
   Even if Google does not want to get in to this mobile sync (SyncML) development space, there are a lot of vendors out there trying to bridge the gap such as GooSync – which upon a second attempt is brilliant!One notable void is the reliable sync of contact data. It makes sense that we would want to centralize and sync this data along with calendar and tasks between our email applications, online and PDA/Phones – there is very strong strong demand for this feature. Why no API?
7. Documents: PLEASE allow any files to be shared using Google Documents (not just Doc and XLS)If you have a list of downloadable files, why not make it more like a filesystem with more granular control over sharing. I know that this would not be a high priority as most companies would have a problem with keeping their corporate documents in an off site repository – but its an idea that has got legs for a lot of SMEs who would use the version management, audit trail and backup capability of Google to give them a huge leg up. The cost of implementing those tools in the enterprise reliably is very high – even with FUD tools like Sharepoint.This would also align with the web only approach of Google, allowing for more and more web 2.0 friendly viewers for different doc formats to come online as time progressed – and possibly editors. Imagine if you could use something like Gliffy to view and edit your Visio documents online, or a DXF editor to allow for model touch-ups when you are on location. 

   This is why my original critique of Google Docs still holds true – there needs to be a central place for file management, not just one kind of file – it is too disjointed to be a reliable solution for business insofar as being a document management system – and it is not reliable, compatable or complete enough to be a replacement for Microsoft Office. It is still looking for a home…

 Well there you go, our thoughts on getting Google Apps to the next level.

Filed under: Industry Opinion