Google Apps: Los Angeles Reality Check, Part II
Yesterday, we gave our take on a City of Los Angeles memo that indicated a possible delay in their adoption of Google Apps. Since then, Google itself reached out to me to point out a blog entry from the migration project itself addressing the concerns raised. The message? Keep calm and carry on. Here’s the deal.
Point by point, blogger Kevin Crawford addresses the issues raised by the now-famous memo and the buzz around it. Essentially, he says that the network latency problems were caused by legacy issues, that additional training has solved most of the “missing functionality” troubles and is working with Google to develop new and needed features, and that the LAPD is on board with the deployment pending a full audit.
I’ll try not to be smug that additional training initiatives solved the problem I said it would, and instead point out that Crawford is very insistent that the Google Apps migration project schedule was never in any danger.
“This is all NORMAL stuff happening here and the project is still on track to deliver per the schedule!” he writes.
So while I doubt that they’re having the clear skies for deployment they claim to, it looks like everybody on both sides of the Google and Los Angeles deal is happy, and all that cloud paranoia was just that.
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We agree that additional training can solve most of the “missing functionality”.
We are a Google Enterprise Partner and we are developing an Enterprise Quality eLearning Program for Gmail. With less than 30 minutes of elearning the full functionality of Gmail will come to life. For those that are new to Gmail, they will find Gmail vastly superior to legacy applications. For experienced users they will be surprised to know what they don’t know. The product is rich, robust, and full featured.
With training Gmail users will save time and dramatically increase productivity with a vastly superior product.
Victor: Our blog team spent some time with Google yesterday, learning where Google Apps is heading next for partners… Details soon on MSPmentor and The VAR Guy. Please be sure to keep us posted as you continue to build your Google practice.
-jp
Hello Joe:
We will definitely keep you posted. Our current primary focus is Search. Both on Google and the Google Search Appliance. We design, develop, sell, implement, and support Enterprise Training on Google Search.
We are expanding our offering to include Apps. Our Gmail training will launch in June. All our training is eLearning, quick lessons, and compliant with SCORM and 508(c)
Our view is basic. Google is on fire. Google products will gain an increased percentage of the market. They have the smartest team, thus they will develop the best stuff.
However, for the vast majority of actual end users there is a lack of awareness of the full functionality of the applications. This is true for Search and Apps. We are building a business based on the benefit to the end user and thus the Enterprise of improving productivity by training that develops awareness of the full functionality and the skills to use the software to it’s fullest extent.
All the above is what you might call “Vendor Spin”. But, it is what we do. We are proud to be a Google Enterprise Partner.
Victor D. Alhadeff
CEO Boost eLearning
http://www.boostelearning.com
[email protected]