Wesleyan University goes for Google Apps

Wesleyan University's (http://www.wesleyan.edu) WSA-ITS Committee has announced announce that the transition to Google Apps for Education has been approved and will go online for the start of the spring semester.

Google Apps will give students many new options in their digital lifestyle, including expanded e-mail capacity, calendaring, and digital collaboration.

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Boise State University has opted for Google Apps

OIT (Office of Information Technology) at Boise State University has been using Google Apps. More and more departments migrating to Google App and they are using Google Apps including Google Sites, and Calendar. Here is a post in blog sphere which also gives and example of Google Sites

http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/opting-in-to-google-apps-at-boise-state/

Readers of this blog can share their experiences on using Google Apps and their examples of Google Sites and by writing comments to this post.

Real Life examples of Google Sites

Dr. Helen Barrett of Washington, United States is an educationist and have recently retired from the faculty of the College of Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has this very impressive Site created using Google Sites.

http://sites.helenbarrett.net/portfolio/Home

Within this Google Site she has a section on "Creating an Interactive Portfolio with Google Sites" which may be helpful to readers.

http://sites.helenbarrett.net/portfolio/how-to

She also conducts professional programs on usage of Google Apps in Education.

Google walks away with a large Microsoft Customer?

Here is the latest word around:

There are rumors of high treason at the court of King Microsoft as the New South Wales Department of Education has turned to Google for its email needs. Said to be the biggest single customer around, with over 1.3 million users under its 'control' the department has ended its 5 year contract with Microsoft and signed a three year deal which will see it use Google's Gmail.

According to the agreement, before the end of the year Google will have set up email accounts for 1.3 million students and teaches and provide them with "a world-class package of services." Snatching the NSW Department of Education from Microsoft's was probably a tough job but represents a big win for the search and ad giant. Still, this victory didn't come cheap as Google is charging $9.5 million for its services while Microsoft got $30 million and for offering some 100 times less storage space per account.

Looks like Google is betting big on "Low Cost" to win new customers

Google Apps Small Business Customer Success: Boshak

Boshak is a a unique tourist destination one and a half hours drive from Perth, Western Australia. Boshack has been featured on Getaway, and is a popular destination for travellers wanting to experience the Australian outback, see a working wheat/sheep farm, eat bush tucker, see native Australian wildlife and learn about the Aboriginal dreamtime.

Boshak has recently switched to Google Apps for their email, documents, calendering needs and are very happy with the experience. Following are excerpts from their experience published in http://om4.com.au a leading online marketing portal for business.

Link: http://om4.com.au/moving-email-google-apps/

Challenge

• Multiple email ids - difficult to manage
• Wanted to collrobate while working on mails, documents
• Maintain corporate identity
• Wanted an easy to use solution as users were not very conversant in using technology

Solution

• Switched to Google Apps Standard Edition
  
• Low cost to switch - Free Google Apps / Low cost service provider
• Extensive user support by vendor to overcome any initial hiccups
  

Business benefits

• Access from anywhere
  
• Spam controlled
• Consolidations - time saver
• Collarobation on documents

"We moved to Google Docs about 6 months ago and this is also an amazing program as we run our business from 4 different locations with 3 different people needing to access emails and spreadsheets. We now have one log in each for all of this with our email included."

Deryck Brockhurst is the Managing Director of Boshak,

• Easy to us

"The way to go for simplicity, accessibility and especially if you need to share docs emails"

Deryck Brockhurst is the Managing Director of Boshak,

Note: These excerpts are from http://om4.com.au/moving-email-google-apps/ and all rights are with om4.com.au