Google inks biggest ever apps deal

Cap Gemini has sold what it believes is the largest ever contract for Google's online suite of software products. French industrial group Valeo operates in 27 countries from 192 offices and other buildings. About 30,000 Valeo staff will get access to Google Apps. The phased programme will start this year by giving staff …

[Jimbo]

well ...

I guess the only thing I can say is good luck and sleep well knowing that all your data are in Google's Hands

yes it's more work to keeep MS Exchange + MS Sharepoint Up and running, but you gain a lot more ... especially when you develop for 45,000 employees

[Piers]

hmmmm...

....I sense a Balmer+chair fluctuation in the force....

[Homer]

@ Jimbo

Let's be honest here, for your run of the mill email, documents and spreadsheet work, MS Office is overpriced. Google Apps or for that matter OpenOffice et al are just fine.

[Joseph McDonald]

hmmmm

Well, let's see, Do I feel more comfortable with my data in Google's hands or some hacker that just broke into my insecure microsoft application or lost because of the up-teenth virus that exploits a windows security hole. hmmmm

Sharepoint is a lousy app. Exchange is not to bad if it wouldn't cost so much and need so many third-party apps to make it work right.

[Erik Aamot]

like fast food chains

if google makes it all more convenient through apps > hi-speed wireless / mobile than dealing with Windows and MS apps, google will be serving billions and billions, nay, trillions and trillions of easy to digest, tasty data packets to the hungry masses

if you own the data, or even possess enough, you own the internet ..

he who has the most servers and networks rule .. doesn't matter if it's YouTube data, Facebook data, vpn corp tunnel, phone data .. if a company can put it's brands on your display moreso than anyone else, that company wins the data and software monetization *game* .. see ?

microsoft hasn't ever been in the optimisation game .. doing more with less .. it will be it's downfall

google is all about optimization and efficiency of resourses, comparatively, and tying together the pieces of what the future of computing for the masses might look like .. cell phones and netbooks running webbased apps, services, and of course, *secure* backup services and storage space for all .. for your convenience and for your best user experience, you must be connected ..

will all be very interesting when the blackhats and spies get in .. eh ?

[Trygve]

@Jimbo

"in Google's Hands" Oh noes, Google has my data instead of EDS or IBM or Satayam or TCS or Logica or Fujitsu having their paws on it. So what? You pick the company you want to manage the data you own, you pay them lots of money, and you get on with running your business. Who has their own staff running their email servers these days?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it the beginning?

Really impressive. Seeing such a big company moving to Google Apps seems very promising for Google Apps. With top players like Capgemini (not Cap Gemini BTW) , Google can maybe make it in the Fortune 1000.

[Jimbo]

to Trygve

well majority of companies with 45,000+ are running their own email servers, I work for large bank, show me one single bank who let's anybody manage their email servers ....