Google Apps is an office suite that includes the traditional word processing, spreadsheet and other documents, plus email, calendar and instant messaging. It is a Web application, meaning that the user does not have to purchase any hardware or software. It also means that the user can access the application from anywhere over the Internet, with a guarantee of 99.9% uptime.
Google says that the suite supports access of information over mobile phones, thus making employees more productive. They can access their email, calendar and instant messages using Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Android and other phones.
The applications can be customized to meet the technical, branding and business requirements of individual organizations.
Security features include spam and inbound mail filtering, filtering of outbound mail to prevent sensitive information going out, custom sharing rules that determine how broadly employees can share documents and SSL connections, among others.
Google has announced that a new version of the Apps suite specifically designed for government customers is now ready. The major difference of this version from the standard one is the higher level of security. The company had to provide for the “enormous amount of controls” needed as per Federal Information Security Management Act before getting a certification.
Read the news at CNET News.
