A lot of virtual ink has been spilled over the recent announcement of Google Apps Premier Edition, yet I am compelled to spill more. Google Apps combines a suite of applications under your own domain including Gmail, Calendar, Talk, and Docs and Spreadsheets. Whether it dents the Microsoft Office hegemony will play out over the next couple of years.

Four good things about Google Apps

The Google Apps offering is an indication, I believe, of where most applications are going -- the Web. I have been developing web applications for quite a few years and I am clearly biased that direction. The advantages seem obvious.

Web browser interface

Google Apps currently supports Firefox, Camino, and IE, with active work being done to add Safari. Opera works with Gmail, but not the other apps. Still, you have a cross platform suite of office apps that runs on Windows, Apple, Linux, and BSD desktops. The web browser interface is widely known and easy to use. It is also free and/or open source.

Zero install/configure/maintaintenance on the desktop

It is hard to overestimate the value of zero configuration. Anyone who has tried to upgrade Microsoft Office across an organization with hundreds of desktops can appreciate the time, effort, and money involved. With a web based solution, upgrades can be completed globally in one place, mainframe style.

Easy backup/restore

Again, the benefits of centralized versus distributed computing. Data stored in Google's cluster are theoretically distributed across multiple redundant servers and disks, make data loss and tape management a relic. Further, Google App documents can be rolled back to earlier revisions by each user. On the Revisions tab, you can also see recent edits highlighted, a critical feature for shared documents. Many of these features can be accomplished with a traditional fat client office suite and network sharepoints, but enforcement is difficult.

Real time collaboration

A server based system allows easier collaboration on documents. I have used the Google Docs collaboration feature to simultaneously edit a document with a colleague and the results were impressive. Even more so considering the cost. When more than one person is editing a document, an orange message block appears at the bottom of the screen telling you who else is working on it. Changes made by one person appear to all collaborators shortly after they are saved. It even informs you if there is conflict, for example, two people changing the format of the same word at the same time. I'm not sure if Microsoft has a solution for simultaneous document editing, maybe something based on the Groove acquisition. If so, I suspect it would come with a hefty boost in price.

Four bad things about Google Apps

There are also a number of Google Apps disadvantages.

You have to trust your host

Probably the biggest concern is over the security of your information. Despite any agreement or intention, there is nothing to stop your host (Google, Microsoft, or anyone) from searching through your data and using it as they see fit. Depending on how much you value privacy, this could make hosted apps a non-starter.

Loss of net connection halts work

Another big concern with a completely web hosted solution, you can't work effectively offline. In countries with widely available broadband service, this is not much of an issue any more, but it might be in countries with less developed infrastructure.

No control over hardware/software upgrades

Without control over the hardware, you can't address hardware based performance issues. Unless you have a service agreement in place, applications may be upgraded with little or no notice, maybe at an inopportune time.

Precise printing can be problematic

The formatting option in Google Apps are impressive and mostly meet my needs. However, translating what is displayed in the browser to what is printed on paper is difficult. Browser WYSIWYG printing is notoriously inconsistent. There is a set of print formatting tags in CSS2, including forcing page breaks, but CSS2 support is not the same across browsers. To get a better handle on the way a printed document looks, you can save in PDF format (a native Google Apps feature), and print from Acrobat. However, it might take multiple attempts to get the output you need.

Now that it's built, will they come?

It's too early to tell if Google Apps will be a hit. The price is right but it takes a mental shift to make a commitment to a web based front office. The U.S. FAA is considering a switch to Google Apps and a successful deployment on that scale might create shock waves in the industry.

I've been using each of the Google Apps separately with great results. Gmail has been my primary mail client for a couple of years and I've used the others off an on for a number of months. I have important business information stored in Docs, coordinated a major database migration using Talk, and tracked project time and events in Calendar. For a long time, I've waited for the evolution of the web based front office. Maybe it has arrived.

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