Oh boy, what the heck is going on here: Link. I was going to continue my discussion on Windows authentication and maybe even talk about the OpenID stuff that has been going on. But, when I saw Google’s press release on Thursday, I simply had to comment on it.
First off, this whole Google Apps thingy is kinda of cool and believe it or not I use aspects of it almost every day. But, then again, Google is not alone, and there are others attempting to do the same thing. So… Google’s “Team Edition” is a nice addition to their offerings. However, when I started reading through the press release, the following statements were glaring out at me:
- It’s the “simplest and fastest way for groups of employees and students to collaborate within an organization using Google Apps.“
- “Once users verify their business or school email address, they can instantly share documents and calendars securely without burdening IT for support.”
- “Team Edition can easily be switched to Google Apps Standard, Premier or Education Edition for communications and collaboration across the entire company.”
What the %#$@!
Oh Google… silly Google… do you realize you have both just fired an opening salvo directly at IT organizations while also setting the stage for a form of extortion. Let me explain. The first bullet point is fine, and it’s great that you feel Apps is the simplest and fastest solution around. What gets you into trouble is the next bullet in which you state how users can use your solution to supplant an IT organization. IT exists for many reasons within an organization, by side stepping them, you run the risk of causing information management chaos. Let me give you two examples:
- First, IT is used to enforce an operational standard between all the other business organizations that need to share information. By directly attempting to bypass that control you risk breaking that standard until the entire organization is redirected to Google Apps. What do you think IT’s reaction will be?
- Secondly, IT is also tasked to ensure that an organization complies with any type of information protection compliance laws. By directing marketing your services to users you are opening a door which information can flow out an organization. What do you think IT’s reaction will be?
Alright, I’m being a little harsh… After all, in your last bullet you state that an IT organization can very easily take control of the “Teams” by signing up for Google Apps Standard (or more). Google… Google… Google… that is not cool. In words of a famous wise man, that’s like saying, “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
I don’t know, maybe, I’m wrong here (I hope), but I see real problems here. Thoughts?
