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What is Google Apps?
An online application offered by Google™ with a key component called, “Docs and Spreadsheets”.
Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a free real-time spreadsheet program that keeps documents current and lets the people you choose update files from their own computers.
What does it do and how does it work?
Within your Web browser you can Create, Edit and Share Spreadsheets, stored securely online within a Google hosted service network. This hosted service is free and gaining popularity because of its simplicity and ease of use.
You can, for example, coordinate and collaborate with your automotive dealership personnel and your remote colleagues with financial analysis reports, available vehicle inventories for resale, a new business plan, or simply a real-time business progress report.
Getting stated is relatively simple just create a unique domain name within the Google Apps application, which would than be the container for all users with no limitation on the number of users. Later you can create additional domains within the containing domain thus creating a hierarchy.
Next, you create users accounts by supplying First, Last, User Name, and User Password, these of course can be whatever you like.
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Next, you determine the user’s access capabilities, either user privileges or administrator privileges. No granularity privilege exists, so a little thought has to be given when determining privileges. If you need additional control over password you can use Provisioning API or a low cost third-party service. We’ll skip this for now, new topic, later time.
Users then access Google Apps via a start page with links pointing to each Google App available or may simply access each application directly from its own URL.
You can also easily create new spreadsheets from scratch or import currently used file formats, including DOC, XLS, ODT, ODS, RTF, CSV, etc. and you can export these documents to HTML files or PDF files. Note, I found it easiest to import a simple Excel worksheet at first to learn how to interact with “Docs and Spreadsheets”.
Your files are stored on the Google site and can be edited by a privileged user via the Web site. The updated document then is saved for others to view or modify and revisions are tracked allowing you the ability to revert back to old versions.
The Docs and Spreadsheets function will do a majority of the Excel functions you’re accustomed too, but does have some limitations such as the inability to create graphs & charts or utilize Macros.
What other Functions are included In the Google Apps Package?
Web-Based Word Processing
Calendar Applications – Can be shared between users.
E-mail Components – With group capabilities for announcing updates & remote access.
What the biggest concern when utilizing Google Apps?
Lack of granularity privileges, you can’t allow only certain users to use Docs and Spreadsheets, the key is a trusted group of users and if required the immediate deletion of an unauthorized user account.
Does Google™ - Google Apps offer more?
Standard Edition - Free
Premier Edition - $ 50.00 per user/per year
Without question, one would first experiment with the Standard Addition.
The Premier Edition package is a deal, considering many companies offering this form of service have yearly subscription fees in the thousands. Occasionally, Google offers Free Premier trials; they will notify you or simply check back with
AutomotiveProfit.com
and I'll announce it.
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