Implementing Google Gmail for my startup internet marketing business has enabled minimal and secure IT administration of my 8 websites (28+ email accounts). Compatible with a mixed operating environment including Microsoft, Ubuntu, and MacOS, multiple browsers, and Microsoft Office document file formats, Open Office is possible and easier with a cloud computing environment like Gmail.
So why would you consider cloud computing like Google Mail for your business, especially an SME?
In two words: security and compliance. Email security, web security, and message compliance are the underlying benefits of strong business reasons for having your mail and office documents served through Gmail.
Compliance with security and retention requirements
Whether your organization has a single person or thousands of people, you are faced with accounting, legal, and government regulations and standards that dictate acceptable levels of IT security and record retention for all electronic files and email. Gmail can help you ensure compliance and deliver real business benefits by streamlining email and document management. Implementing Google Mail is simply smart business. Some benefits include:
one) Organize and Archive (Archiving) your email the way you want.
Google uses tagging as a way to archive and organize your emails. You can tag an email with multiple tags. For example, an email from your accountant with tax information could be labeled “Corporate Tax”, “Accountant”, “IRS”, “Revenue Canada”. Gone is the restriction of having to choose only one file folder to move an email to.
2) Keep email linked conversations or threads.
Appearing as cascading file folders, emails on the same topic (subject) will be kept together in your inbox or multiple archived labels you’ve assigned. Without searching for the email trail or the thread of emails on a particular topic. They are visually represented as a group of stacked file folders.
3) has free unlimited storage repository for all your emails and messages forever!
At 7 gigabytes per Gmail user account and growing as of August 2008, Google Mail’s tagline is “you’ll never need to delete another message.”
Takin’ Care of Business, instead of computing or IT administration
Reducing the time spent managing your computer’s storage, security, backup, and recovery allows you to spend more time building your business. Manage all your email accounts entirely from one or two Gmail addresses. Once set up, Gmail offers this low-administration environment.
4) No mail is downloaded or stored on your server, desktop, laptop or PDA. This eliminates any administrative stress or anguish associated with:
– search for emails stored and scattered across multiple client devices – some emails on your PC, some on your laptop, some on your PDA
– schedule backups of your email, contact list and documents
– recovery (and loss) of email and documents due to loss, failure or theft of the customer’s device
– expansion of storage capacity due to continued growth and retention of email and documents
– remote or mobile access to all your emails, attachments and documents
– manage, consolidate and keep intact multiple email addresses and personalities
– off-site backup of selected files for SOHO or small businesses
Easy online document creation, management and collaboration
5) Use Gmail Online Office Suite to create, manage and store your business documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Read and write Microsoft Office formatted documents, as well as all variants of open documents. Safely stored on Google, delete HDD file storage and backup. No more MS Office license fees for Microsoft.
6) Store pictures and images using Picasa Web Albums. Manage your images on your PC using FREE Picasa software: crop, adjust, special effects.
7) Integrated online chat and messaging, stored and managed just like your email.
Reducing complex email security threats to your corporate data
8) Google once again has a very smart SPAM filter which checks the content of each message and therefore does not arbitrarily blacklist the email address, only the specific email due to the content. No emails are downloaded to your PC or an office application; therefore, there is no wasted bandwidth and no risk of infected emails on your hard drive.
9) Google virus check it is also done away from your computer. All attachments are checked on the Google server for viruses and if infected, they are immediately marked or moved to SPAM. No infected email reaches your computer’s hard drive.
Traditional servers or computer-based email systems download ALL of your email and put it through an anti-virus/spam filter on your computer. This is a waste of bandwidth usage (spam downloading), and worse, it exposes you to the additional risk of spam and virus-infested emails approaching data files on your computer’s hard drives.
So why should you seriously consider using Google Mail for all of your office needs?
– Complete mobility in the office: through any browser, access your email, documents, images, chat
– Access from anywhere, anytime through any browser
– No backup of email, office documents or contacts required
– Manage multiple user profiles and email accounts in one convenient place
– Includes Anti-Spam and Anti-virus control from your PC, Laptop or Server
– Free unlimited Gmail file space
– Next to No mail management.
Gmail is the perfect mobile office utility for small, medium and large businesses. Google Mail’s cloud computing environment allows you to focus on your business operations and growth. Implementing the Gmail cloud computing model for your email security and compliance makes a lot of sense.
Keep your head in the clouds!