Anyone who is in business in today’s digital world is probably using Google apps. The marketplace for these apps has much to offer and choose from to keep a company running smoothly. Even better, Google apps cost an average of one-third less than similar solutions, and make it easy for users to transition with the use of familiar interfaces, such as Outlook, with 99% uptime.
It should be noted that using the Google Apps Marketplace requires the user to sign up for a standard or education account, or a $50 per year Premier Edition account. The user’s business must also have a domain name. The paid account brings 25GB of storage with Gmail, 1GB of storage with Google Docs per user and 10GB storage on Google Sites. Premiere also allows the user to access and download all apps, which integrate seamlessly with Gmail and Google calendar.
The following list outlines the best of the Google apps crop, which are available for use on internet and phone.
This free presentation app allows for the import of presentations from PowerPoint or Google, or the option of creating them on the spot. The user can add sound and also share the data with contacts in Google. A big plus for this app is its accessibility across Mac, Linux and Windows.
Mindmeister is a convenient way to organize ideas and concepts to a group during a collaborative project. Each team member can illustrate and share plans and ideas, and create a clear roadmap to the goal. It costs $90 per user each year or $9 per user each month.
Essential for teams, Rapportive provides a live stream update of all team member’s activity on the project. It also has a shared address book for contact information and allows for the addition of chats and notes. The cost is $19 per month for a single user or $140 per month for an unlimited number of users.
A free add-on to the Microsoft Office environment, this app places a tool bar in Office that allows the user to save documents in native format to Google Docs. This in turn makes the collaboration tools available inside Office, which is a time saving measure.
Dialawg is a helpful tool that allows the user to compare differences when working with multiple documents in Word. This is of great use when many people are working with same set of text. The app is free if used with 10 or less saves per month or $29 per user each year.
This app provides team-tracking on the internet and phone and will also make invoices and send them out by email, or standard mail, with an additional fee. It can be used for free for three clients or less, thereafter it is $80 each month, with billing done automatically.
Expensify is a must for the business traveler, allowing for the mobile import of expenses from either a bank account or a credit card, getting receipts and the creation of an expense log. It works with QuickBooks and lets managers reimburse their employees quickly. Reports can be created or submitted for free, $5 each month per submitter for report approval.
Google Apps are convenient but also bring their own management issues. PowerPanel simplifies the administration of the apps on the domain by allowing for creation of user accounts, as well as groups and resetting of passwords. Extra fields may be used to the Shared Contacts, as a bonus feature. The cost is $8 per user for each year.
This handy app comes in both free and paid versions for Android phones. It will organize financial information, keep a tally of frequent flyer miles, notify of important events and even keep track of minutes used on the phone. The paid app will provide flight information in real time and adds a Personal Assistant to keep an eye on finances.
Another useful Android app, Evernote enables the user to capture images, audio, text or any type of file for storage in the cloud. All captured items can be converted to notes, which are then searchable from another computer or phone. The app can even take a voice note and send it out as an email or a tweet. Nearly all features are available through the free app but the paid version is required if the user wants the ability to upload any file type.
Business owners and anyone who travels for business, or often collaborates on team projects will be able to make use of these apps for internet and phone. A small investment in the Google Marketplace can take any business a very long way. Staying up to date and organized is the key to staying ahead in the business world
This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find the best internet and phone providers and compare prices on different deals for your wireless internet necessities.
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Cool apps. I like them a lot.