CapGemini touts Google Apps

Google is pushing its web-based office applications to corporate customers following a deal with IT consultancy firm CapGemini.

The range of Google Apps will be offered to CapGemini's clients, despite the outsourcing company being one Microsoft's Vista operating system partners.

Richard Payling, head of partnerships at CapGemini's outsourcing business, confirmed that the first major installation of Google Apps for a corporate customer is already underway.

"Microsoft is an important partner to us, as is IBM," Payling told The Guardian. "In our client base we have a mix of Microsoft users and Lotus Notes users and we now have our first Google Apps user."

Google's web-based services, which launched in February, include word processing, email, calendar and spreadsheet programs.

CapGemini will collect the £25 licence fee for Google applications, as well as charging for training, helpdesk support, corporate security and back-up services.

"An important element of CapGemini's services is the archiving and storage of email for compliance," said Dominique Raviart, an analyst at Ovum.

"Google itself does not offer this service, although it is in the process of buying Postini, which does."

Raviart added that businesses could benefit by using Google Apps to get off the upgrade cycle, removing the need to improve hardware, operating systems, servers and desktop software to support the latest office suite.

However, the analyst warned that there are a number of downsides with Google Apps.

"The applications on offer from Google are not as fully-functioned as those from Microsoft and IBM, and the word processor in particular is pretty lightweight," she said.

"There is also no offline capability with Google Docs, and most laptop users would expect to want to edit documents on the move."