Considering Google Apps

For the past few months, we here at Sundog have been evaluating the migration of our messaging platform from Microsoft Exchange to Google Apps Premier.

Having recently won approval to make the move official, I have come across a few ideas that small businesses and, in particular, IT professionals might want to keep in mind while considering a move from an on-premises Microsoft Exchange environment to cloud-based Google Apps:

1. Before jumping in head-first, think about running a pilot program using the (free) Standard Edition of Google Apps on an un-used domain that you own, or purchasing another domain name related to your company. This will allow you to keep your current system intact and still experiment with Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and other services customized for your domain.

2. Take the time to research what options there are for migrating your users. Google has built-in migration for emails, but one must also consider everyone’s calendars and personal contact lists as well. Google’s Solutions Marketplace for Small Business is a great place to start.

3. Consider the impact of the move on your company’s workflows. Some users will enjoy the change from running a client like Microsoft Outlook to working completely in web pages. Some will not. Send out a survey to find out what features users use the most or feel they can’t live without. Then determine if there is a comparable feature available in Google Apps natively, with a third-party application, or with the help of a developer and the use of the Google Apps API.

There are many more factors that need to be put into the overall equation before making the move, but I’ve found that these three can give you a good idea early on whether or not you’d want to proceed with more involved testing and planning.