google apps / new capabilities
Posted by John on November 9th, 2009
(via http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-apps-highlights-1162009.html
I am really hoping to get some dedicated import / export tools for all things (especially email); this would certainly aid portability, and probably bring more people into the Google Apps fold, if they felt they could also back out if need be.
Personally, I’ve had a devil of a time with a full-featured (i.e. multi-labelled, using colors, with rules, etc.) populated Gmail account going over to an Apps email, or vice versa, or even Apps email –> Apps email. Exportability to some standard format would greatly help; I wish there were an XML format for this, that could handle all of the possibilities; by definition, it should be extensible, but with at least most functionality supported by all of the major players.
- Customizable options for Gmail offline
- Google Docs bulk export
- Visual indicators for edited and all-new items in Google Docs
- Administrator controls for Chat
These are certainly positive steps for Google however; I am continuing to hope for further expansion in what I think is pretty much the best-of-breed out there, for “free cost” environments. It may not rival all of the features I was used to in Microsoft Exchange 2010, but it also is not hosted internally, and Google is soaking up the hardware and software costs associated, in exchange for the advertising, etc.
I am looking forward to further integration via Google Voice and Google Wave as well.
Have a great day! 
