Intermedia.NET ships a great press release that pokes holes in the Google bubble. (The company uses Microsoft Exchange to host for small and medium businesses, so they have an interest at defeating the Googlenaut.)
Commentators have not had a favorable reaction to the new Google Apps for Your Domain service, which promises to read all your documents for Google's own amusement and profit. Here's the points that Intermedia makes, which bare consideration:
- Latent support: Clients cannot pick up a phone and get support 24 hours a day; instead, Google makes you fill out a form and wait.
- No wireless: no access via BlackBerry, Treo, Q, etc.
- No privacy: Google looks at all emails and documents stored with them.
- Interrupted applications: Google feeds customers ads for online poker sites and pills to combat ED.
- No uptime guarantee: Google does not specify the percentage of time when email will be up and running.
If you go into Google Apps for Your Domain, read the terms of use and you know what to expect; OTOH, you might not know that you could expect better service than what Google offers.
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