Sunday
July 1
2007

Being about the newest tweaks for Google Apps

At the risk of reinforcing the view some have that all I do is twiddle with Google stuff all day (I don’t), I weigh in here with yet another Google post to mention a few low-profile tweaks implemented last week in the free “standard” Google Apps configuration used by LSNC. LSNC relies on Google Apps primarily for domain-hosted Gmail, but also as a vehicle for promoting use of web-based individual and collaborative tools, principally Google Calendar, Google Docs & Spreadsheets and Google Notebook, all of which have integrated “sharing” features. Google Apps is not the cure for cancer, but it has a lot to recommend it for non-profits ready to tap its various, typically (but not always) user friendly features at essentially no cost and with minimal maintenance effort.

The latest Google Apps tweaks are modest but helpful and worth noting. Some, most notably the email migration feature, are not freebies. But even the Google App minimalists like us got several real goodies:

Shared LSNC Contacts: OMG! (Oh my Google!) Domain-hosted Gmail now offers a system-level share-contacts option that automatically integrates all domain email addresses into one’s Gmail “contacts.” What this means in practice is hugely helpful. LSNC staff no longer need to add or delete LSNC domain email addresses to their Gmail contacts. The names and email addresses are just there (or not, as staff are removed from the domain). Now when composing I just begin typing the first few letters of any LSNC staffer’s name or email address and Gmail offers it as an option to insert as an email address, without my ever needing to add them to contacts.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets Integration: Since the get-go, our version of the free Google Apps has always included Google Gmail and Google Calendar. Well, last week Google finally integrated its wonderful Google Docs & Spreadsheets features directly into the mix. Now we have direct access to Google Docs from within our LSNC Gmail accounts without having to login separately. Sweet.

(Never used Google Docs? Check out the Google Docs & Spreadsheets video training, a product overview that also explains how you can use it to collaborate with others. Think of the possibilities.)

Option to Open Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in Google Docs: It gets even better, although this is a feature that has long been available in premium versions of Google Apps but only debuted in the freebie version last week. Now that the standard version of Google Apps integrates Google Docs, whenever you receive a Microsoft Word document or an Excel spreadsheet as a file attachment, you will now see a link at the bottom of the Gmail message for opening the attached file directly into Google Docs.

Option to View PowerPoint Slide Shows: This is a new feature for all. If someone sends you a PowerPoint presentation as a file attachment, you will now see a link at the bottom of the Gmail message for viewing the slide show within your web browser. No, you do not need PowerPoint installed on your computer. Really. It works.