I’ve have always been a fan of Microsoft Exchange, primarily because it works so well with Outlook on the desktop and OWA (Outlook Web Access). Once again the developer gods at Google have changed that with the release of Google Apps Sync, merging the affordability of Google with the familiarity of Microsoft Outlook.
What is It?
Google Apps Sync is a workstation plug-in that allows you to sync your Outlook and Google web-based apps such as e-mail, calendar and contacts.
How easy it is to set up?
Setup is cake, taking me about 5 minutes to install the Sync plug-in on my workstation. Once logged in, your existing Outlook contents (e-mail, calendar events, and contacts) are imported to the Google Apps servers automagicaly.
What Versions of Outlook does it work with?
Outlook 2003 SP3 or 2007 SP2
Google Apps Sync has the ability to question the need for Exchange, especially in a small business environment where the initial software purchase and upkeep is a large percentage of an IT budget.
How it Works Video: