Google Wants To Take Over Exchange Mart
I always laughed when I heard that Google was about to squash Microsoft. Google had search, a bunch of ad programs and low-end online apps. That wasn't enough bulk to squash a fly.
But sometimes, if you say something long enough, it comes true. Now Google has a real OS in the form of Android, and a real browser in Chrome. And it wants to take over the lucrative e-mail server market with a new tool, Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook.
While it doesn't have a cool name, it does have huge potential. The idea is to let us use Outlook, but instead of talking to Exchange servers, we get our mail from Google cloud e-mail servers. Google claims this costs one-sixth as much as Exchange.
If it works, Exchange could be in for some serious pressure. Could we see price cuts, or a more aggressive move to Exchange in the cloud? Would you ditch Exchange for Google? Use whatever e-mail system you want and send me a note at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on June 12, 2009