Intermedia managed to get a well-linked press release out, thanks to Google’s new Apps For Your Domain.
The release pokes fun at the similarities and limitations of GAFYD compared to Intermedia’s own hosted Exchange services. They tout Google’s 24/0 support for customers, among other things. A selection:
240 support. This is important because companies for whom email and schedules are mission-critical will want to know they can pick up a phone and get support 24 hours a day, 0 days per week. Google also gives the option of filling out a support form and receiving an automated response.
No wireless access. Where Intermedia.NET hosted Exchange gives users access to information via BlackBerry, Treo, Q or any other device, Google has bucked this trend, perhaps suggesting that wireless email is in fact a productivity-sapping distraction for employees.
Ads inside applications. Clearly, employees are more productive when their business applications stream ads for online poker sites and pills to combat ED.
No uptime guarantee. Rather than a predictable 99.9% uptime guarantee, such as the one offered by Intermedia.NET, Google does not provide a set percentage of the time when email will be up and running. This keeps corporate collaboration more exciting, by allowing staff to guess whether the system will be working or not.
Intermedia.NET, which offers 247 telephone and email support, concedes that there is an upside to Google’s 240 solution, in that it allows a company’s staff to take a much-needed break from work while waiting for a response to their technical problem. However, the company believes that continuous telephone support is still preferred by most businesses.
I love it when a company shows some balls, and takes an opportunity to explain what their company does in a non-spammy way. I like it so much, I’m going to have to take a look at Intermedia’s offerings. Are these prices pretty typical?
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Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.
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