How did Google beat Microsoft to the US Government?
Google and its partner Onix Networking recently won a $35 million contract to run the U.S. Department of the Interior‘s new cloud-based email and collaboration system, a deal where Google went head-to-head with Microsoft.
The deal sees the Department of Interior become the largest major U.S. Government agency to switch to Google’s cloud to date.
So why did they choose Google Apps over Microsoft?
It’s unclear which Microsoft product Google Apps was competing against, Microsoft Office 365 or Exchange. As such, we can’t say say for sure what the motivating factors were, but what we can do is tell you why other other US Government bodies, have already chosen to ‘Go Google’.
Key motivations cited are:
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Reduced costs
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Cloud-based solutions have inherent cost savings relating to servers, licenses, ongoing IT maintenance and software updates.
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Increased collaboration & productivity
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Google Apps allows users to work from anywhere, at any time, and through any device. They are able to share documents, information, videos and chat in real-time.
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Single cloud-based platform
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Many US Government Departments/Agencies are using multiple disparate legacy platforms that don’t integrate or communicate.
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Easy access to important information
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The ability to share information easily in real time, and search that information using the Google algorithms means Government employees can access the information they need quicker.
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High levels of security
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Google has had security clearance from the US Federal Government and is allowed to process sensitive and confidential information.
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Happier taxpayers
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Easy access to information, reduced costs, increased productivity = a better end user experience and happy taxpayers.
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Who has already moved over and why...
The State of Wyoming, just one of the many US Government Agencies/Departments to make the move to Google Apps, was the first state to move to the Cloud based platform. They did so to allow for greater mobility and collaboration between employees. It also marked a move to a shared email platform resulting in greater efficiency and better service to the public. Cost savings were also cited, specifically related to servers, licensing and staff when compared to their previous system. See a video of Wyoming’s story here.
The State of Utah made the move to improve accountability, reduce costs and increase services to the taxpayer. Its legacy email system was unable to keep up with the increasing demand from staff to access information anytime and anywhere. Google Apps also provided increased security to comply with all FISMA requirements and a more efficient way to comply with government eDiscovery requirements.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), South Carolina needed a robust email system to handle sensitive and confidential communications. Google Apps has had security certification from the Federal Government, which gave them the peace of mind they needed.
Rockingham County had a set of disparate legacy email systems and needed a single platform where employees from different departments -- from Emergency Services to Finance -- could share documents and calendars, video chat, and create intranet pages that all county employees could access. They now enjoy an easy-to-maintain solution that requires fewer resources while offering employees new, modern communication tools.
The list goes on.
The bottom line is that Google Apps offers a cloud based platform that enables easier collaboration and access to information - something that has a direct impact on productivity. Better productivity = happy taxpayers. And the inherent cost savings of moving to a cloud-based platform don’t hurt either.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
