Google Pushes for Wider Google Apps Adoption with New Reseller Program
Google tonight announced a reseller and accreditation program for Google Apps. Resellers, after being trained by Google, can now market, support, and customize Google Apps Premier Edition for their customers. Resellers will get training and support from Google, as well as tools for sales, marketing, and integrating Google Apps into their customers' existing architectures. Google has already rolled out a pilot of this program to more than 50 partners worldwide.
In its press release, Google especially stresses the cost benefits of moving to cloud services, as well as the security benefits of using Google's tools. Google notes that Google Apps is currently being used in more than 1 million businesses and has more than 10 million active users, with 3,000 new businesses signing up for it daily.
The Google Apps Premier Edition includes Google's Gmail, Docs, Sites, and Video for Business services, as well as numerous tools for migrating from other email services and enhanced security features.
With this, Google is clearly pushing for a wider adoption of Google Apps in the enterprise. Google could probably support these customers itself, but having a network of local sales forces and support staff would be costly and probably not something that Google would want to undertake in this volatile economic climate.
Resellers will get recurring revenue for as long as the customer uses Google Apps and will be getting the service from Google with a 20% discount, which is about $40 a year per seat.
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What would be interesting is to see if they will transfer this to a brick and mortar type offering.
It would be nice to see a clean Google box sitting next to a Microsoft office or Lotus box on the shelves at Best Buy...
Or, a subscription card like the iTunes cards you see at the checkout lines at places like Walmart.
I do have to wonder though how viable this would be as a business. Would the revenue be enough to support a full time job? Or would this just be a side business or an add-on to an existing service.
Troy,
As one of the pilot resellers, let me answer your questions.
First, don't expect to see a box on the store shelf anytime soon. Awareness and acceptance of the SaaS model is growing, particularly in small and mid-size businesses.
Similarly with the subscription card ... you pay an annual fee per user and you are done ... no need for the card.
As a business model, it works. They key is value-add services bundling with Google Apps. There is a lot in the system -- setup, configuration, training, integration, data migration, and user support are all areas in which we help our customers.
With guidance, we help customer replace hosted or in-house email services, implement internal project sites and secure customer portals, embed corporate/event calendars in their web sites, etc.
Feel free to contact me for more info.
Regards,
Allen
www.horizoninfoservices.com
I'd love to see it at Costco.
Hmmm, this is very interesting. Re-selling apps, i wonder if this is a tricky way for them to get 'agents' out in the field. Start by selling their apps, then move on to selling their ads? They could potentially trim their sales force in dire times. thoughts?
Posted by: michaellambie.org
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January 14, 2009 11:14 AM