Free Email Addresses Can Cost You...

Free web-based email makes you think of dead-giveaway addresses like This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , which are not the ideal on a business card or resume. But setting up your own email server or paying a hosting provider to do it for your small organization can be costly or time-consuming. The good news is you can get all the benefits of the leading web-based email service out there - Google's Gmail - with a This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. address, and we can set it up for you quickly and cheaply.

With a Google Apps account, you can appear as though there's a full IT team behind your small organization while getting the simple set up, short learning curve and ease of use that web-based applications offer. Google Apps (formerly named "Google Apps for Your Domain") includes Gmail, calendar and document sharing, simple website hosting, and instant messaging to all the people involved at your domain for free.

Here's how it works. Say you own a web site domain name like thejonesfamily.com. (That you've got to pay for; prices range from $10 to $60 a year.) With a Google Apps account associated with this domain, we can create up to 50 users for you in Google Apps, like This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Everyone in your organization gets his or her own email account, calendar which can be easily shared and published, Google Talk instant messaging, as well as a Google Docs account which can be used to create, edit and share documents in the popular file formats - spreadsheets, presentations, Word-compatible docs and more, all through your web browser.

One big advantage to using Google Apps is the low cost, zero maintenance, and storing data "in the cloud," which translates into your email, documents, and events are always available anywhere you can get online with a web browser - you never have to worry about backups for anything stored on Google Docs - that's Google's job and they're pretty good at it.

You also do not need an IT guy or girl to create accounts and give users access to services; you can do that yourself using the Google Apps' dashboard. You won't have to be concerned with hitting email account storage limits (Gmail's up to 7GB of storage per user now), or setting up VPNs, firewalls, or expensive software. If you ever decide to switch to another provider and take your domain name with you, you won't need to worry about establishing all new email accounts, re-printing marketing materials, etc.

One drawback to using Google Docs is tech support. To put it bluntly, there is none, unless you opt for a commercial account with Google. That will run you about $50 per year. The $50/year Google Apps account does include phone support for "critical issues." The upside is that so many people use Google that When you have troubles, there is probably an answer out there that you should be abvle to find rather quickly with the right Google search. We can also assist you with telephone, desktop sharing or on-site support. Some organizations might not feel comfortable storing private information or documents on Google's servers, but the data is not available to the public unless you choose to share it publicly, and Google has better things to do than look at your documents.

For a family, organization, side business, small business, or individual who just wants professional-looking email addresses and an easy way to share documents and calendars, Google Apps is a great solution. 

To find out more about Google Apps, give us a call at 719-695-4630 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .