AP reports that Google Apps gained more credibility as "technology consultancy Capgemini will begin recommending Google Inc.'s online suite of office software to its corporate customers. (...) Capgemini, based in Paris, France, influences the type of software used on more than 1 million personal computers in companies worldwide. Its major customers include drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. and accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers."

While this doesn't mean Google is going to get a lot of new customers, the awareness of Google Apps will increase. Capgemini will explain the advantages of a hosted solution and will provide ways to integrate it with the current systems.

"SaaS solutions, such as Google Apps Premier Edition, provide a cost-effective, easy-to-deploy alternative to installed, licensed desktop software; they are delivered over the Internet via a Web browser and do not require companies to install or maintain software locally, or to tap into internal IT resources. Having the ability to share, review, and edit data in a collaborative environment on the Web naturally serves the needs of Capgemini's enterprise clients with multiple facilities, global locations and distributed employees," detailed Capgemini in a press release.

Capgemini will continue to recommend software from companies like Microsoft and IBM. Google Apps could complement these solutions or replace them. "Capgemini application and infrastructure management experts can help clients develop a strategy for the most effective use of Google Apps Premier Edition, whether as an enterprise-wide office application or as a complementary solution for select departments or employees within a traditional managed desktop environment."

Capemini becomes the first global IT consultancy company that recommends software-as-a-service solutions and it could play an important role in the rise of the collaborative IT - "real-time collaboration unlimited by location, platform, versions, user roles or proximity to the IT hub."

{ Thanks, Thomas Marteau. }

Related:

* Google launches Apps Premier Edition: "simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools for your organization without the usual hassle and cost" (February 2007)

* Google Apps, not yet a mature enterprise solution: "the solution's rudimentary feature set means that enterprises need to pick carefully and implement slowly" concludes a report from Burton Group (August 2007) </img> </img> </img> </img>