Google Apps - Migrations from SBS anyone?

[MobileGeeks]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if anyone have played around with Google Apps. I got a few business that want to dump their existing Microsoft SBS setups for this.

Im not too sure what to quote for labour most sites are around 10 - 20 users.

How long lol!

 

[PBComputer]

This is something i've being meaning to look into but never got around to it. As i'm looking an switching a client from Exchange to Google Apps.

 

[seedubya]

Did a site with 12 users last month. No biggie. GA will work with Outlook, iPhone, Blackberry, Android(obviously) pretty much flawlessly. However, if you're using any of Exchange's advanced feature inc. calendar sharing, resouce scheduling etc. then look very carefully at GA to see if it will do what you want. I think I figured it out over the last few jobs at about 40 min. per user.

 

[pcpickup]

I have setup a lot of my clients over on google apps with out a problem. Once you get the hang of it and use the bulk setup tools it's pretty easy. It's a very cost effective solution for small companies.

 

[MobileTechie]

I do wonder if we're not just putting ourselves out of work in the long term going Google everything like this.

SBS does most things small businesses need and if they've already paid for it then it's doing it for free. But lots of them are set up by the owners or clueless techs and so don't work which puts people off.

Seems to me there is good money to be made in reconfiguring SBS properly. It's not hard and it usually represents good ongoing income as new users and machines are added or office moves turn up etc.

I realise this is totally off topic!

 

[pcpickup]

I do have a love hate relationship with microsoft. The fact they their systems are more failure prone and less idiot proof to configure means that I get paid for my skills to setup and maintain the system. But with the economy being what it is Google Apps just makes good economic sense for theses small companies and even some of the bigger ones. I also offer open source solution for my clients and that has been going really well too.

 

[MobileTechie]

I do have a love hate relationship with microsoft. The fact they their systems are more failure prone and less idiot proof to configure means that I get paid for my skills to setup and maintain the system. But with the economy being what it is Google Apps just makes good economic sense for theses small companies and even some of the bigger ones. I also offer open source solution for my clients and that has been going really well too.

Yes there must be an economic imperitive why Apps is gaining in popularity and for an SME looking to get email etc then it makes sense as does hosted Exchange. I don't think it makes the same sense if you already have SBS bought and paid for though.

In a world dominated by Google and other cloud competitors there isn't much room for the tech other than basic h/w support. Even that could go if the ISPs start offering thin clients with online storage as part of their fast broadband plans.

Open Source makes sense for techs since the whole model is driven by paid-for support.

So what sort of open source solutions have you offered?

 

[pcpickup]

I have put in a few Linux lamp servers with custom apps that we have written but the most popular has been file servers. I use FreeNAS 7 and I sell them the server with intergrated off site back up service that I sell and it has been going great. Low cost for the client to get going, on going fee for the off site backup and the client get's piece of mind that their data is being cared for. I keep 30 day roll backs of all of the backups on a secure encrypted server at my office.

 

[MobileTechie]

So you're pretty good on linux then I assume?

 

[pcpickup]

I have been a linux admin since 1999 but I have admittedly been working on Microsoft even longer. My whole office and all systems are open source with the exception of our point of sale which is an in house project that we may open source later. I love linux but I often find the most money in fixing corporate MS servers such as exchange and IIS system problems. One of the other advantages is using linux at all of the workstations in the office is no worry about cross infections to our computers from all of the virus removal jobs that come in the store.