Business

Google's pursuit of the enterprise takes center stage

SAN FRANCISCO--Google's pitch for the enterprise continued Wednesday at Google I/O, as the search giant attempted to make the case that businesses should be considering Web-based technologies for their own applications--not just Google's.

Day One of the Google I/O show was a disappointment to anyone looking for news about Google's Android mobile operating system or reported "Google TV" platform. But those who were in San Francisco's Moscone Center for more information about how they can incorporate HTML5 technologies into their own application-development practices got an earful.

"The Web is ready for … Read more

How to fix your McAfee-crippled computer

McAfee pushed out a malformed security patch early on Wednesday that wound up crippling computers running Windows XP, but there is a fix available. Users should note that it's labor-intensive and must be applied manually to each computer. If you're running Windows Vista or Windows 7, your computer shouldn't be affected by the bad update.

If your computer is shutting down automatically, you must address that before you can fix anything else.

Step 1: Open a command prompt: Start menu, Run, then type cmd and hit Enter Step 2: Type shutdown -a, which will prevent the shutdown … Read more

Google ready to get down to business

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Google wants to be the next big enterprise software company.

Truth be told, Google wants to be the next big everything. Monday's target was the budding Web-based enterprise software market, as Google pulled out all the stops to convince an audience of 400 CIOs and technology managers--plus far more on a Webcast--that cloud computing isn't so much the future as the present and Google can make it happen.

Enterprise computing hasn't been sexy for years. Indeed, author Geoffrey Moore of TCG Advisers explained to the crowd that after binging at the Y2K trough, enterprise … Read more

Key Google Docs changes promise faster service

Google has made some under-the-hood changes to its Google Docs product, promising faster service and real-time collaboration tools.

The changes address many of the demands of Google Docs users for more speed and better compatibility with offline products like Microsoft Word and Excel, said Jonathan Rochelle, group product manager for Google Apps. Google's Dave Girouard, president of the Enterprise group, is expected to introduce the changes at Google's Atmosphere conference Monday in Mountain View, Calif.

Google has had some success getting companies to switch to its suite of Web-based office productivity software, but there's still an awful … Read more

Touchfrastructure meets the HypePad

by Fabio Sergio, Creative Director, frog design

Those who know me will tell you that I tend to reflect on things, but the sad truth is that my brain is simply slow: here I am, writing about the iPad months after everybody else has put the microscope down and decided to wait for the thing to finally hit the market for real.

From my vantage point of nonengagement I must admit it was oddly amusing to see Apple for once unable to safely ride out the centrifugal mammoth hype tube they managed once more to build around their latest … Read more

Microsoft's latest small-business plan

It happens every couple of years. Microsoft's newly installed head of small-business efforts goes on the road to talk about how the company sees vast potential in the huge numbers of underserved firms that all want the capabilities of big business software without the cost or complexity. The new executive assures me that Microsoft gets it and promises Redmond is rededicating itself to the market.

This time around, the executive was Birger Steen, a Norwegian oil trader who ran Microsoft's Russian subsidiary before moving to Redmond last year to take over the small and midsize business sales effort. … Read more

Meaning-driven brands: A list of visionaries/sensemakers/disruptors/game changers/contrarians

As the world slowly emerges from the economic gloom, and the “hyper-social real-time Web” requires new organizational designs, it’s clear that business as usual will not be so usual anymore. Yet fundamental concerns remain, both for business leaders, who face the challenge of innovating in a hyper-transparent and always-on environment, and for consumers, who are increasingly searching for noneconomic values amid the shattered trust in business and the information overload. Smart companies recognize the historic opportunity to transform the way they do business and provide customers with more value-rich, sustainable, and meaningful products, services, and business models. From “un-entitlement” … Read more

On the Eve of Marketing 2.0, the Dawn of Marketing 3.0?

I'm en route to the Marketing 2.0 conference in Paris, one of the most respected gatherings of marketing executives presenting and discussing the latest trends in their field. In a way, the story of the conference is the story of marketing itself. The somewhat yesteryear name indicates that a few years ago, when Marketing 2.0 premiered, it was conceived as a forum for pioneers who were early on embracing digital marketing and social media. Times have changed. What used to be at the fringes of the profession has moved into the mainstream, and both program and attendees of Marketing 2.0 reflect that. That's not a bad thing. Digital marketing IS marketing, social media IS media. You would think...… Read more

Google making it easier to leave Exchange

Google's assault on Microsoft's enterprise software business continues to advance with a new tool that helps companies move away from Exchange.

The Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Exchange tool will launch later today, designed to give Exchange administrators help in moving their users' data into Google Apps. It's all part of Google's pitch for the benefits of cloud computing, which might sound nice to some administrators in theory but can require a lot of work.

Administrators can now download the tool from Google and move 200 users per hour from Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2007 to … Read more